Top 15 Sites for Copyright and Royalty-Free Images

Copyright-free images are those that are not protected by copyright or have waived their rights, often available for public use without permission or licensing fees. Public domain images are often historical or government-produced and are free for anyone to use. To avoid legal issues, businesses can use royalty-free images from freely accessible image repositories, which may even provide CC0-licensed images at no cost.

However, it is crucial to review licensing terms to understand any constraints or usage prerequisites, as some licenses may permit non-commercial use or attribution. To avoid legal entanglements, it is advisable to use Creative Commons or public domain-licensed images.

How do Copyright and Royalty Free Images Work?

Some websites allow private use of images but prohibit commercial use, such as business cards or posters. These images are protected under Creative Commons CC0, which allows users to download and use them without obtaining permission or paying licensing fees. To use CC0 images, it is recommended to publicize the artists’ efforts and consider donating to their cause.

• Creative Commons licenses allow creators to retain some rights while permitting certain uses. Copyright protection has a time limit, typically the lifetime of the creator plus 50 to 70 years. Some creators may explicitly waive their copyright on an image, either by releasing it into the public domain or using a license like CC0.
• When using copyright-free images, it is crucial to check the specific terms associated with the image, as there may still be restrictions or requirements. Respecting these terms and giving proper credit is essential to avoid legal issues and ensure ethical use.

Top 15 Sites for Copyright and Royalty-Free Images

1. Unsplash

Unsplash

Unsplash is a popular stock image site with over one million high-quality images curated by brands like Magazine, Trello, Fujifeed, and Squarespace. Users can download, copy, modify, distribute, perform, and use photos for free. Owned by Getty, the site offers multiple search options, including keyword search, 30+ unique categories, and the Visual Search feature for similar images.

Features:

• Offers vast library of high-resolution images across different categories.
• Simple and easy to use interface for all the users.
• Contributor community is there for all the photographers and artists on Unsplash.
• There are different image customization features available like image resizing, orientation, themes, etc.

Pricing:

• Unsplash+ Yearly Plan: $48 for the annual plan of 12 months
• Unsplash+ Monthly Plan: $8 for per month

2. Burst

Burst

Shopify has launched Burst, a website offering high-quality images for entrepreneurs. Burst offers royalty-free images, some of which can be downloaded under CC0 license. It has a sleek interface and a wide selection of low- and high-quality images. The site is similar to Unsplash, with photos contributed by photographers. Burst allows users to download, edit, and use the images as they see fit. It also features a ‘Tips’ tab and a ‘Business Ideas’ section.

Features:

• Easy to use with an attractive and customizable interface for the users.
• Provides high-quality images and gives customization options too.
• Promotes the images uploaded by photographers and independent artists in their community to promote art.
• Step-wise working tutorial also being provided for new users.

Pricing:

• Not any specific plans are mentioned, and royalty-free images are available for download.

3. Pixabay

Pixabay

Pixabay is a platform offering 1.6 million royalty-free stock photos and videos for commercial use, with no attribution required. It provides creative collections of illustrations, photos, videos, sound effects, vector graphics, and music tracks. With over 2.4 million free images licensed under Creative Commons Zero, users can use them without permission or credit. Pixabay integrates images from other image hosting sites and offers a camera search feature for users to explore images based on their camera.

Features:

• Vast collection of royalty-free images and videos.
• High-resolution content suitable for various creative projects.
• User-friendly search and filtering options.
• No attribution required for most content.
• Free to use for commercial purposes.

Pricing:

• No pricing information available for any product or service.

4. Pexels

Pexels.com

Pexels is a free stock video and image platform offering millions of images and videos under the Pexels License for personal and commercial use without attribution. It operates similarly to Unsplash and Burst, with images supplied by photographers and outsourced from websites like Little Visuals. Pexels has grown into a reputable stock photo library since 2015.

Features:

• Extensive collection of free stock photos and videos.
• High-resolution content suitable for various creative projects.
• User-friendly search and filtering options.
• Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license for most assets.
• No attribution required for most content.

Pricing:

• Available for free, and have no premium plans info.

5. FreeImages

FreeImages

FreeImages is a stock platform with over 300,000 images, vectors, and illustrations available for personal and commercial use. It offers advanced filter options and multiple download formats, but the quality of images may not be satisfactory. The platform has 25+ categories and a large database of unique free images, but its license agreements may restrict use in certain areas.

