Top 20 Sites For Copyright Free Images (2025) – Free Royalty Free Images
If you’re a blogger, YouTuber, digital creator, or even a small business owner managing your own website, you’ve probably felt the pain of searching for high-quality, copyright-free images that won’t land you in legal trouble. I’ve been there too.
Back when I started building my blog and making videos for clients, I’d spend hours digging through websites only to find outdated or watermarked images. Or worse—free sites that weren’t really free. Over time, I’ve curated a solid list of trusted platforms that offer genuinely royalty-free images. In this post, I’m sharing the Top 20 Sites for Copyright-Free Images in 2025—handpicked and tested by me.
What Are Copyright-Free or Royalty-Free Images?
Before we jump to the list, let’s clear up the confusion.
- Copyright-Free doesn’t mean the image has no copyright—it means the copyright holder has released it for public use under specific terms (like Creative Commons licenses).
- Royalty-Free means you can use the image without paying royalties for each use. But it doesn’t always mean free of cost.
Always read the image license. Even on free platforms, some photos may require attribution.
✅ My Top 20 Sites for Free Copyright-Free Images (2025)
Here’s the complete list, based on usability, quality, and licensing clarity:
1. Pixabay
Website: pixabay.com
License: Free for commercial use, no attribution required
Pixabay is one of the first sites I used when I started blogging. It has over 4 million royalty-free assets—including photos, illustrations, vectors, and even videos. The UI is clean and they don’t shove ads aggressively.
Why I like it:
- Offers video clips and music too
- Doesn’t require login
- Simple licensing terms
Use case: I used a sunset photo from Pixabay on my YouTube thumbnail for a meditation series—it looked premium and cost me nothing.
2. Pexels
Website: pexels.com
License: Free for commercial and personal use, no attribution needed
Pexels is my go-to for modern lifestyle images. It’s especially good if you’re looking for people-centric content—like work-from-home shots or tech usage scenes.
Why I like it:
- Great for blog banners and presentations
- Search is intuitive
- Also has free videos
3. Unsplash
Website: unsplash.com
License: Unsplash license (free for commercial use)
Unsplash photos are almost too good to be free. Their collection feels curated—often used in tech blogs and startups. I once used an Unsplash image as a background on a client’s landing page—it saved us from buying a Shutterstock license.
Note: Recently, Unsplash images started showing up on Getty, but the free use policy remains for most photos.
4. Freepik (for both free and paid users)
Website: freepik.com
License: Free with attribution (Premium removes it)
Freepik is a goldmine if you’re into graphics and templates. Though not all assets are free, there’s still a large free library—especially useful for infographics, icons, and illustrations.
Tip: Filter by “Free” in search results and always check licensing.
5. Burst by Shopify
Website: burst.shopify.com
License: Free for commercial use, no attribution
Created by Shopify, this is tailored for entrepreneurs. You’ll find images of small businesses, ecommerce, and startup themes. I often use it for product mockups.
6. Reshot
Website: reshot.com
License: Free for commercial use
Reshot focuses on non-stocky images—perfect if you want something that doesn’t look generic. Great for indie creators or storytelling visuals.
7. Kaboompics
Website: kaboompics.com
License: Free for commercial use, attribution optional
Stylish and modern shots, especially for lifestyle, interiors, and fashion. Plus, they offer a color palette with each photo, which is a small but helpful detail.
8. StockSnap.io
Website: stocksnap.io
License: CC0 (free for all use)
High-res images updated weekly. It’s not as popular, so you often find unique images that haven’t been overused.
9. Life of Pix
Website: lifeofpix.com
License: Free, no copyright restrictions
Photos here feel authentic. It’s run by a Canadian agency and doesn’t have a huge library, but what it offers is premium-quality.
10. ISO Republic
Website: isorepublic.com
License: Free for personal & commercial use
Good for landscapes, business settings, and creative angles. Also offers free stock videos.
11. Picjumbo
Website: picjumbo.com
License: Free for commercial use, optional attribution
Started by a Czech photographer, Picjumbo offers professional-quality images with a unique perspective. It’s perfect for lifestyle, food, and travel-related projects.
Bonus: If you subscribe, you get access to exclusive photo packs.
12. Gratisography
Website: gratisography.com
License: Free for personal and commercial use
If you want quirky or creative images that stand out, Gratisography is a must-visit. The visuals here are artistic and often humorous—ideal for breaking the visual monotony in blog posts.
13. FoodiesFeed
Website: foodiesfeed.com
License: Free for commercial use
A niche site for food bloggers and recipe creators. The quality is top-notch, and I’ve used it multiple times for health product banners and recipe thumbnails.
14. Skitterphoto
Website: skitterphoto.com
License: Public domain (CC0)
A mix of travel, abstract, and macro photography. The site design is basic, but the content is worth exploring.
15. StyledStock
Website: styledstock.co
License: Free feminine-themed stock photos
Aimed at female entrepreneurs and bloggers, this is great for Instagram content, planner layouts, and beauty/lifestyle blogging.
16. SplitShire
Website: splitshire.com
License: Free for commercial use
Photos by a single photographer, with a personal touch. It’s perfect for landing pages and ad creatives.
17. ShotStash
Website: shotstash.com
License: Free for commercial use
A small but unique collection of high-res photos, particularly useful for startup and design blogs.
18. Rawpixel (Free Tier)
Website: rawpixel.com
License: Free and premium content, clear attribution on each image
Has one of the largest variety collections—including mockups, PSDs, and historical illustrations. Perfect if you’re into creative storytelling.
19. Public Domain Pictures
Website: publicdomainpictures.net
License: CC0/public domain
Old-school design but tons of images for educational and blog purposes. Be careful—some ads link to paid stock sites.
20. LibreShot
Website: libreshot.com
License: Free for commercial use
Run by a single photographer, this site offers personal, copyright-free photos that don’t feel like they came out of a corporate shoot.
Final Thoughts
Finding copyright-free images shouldn’t feel like a scavenger hunt. These 20 sites have helped me avoid copyright strikes, save time, and elevate the quality of my blogs, YouTube thumbnails, and client work. I’d suggest bookmarking at least 3–4 of your favorites from this list and building a habit of sourcing visuals legally.
If you’ve discovered a gem that’s not on this list, do share it with me in the comments—I’m always happy to explore new resources.
