Top 5 Free Stock Photo Websites in 2025

Whether you’re designing a website, writing a blog post, or creating social media content, high-quality images make a huge impact. But professional stock photos can be expensive-and that’s where free stock photo websites come in. In 2025, there are several amazing platforms that offer stunning, royalty-free images for personal and commercial use, all at no cost.

Here are the top 5 free stock photo websites you should be using this year.

📷 1. Unsplash – Best for Aesthetic, High-Resolution Photos

Why it’s great: Unsplash has become a favorite among bloggers, designers, and creatives for its modern, high-resolution images that don’t look like generic stock photos. Its contributors are often photographers with a keen eye for style, making it perfect for websites and branding.

• Beautiful, editorial-style images
• Clean and easy-to-use search interface
• Huge variety of categories (nature, tech, people, travel, etc.)
• Free for commercial and personal use (no attribution required)

Drawbacks:

• Limited illustrations or vectors
• Some images may feel overused across the web

🎨 2. Pexels – Best for Variety (Photos & Videos)

Why it’s great: Pexels offers a wide range of high-quality images and videos-all free. The site is known for its modern aesthetic, extensive library, and useful filters like color tone or orientation, making it a go-to for creators of all kinds.

• Large collection of both photos and free stock videos
• Excellent search tools and curated collections
• No attribution required
• Great for blog headers, social content, and product mockups

Drawbacks:

• Some images are mirrored from other sites like Pixabay
• Editorial use may require additional permissions

🖼️ 3. Pixabay – Best for All-in-One Content (Photos, Vectors, Music)

Why it’s great: Pixabay isn’t just for photos-it also offers illustrations, vector graphics, music, and video. It’s a great place for creators who want an all-in-one resource for visual and multimedia content.

• Photos, illustrations, vectors, music, and videos
• Safe for commercial use with no attribution required
• Wide variety of styles and themes
• Editor’s Choice collection for top picks

Drawbacks:

• Some visuals feel like traditional “stock” photos
• Lower-quality uploads mixed in with higher-end ones

🌐 4. LibreShot – Best for Authentic, Personal Photography

Why it’s great: LibreShot is run by one photographer (Martin Vorel), and the images are all original and free to use for any purpose. The site focuses on authentic, natural photography and avoids the polished, over-edited look you see elsewhere.

• Authentic and artistic photos
• Unique compared to mass stock libraries
• Easy to browse by category
• No copyright restrictions

Drawbacks:

• Smaller library compared to bigger sites
• No video or vector content

🧑🎨 5. Reshot – Best for Startups & Creators Wanting Unique Content

Why it’s great: Reshot focuses on images that don’t look like stock photos. Their library is handpicked to include natural, people-centric, and culturally relevant photos that are perfect for modern branding, social media, or editorial use.

• Fresh, hand-curated library
• No attribution required
• Great for entrepreneurs, creators, and app mockups
• Unique, non-cheesy visuals

Drawbacks:

• Limited library compared to giants like Pexels
• Fewer filtering options when browsing

🧠 Final Thoughts

Finding high-quality visuals no longer requires a big budget. Whether you’re looking for sleek, modern imagery or something more personal and authentic, there’s a free stock photo site that fits your needs:

• Unsplash – For stylish, high-resolution images
• Pexels – For variety, including video
• Pixabay – For an all-in-one creative resource
• LibreShot – For authentic and original photography
• Reshot – For handpicked, unique visuals

Just remember to always double-check licensing for any edge-case uses (like print or resale), and you’ll be good to go.