Features:

• Collection of free stock photos for personal and commercial use.
• Variety of categories and themes for different creative projects.
• User-friendly search and browsing options.
• Free to download and use without attribution.

Pricing:

• Available for free without any premium plans.

6. Kaboompics

Kamboopics

Kaboompics is a free stock image site that uses a license similar to Creative Commons Zero, but does not allow redistribution of photos. It allows users to search by color and provides a complementary palette of colors in the photos. KaboomPics offers a vast reservoir of royalty-free images, a color picker search engine, and color palettes for images. It also features photoshoots and informative blog entries.

Features:

• Collection of free, high-resolution stock photos for various uses.
• Images organized into categories for easy browsing.
• User-friendly interface with search and filtering options.
• No attribution required for most content.
• Regularly updated with new photos.

Pricing:

• All photos are available for free under KaboomPics lisense.

7. StockSnap.io

StockSnap.io

StockSnap.io is a popular platform for royalty-free images, offering an extensive library of high-quality images that are not easily found or expensive to purchase. Created by Snappa, the platform uses the Creative Commons CC0 license, allowing users to download, edit, and use the images for commercial and non-commercial projects.

With hundreds of high-quality photos added weekly, StockSnap is a great source for those looking for unique and high-quality images. The platform features filter functions and a decent image editing tool, but the only downsides are the intrusive Shutterstock ads and the lack of setting a download size.

Features:

• Extensive collection of high-quality, royalty-free stock photos.
• User-friendly interface with search and filtering options.
• Photos organized into categories for easy navigation.
• No attribution required for most content.

Pricing:

• Community offers completely free to use images and doesn’t demand for any charge.

8. Life of Pix

Life of Pix

Life of Pix is a platform created by the LEEROY advertising agency in Montreal, offering free, public-domain photography and stock video footage. The platform partners with Adobe Stock for more paid stock photographs. Life of Pix lists high-resolution photographs and videos without copyright restrictions for both personal and commercial use. Users can search photos by keyword or browse different photographers and galleries.

However, the site prohibits mass distribution, allowing distributors to repost a maximum of 10 images without written consent from Life of Pix. The platform is easy to navigate and offers a variety of photographers to choose from. The platform also features a weekly photo selection, allowing users to find unique pieces.

Features:

• Offers free high-quality images and stock video footage.
• Easy browsing for the photos and videos are possible with the help of categories.
• Unique photos extraction is possible every day.
• Partnered with top quality stock photo providers, Adobe Stock.

Pricing:

• No paid premium plans are there and all images are provided for free.

9. Gratisography

Gratisography

Gratisography is a royalty-free image database with a “Peace Of Mind License” that allows users to use the images for commercial and personal projects. The site features a variety of unique, high-resolution images, making it an ideal choice for those seeking unique high-resolution images. Gratisography offers a limited number of high-quality images, but they are of premium quality and are often humorous.

The license allows users to use the images for personal and commercial purposes, such as ad campaigns, brand logos, book covers, and personal blogs. However, the interface is overwhelming and the images are not relevant, as it is loaded with ads and lacks filter options and download quality settings.

Features:

• Image usage is allowed for any genuine purpose including personal and commercial projects.
• Easy to use interface for the users are available.
• High-quality premium images are provided.
• Editing options are available for the images on the site.

Pricing:

• Available for free to download images.

10. Vecteezy

Vecteezy

Vecteezy is a royalty-free image site with over 10 million free and royalty-free images. It offers a wide range of vector images, PSDs, vectors, videos, and templates. The site has strict quality controls and a Pro License subscription model, allowing users to download free stock images. It also features an advanced search function.

Features:

• Built-in vector image editor is available for customizing images.
• Royalty-free images are provided for both personal and commercial use.
• Search functionality for new users are very easy.
• Offers a bulk list of images in different categories.

Pricing:

• Vecteezy Pro (Yearly Plan): $4.50 per month
• Vecteezy Pro (Monthly Plan): $7 per month

11. Flickr

Flickr

Flickr is a large image platform that offers millions of high-quality public domain images for free and commercial use. It has a filter function for “licenses” and allows users to filter their search results by 6 licenses. However, not all images on Flickr are free for use, royalty-free, or protected under Creative Commons. To filter images, users can select “Any license” and “Commercial use allowed” after performing their search. Flickr also features advanced sorting options, multiple download sizes, and a SafeSearch feature.

Features:

• Users have the authority to set privacy levels for their photos.
• Allows the users to join groups and share photos among communities.
• Photos can be organized in the form of albums and collections.
• Insights for the photos performance can be tracked easily.

