Because publishing now happens across blogs, social media, and ebooks, writers often need high-quality images to illustrate their work.
However, with the rapid growth of AI-generated artwork, many publishers now prefer authentic photography instead of synthetic images.
Luckily, you have plenty of options that still offer images and real photos that fit the bill. Most free stock photo sites offer images under generous licenses that allow commercial use, often without attribution.
When you find an image that is perfect for you, always check if any attribution is required in the image license notes.
Tips for using free stock photos
If you want to avoid the hassle of registering or signing up to find images, there are many sites that do not require your name or email address.
Most often, like all sites offering free stuff, they are advertising-supported or have links to sponsored sites or products.
The sheer volume of sites now offering images is growing every day. I was amazed by how many new sites I found when I was doing my research for this post.
But my criteria for choosing to list a free image site below was that each site was genuinely free with no sign-up required.
Many stock photo libraries now include AI-generated images alongside real photography. If you prefer authentic photos, look for search filters that allow you to hide AI images, or choose sites that clearly label these types of images.
Each site also had to offer an extensive range of quality images suitable for all types of blogs and social media use.
Most of the sites listed here offer images under CC0 or similar licenses that allow commercial use without attribution.
Let’s get you started by finding some new sites to find fantastic and beautiful free images that are free to use for commercial projects.
The sites below are my top choices, and each example image is from the listed site.
The list below offers thousands of free images from the best free stock photo sites.
It doesn’t take long to find the right photo if you follow a few simple search steps.
Try using search phrases instead of single words.
If you search for something like books or writer, it will usually return lots of results you need to sift through.
A better way is to use specific phrases such as “a writer at a desk” or “reading in a coffee shop.”
Pro Tip! But here’s a search tip that I use all the time that works much better.
The search function on some photo sites is pretty basic. So, I use Google Image Search to help by adding a selected photo site to a search phrase.
For example, “writing desk pixabay,” or “reading in a coffee shop unsplash.”
Searching for your images and photos this way produces far more relevant results.
Some stock photo collections now include AI-generated images alongside real photography.
If you only want authentic photos, look for filters that let you hide or remove AI-generated images from your search results.
When you find an image or photo that you want to use, make sure you check the license details.
Most free stock photo sites allow you to use an image without attribution, but it pays to check.
Finally, before you download an image, choose the largest size available. Even if you only need a small image for a blog post, a larger file size will give you more flexibility.
A high-resolution version lets you crop, resize, or reuse the image later for social media graphics, blog headers, or promotional materials.
My favorite image resources
While the list below has you covered for almost any image you might be looking for, I have my own go-to list.
These are the sites I use all the time.
1. Pixabay. Why? Because it offers a huge selection of vector images to use in graphic design.
2. Unsplash. Why? Because it offers a lot more real photos than many other sites.
3. Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons). Why? It’s the best source of historical images.
4. Canva. Why? It has a lot of free images and real photos. But the big advantage is editing and designing immediately.
But take your pic! The list below offers thousands of free images from the best free stock photo sites.
25 Sites For Superb Free Images And Photos
1. Burst
2. Pikwizard
3. FreeFoodPhotos
4. Canva
5. Gratisography
6. Jay Mantri
7. Kaboompics
8. Life of Pix
9. Little Visuals
10. Morguefile
11. New Old Stock
12. Pexels
13. Picjumbo
14. Picography
15. Pixabay
16. Reshot
17. Shot Stash
18. Rawpixel
19. Stock Snap
20. Stock Vault
21. Free Images
22. Unsplash
23. ISO Republic
24. Skitterphoto
25. Wikipedia
Conclusion
All of these sites offer collections of free stock photos covering almost every theme you can imagine.
Whether you need an image for a blog post, a social media update, or even an ebook cover, you should be able to find something that works perfectly.
Most of the sites listed here allow commercial use without attribution. However, if you find yourself using a site frequently, it’s always a nice gesture to credit the photographer or follow the site’s suggestion to buy them a coffee.
These platforms provide an incredible resource for writers, bloggers, and publishers who need high-quality images without paying expensive licensing fees.
Personally, my favorite is Pixabay because of its enormous collection of photos, illustrations, and vector graphics.
Many of these platforms now also label or filter AI-generated images, making it easier to find authentic photography.
But whichever site you prefer, you’ll almost certainly discover images that help bring your writing and publishing projects to life.
Related Reading: How To Add Text To A Picture, Photo or Image For Free
Thank you so much for the information are you also allowed to use these pictures on the pages inside of a book to make a children’s book for instance I’m just getting started publishing books thank you so much for sharing.
In many cases, you can, Brandi. But you should always check the license notes attached to any image you choose. If it says, “Free for commercial use, No attribution required,” you are okay. But sometimes, there are restrictions.
I don’t know, that is why I want to ask you one question.
can anyone use wiki images? is it under creative commons?
Images on Wikipedia and Wikimedia are usually Creative Commons. But you should check the licence on any image to be sure.
Awesome list, Derek. This is incredibly helpful. Saving!
You’re welcome! Glad you found the list useful.
Derek, this is amazing! As a blogger myself, finding images sometimes can be quite a hunt. I’ve used Unsplash, mainly, but wow, twenty-five sites? I’m about to go on blog overdrive and update every one of my own posts! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Todd.