There are only a small number of stock photo providers, where I feel in good hands when I need images for private websites (blog, etc.).
Stocks are called the platforms where you can buy professional photos for reuse. In this case, i’ll talk about the platforms that offer the same service for free.
1. pxhere
All of the listed providers are very good. But I’m looking for pictures of very different niches. And in summary, pxhere has delivered the best images so far.
It’s hard to understand complex licenses that is why all photos on PxHere are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. This means the pictures are completely free to be used for any legal purpose.
pxhere.com
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)
creativecommons.org
No copyright protection
You may copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, without asking for further permission.
2. pixabay
Pixabay has the same licensing terms as pxhere, but they have not licensed their images directly with CC0. The license agreement is separately written, which means that the agreement can be changed.
All content on Pixabay can be used for free for commercial and noncommercial use across print and digital. You can make modifications to content from Pixabay.
pixabay.com
3. Unsplash
Unsplash was the first platform I got to know as a free stock service provider. I thought this idea was great and shared it with the team and we talked for a while.
All photos published on Unsplash can be used for free. You can use them for commercial and noncommercial purposes. You do not need to ask permission from or provide credit to the photographer or Unsplash.
unsplash.com
4. Pexels
Pexels also offers good photos, but the license terms are very vague. It’s just like pixabay, not just a CC license, but there’s a license page where the conditions are in there.
What is allowed?
pexels.com
All photos on Pexels are free to use.
On your website, blog or app
Promote your product
Prints marketing material
Share them on social media
These phrases are on the license page and the free usability is obvious, but it is not explicitly mentioned that the images may be used for commercial use.
5. freepik
freepik is an incredibly large platform where you can download images (photos and graphics) as well as vectors. The bad thing at freepik is that you have to mention freepik.
Attribution: how, when and where?
freepik.com
If you are a Free user, you must always include the attribution line “Designed by Freepik” on the final products or designs you use our resources for, whether these are physical or digital products.
There is also a “premium” alternative that can be used. This means that this platform can only be fully used if you sign up for a subscription of € 9.99 a month.
