When creating a showcase site or an e-commerce, updating the contents of the internal pages or blog and planning a social strategy, you need to have beautiful images available, which visually express the meaning of the text and which are, if possible, free and free of copyright, is practically essential.
Content without images is unthinkable in a context such as the web, which relies heavily on visual impact and user involvement. Often, however, there is not enough budget available or the necessary skills to create ad hoc graphics, so the simplest, fastest and most effective solution is to find free images directly on the Internet.
But how should we proceed in order not to run into copyright problems? Just pay attention to some precautions and use specific sites that offer totally free and easily downloadable images.
The 15 best sites to download free images
Here are 15 sites from which you can draw to obtain images, illustrations, vectors, audio and video for free and without having to do with copyright:
1. Freepik
Among the databases of free images is Freepik, a very large library of multimedia content such as photos, vectors, illustrations and much more. During the search, you can also access paid images provided by Shutterstock, which are very useful for finding what you are really looking for.
2. Pixabay
Pixabay is among the most famous image sites, as it allows you to find videos, photos, illustrations and vectors with ease. Equipped with a search bar, through the filters it is possible to skim the results to get straight to the point. Most of the contents are licensed under Pixabay, so they can be used freely for commercial purposes.
3. Getty Images
In Getty Images you can find the best free images ever; not surprisingly, in fact, the photos are taken by professional photographers and, for this reason, most of them are covered by copyright. What does it mean? That you can buy a license, for example royalty free, unless you use the “embed” function to get the image with the Getty Images logo and the author’s name. In any case, it could not be used for commercial purposes.
4. Unsplash
Unsplash is one of the best-known sites for free high-resolution images, but also for the possibility of being able to upload personal photos and to use those of other users for commercial purposes without the obligation of attribution.
5. Picjumbo
Born in 2013, Picjumbo allows to download a wide range of photos for free. If desired, it is possible to opt for a Premium version which gives access to many more images, obviously for a fee, which can also be used for commercial purposes.
6. Flickr
Flickr is also making its way among the reference sites for those who want to show their photographs and for those who need to download free images to use for personal projects: simply use the advanced search to find photos with a Creative Commons license.
7. Librestock
Librestock consists of a search engine that allows you to find and obtain photos and images licensed under the CC0 Creative Commons license, which can also be used for commercial purposes. Just enter the keyword and Librestock, after performing a search on other sites, will offer all the best results found.
8. Morguefile
Created by Michael Connors, Morguefile allows to download free images and also use them for commercial purposes without having to subscribe or cite the source.
9. Vecteezy
Perfect for vector images, illustrations, and clip art, Vecteezy lets you download images for free for commercial use but with the obligation to credit the author. If you wish, you can opt for the paid Pro plan which offers access to the entire library, eliminating the need for attribution.
10. Pexels
Another extremely convenient site is Pexels, thanks to which images can be obtained that can be used without attribution to the source and also for commercial purposes. The photos are grouped by categories and you also have the possibility of being able to find out the ranking of the photographers with the highest number of views.
11. Burst
Developed by Shopify, Burst was specifically created for those who want to find images for websites, blogs and other commercial purposes. Photos are free and no attribution is needed. A very interesting function is Tips, which allows you to have access to some useful information that you can use on Facebook for both advertising campaigns and company pages.
12. Freesvg
Another recommended site is Freesvg, which gives access to a vast gallery of vector images in SVG format and clip art for free. No attribution to the author is necessary and each content can be used for both commercial and personal purposes.
13. VectorStock
For those who need vectors and clip art, VectorStock is also very valid, given that the platform is intuitive and divides the contents into two broad categories: All vectors, which includes both free and paid images, and Free vectors, which selects only the free content. The latter can only be used for personal purposes, while for commercial purposes it is necessary to purchase one of the licenses offered by the site.
14. Stockio
A very interesting solution for finding vector images, high-quality photos, icons, graphics and videos is Stockio: you can you can download content for free to use them both for personal and commercial use (even if you still need to give credit to the platform).
15. Flaticon
Finally, Flaticon is unbeatable for the search for vector icons: it is, in fact, one of the largest databases of free icons, available in various formats, to be downloaded free of charge and also used for commercial purposes (however, following the credit to the author ). There is also the option to purchase a Premium plan with a monthly or annual payment.