Quick answer
Start with Unsplash or Pexels for broad everyday subjects, Pixabay for photos and illustrations, and Shopify’s Burst for retail scenes. StockSnap and the WordPress Photo Directory offer simple CC0 photo collections. Use Openverse when you need to search across collections, but check the license at the original source. A free download does not clear every logo, recognizable person, or artwork shown in a photo.
The right free image is one that fits the subject, has enough resolution for the final layout, and comes with terms you can meet. These seven sources differ in what they offer and how you verify permission. Keep the image page or license record with your project so you can trace the file later.
1. Unsplash: broad editorial-style photography
Unsplash is useful for environments, textures, and lifestyle images. Its license permits free commercial use without required attribution, with restrictions including selling images unmodified or building a competing image service. If a person or brand is identifiable, consider whether your use implies endorsement.
2. Pexels: photos and video
Pexels offers still images and video under the Pexels License. The service allows free personal and commercial use without required credit, but its terms restrict resale of unaltered files and certain implied endorsements. Sponsored search results may lead to paid partner sites, so check where the download comes from.
3. Pixabay: several media types in one search
Pixabay includes photographs, illustrations, vectors, video, and audio. Current downloads use its Content License, which has restrictions; do not assume every image is CC0. In particular, check uses involving merchandise, trademarks, or recognizable people.
4. Burst by Shopify: retail and product contexts
Burst is especially worth searching for store, product, and small-business imagery. Shopify says its existing images are free to use and attribution is optional. The library is in maintenance mode and no longer accepts new submissions, so it may be less useful when you need a newly photographed subject. Read the image and license information before publishing.
5. StockSnap: a CC0 photo collection
StockSnap says its photographs are offered under CC0, with no attribution required. That makes the site’s copyright terms relatively simple. You still need to judge whether a particular photo accurately represents your subject and whether separate rights in people or brands matter.
6. WordPress Photo Directory: photos submitted as CC0
The WordPress Photo Directory is a collection of photos submitted under CC0. It is a useful option for site illustrations and backgrounds when its available subjects fit. The WordPress comparison guide explains that the directory hosts downloadable files, unlike Openverse’s cross-site search.
7. Openverse: search several open collections
Openverse searches openly licensed and public-domain media from multiple repositories. It is a discovery tool, not the host of every image it lists. Filter by use and license, then visit the original file page and verify the creator, license, and attribution. Openverse itself asks users to check licensing independently.
Before you put an image on your site
Open the full-size file, check whether it suits the crop, and read the current license. Record the source URL and any required credit. If the image will advertise a product, look closely at recognizable people, logos, and artworks. If the picture suggests a specific person or place, verify that its caption supports the claim. A generic free image can be worse than no image when it misrepresents the subject.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free stock photos for commercial use?
Start with Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, StockSnap or the WordPress Photo Directory, then read the current terms on the specific image page. Free access does not clear every person, logo or artwork.
Is every Pixabay image CC0?
No. Pixabay uses its own Content License for current downloads. Check its restrictions before resale, merchandise or an endorsement-style use.
Do I have to credit a free stock photographer?
It depends on the source and image. Unsplash and Pexels generally do not require credit under their site licenses, while an Openverse result may point to a license that does.
What is Openverse used for?
Openverse searches media from other collections. Follow the result to its original page and verify the creator, license and attribution before using it.
Can I resell a free stock photo unchanged?
Do not assume so. Major free-stock licenses restrict standalone resale or building a competing collection. Read the actual license before selling or redistributing a file.
