All of the photo sources are licenced as CC0 - Creative Commons Zero. This means you can copy, modify, distribute, and publish the photos. Attribution is not required, which means you don’t even have to credit the authors with a link or a mention.
Word of caution, though: please check and re-check these sources. Some of them might have changed their licensing options since this article has been published.
Unsplash.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: Related tags / categories
Unsplash is our new favorite photo source. This is where you should start your search.
What we love about Unsplash is its aesthetics. Photos aren't cheesy, they're modern and will be great for your Instagram posts.
Our favorite feature are related tags / categories that are shown just after you search for a keyword. For example, if you search for creativity, Unsplash will offer related categories that you can click and refine your search, such as: Creative, Art, Design, Idea, Innovation, Inspiration, etc.
Pixabay.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: Yes
- Special features: 4 image sizes - S, M, L, XL
Pixabay is where we go if Unsplash disappoints. It has more than 380.000 free photos, vectors and art illustrations.
This wide range of photos on any topic and a search bar makes it easy to find high quality photos in a second. Probably everything that you will ever need in your free photo, you will be able to find here. Photos can be downloaded in 4 sizes - from small to extra large.
You can sign up for an account and download photos without disturbance. If you don’t want to sign up, just enter a simple captcha and download a photo in a size that suits your needs.
Pexels.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: free stock videos, related keywords
Pexels has a database of more than 2000 quality photos and the collection is getting bigger every week. There is a search bar on top of the website that makes it easier to find images on a certain topic and related keywords are shown below to give you an idea of what else to search. Pexels also has a collection of free stock videos you can use.
By clicking the download button an image opens in new window so you can save it with the right click of the mouse.
DesignersPics.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: categories
This free source has really professional and high-resolution photos that are perfect for presentations. Along with search bar, there are 10 categories to help you filter photos.
PickupImage.com
- Registration needed: Yes
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: clipart, 3 image sizes - S, M, L
Pickup image is another good source for high quality photos. It also has a collection of free clipart. Photos are downloadable in 3 sizes. The website is simple and easy to navigate. But there is one downside: you have to be a registered user to be able to download photos. If you don’t want to register, you can alternatively save a photo with the right click of the mouse.
Morguefile.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: photo commenting and favoriting
Morguefile is a nice source of free photos with a search bar. The website is easy to navigate and you can download a photo with just one click. If you are a registered user, you can comment and favorite photos.
Plixs.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: categories
Not the biggest selection of photos, but there are quite a few high quality photos to choose from. There is a search bar on the top along with categories and downloading is just one click away when opening a photo.
Magdeleine.co
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: choose a dominant color, categories
You can use a search bar and categories to filter results and there is also a possibility to choose a dominant color of the photo.
Commons.Wikimedia.org
Wikimedia is the same non-profit organisation that founded Wikipedia. There are many free photos to choose from, but the downside is that it’s a bit tricky to browse through photos compared to other sites we listed.
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: categories and subcategories
PDPics.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: Yes
- Special features: categories
PDPics is a repository of thousands of free public domain pictures and photographs. This website also requires captcha before download.
GoodFreePhotos.com
- Registration needed: No
- Captcha before download: No
- Special features: categories
This image source is limited to several categories such as nature, animals, food…