Pricing:

• Monthly Retail Price: USD $8.25, plus tax
• Annual Retail Price: USD $71.99, plus tax
• 2-year Retail Price: USD $132.99, plus tax

12. Picjumbo

Picjumbo

PicJumbo is a stock image platform created by professional photographer Victor Hanacek in 2013. With over 20 categories, it offers over 2.5 million high-quality images for personal and commercial use. The platform offers premium photo collections, vertical images for Instagram Stories content, and new wallpapers for phones. PicJumbo also provides premium content packages and plugins for Photoshop.

Features:

• Offers a high-quality royalty free images for all the users.
• Users can typically download and use photos without providing attribution.
• Platform is regularly updated with new images.
• Photos categories are enable for easy browsing.

Pricing:

• PicJumbo Premium (Monthly): $10 per month
• PicJumbo Premium (Annually): $99 per year
• PicJumbo Premium Lifetime Membership: $249

13. New Old Stock

New Old Stock

New Old Stock is a vintage image database featuring black and white images, perfect for fans of vintage photography. However, some images are not completely free to use, and the platform requires users to read the copyright terms. The images are found through institutions participating in Flickr Commons and are available for personal and non-commercial use.

Features:

• Provides high-resolution quality images.
• The photos are often available for free and may not require attribution for most use cases.
• Users can share the photos on social media or other platforms.
• Some images come with information about the historical context or details about the photo.

Pricing:

• No premium plans available.

14. Morguefile

MorgueFile

Morguefile, a royalty-free image platform, was founded in 1996 to serve creative professionals and teachers. With over 350,000 images, the platform offers a vast collection of stock photos from amateurs to professionals. Morguefile’s 400,000+ images are free to use commercially, but must be attributed according to their license.

Features:

• MorgueFile offers a collection of high-quality stock photos available for free download and use.
• The website typically has an easy-to-use interface with search and browsing capabilities.
• They have a community of contributors who share their photos with the platform.
• Images can be used for both personal and commercial use.

Pricing:

• Offers free services and additional services can be availed in paid mode.

15. Foodiesfeed

Foodiesfeed

FoodiesFeed is a website offering thousands of free images of food, nutrition, ingredients, and cooking. All images are available under CC0 Licenses and can be used for personal and commercial purposes. With 2000+ tempting food photographs across five categories, FoodiesFeed is a great resource for food enthusiasts.

Features:

• Foodiesfeed provides a curated collection of high-resolution stock photos with a focus on food and culinary themes.
• Users can easily download photos for free, for both personal and commercial use.
• Foodiesfeed typically offers high-quality, visually appealing images.
• Photos may be organized into categories, making it easier for users to find images related to specific food types or themes.

Pricing:

• Completely free to use for all the users.

What’s the Best Royalty Image Free Site?

Unsplash stands as the premier platform for royalty-free images. It boasts immense popularity and widespread utilization as a repository of copyright and royalty-free stock imagery. This resource boasts an extensive collection, featuring over one million meticulously curated, high-quality images, endorsed by renowned brands such as Magazine, Trello, Fujifeed, and Squarespace.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, when it comes to accessing top-quality copyright and royalty-free images, Unsplash emerges as the leading choice among the numerous options available. With its extensive collection of over one million high-quality images, hand-curated by well-known brands, Unsplash offers an irrevocable non-exclusive copyright license that permits users to download, modify, and use the images for free.

Its user-friendly interface, frequent updates, and a wide range of search options make it an invaluable resource for various projects. While there are other commendable platforms in the realm of royalty-free images, Unsplash’s widespread popularity and robust offerings position it as the top choice for individuals and businesses seeking high-quality, legally accessible visual content.

Copyright and Royalty-Free Images- FAQs

1. What are copyright-free images?

Copyright-free images are those not protected by copyright or have waived their rights, often available for public use without permission or licensing fees.

2. What is Creative Commons CC0?

Creative Commons (CC0) is a license that allows users to download and use images without obtaining permission or paying licensing fees. It often requires giving credit to the artist or considering donations.

3. How long does copyright protection last for images?

Copyright protection typically lasts for the lifetime of the creator plus 50 to 70 years, but some creators may explicitly waive their copyright.

4. What is the importance of checking the specific terms of copyright-free images?

It’s crucial to check the terms of copyright-free images to ensure compliance with any remaining restrictions or requirements and to avoid legal issues.