The Most Amazing Free Stock-Photo Sites in 2026

Table of contents

Open Table of contents

• What changed since 2022
• The sites I still actually use
  • Unsplash
  • Pexels
  • Pixabay
  • Burst (by Shopify)
  • StockSnap.io
  • Reshot
  • Gratisography
  • FoodiesFeed
  • Kaboompics
  • Life of Pix
  • Picjumbo
  • LibreShot
  • New Old Stock
• Sites I removed from the 2022 list
• The AI alternative: when to skip stock photos entirely
• Free Stock Photo Sites — 2026 FAQ
  • Is Unsplash still free after the Getty acquisition?
  • Do I need to credit photographers when using free stock photos?
  • Can I use AI-generated images commercially in 2026?
  • What’s the fastest way to find a usable photo for a blog post?
• The shorter version
• Updated for May 2026

What changed since 2022

Two things reshuffled the landscape:

1. Getty acquired Unsplash in 2021. The Unsplash License is still free for most uses, but it is now a custom license — not CC0. Commercial use is allowed, but you can’t use Unsplash photos to compete with stock photo platforms directly. Read the license before assuming it’s wide open.

2. AI image generation is now a real alternative. For generic visuals — abstract backgrounds, product mockups, conceptual illustrations — tools like Midjourney, DALL·E, and Stable Diffusion often produce something more on-brand than anything I’d find searching a stock library. The catch: AI outputs carry their own licensing questions (check the platform’s ToS), and they can fail on text, hands, and brand-specific elements. I still use stock photos for authentic human scenes and editorial imagery.

The sites I still actually use

Unsplash

The largest free photo library in the world, now under Getty’s umbrella. The collection quality is high and the search is good. The license allows commercial use for most purposes — but it is not CC0, so read it. You can’t, for example, compile Unsplash photos into a competing stock library.

Website: unsplash.com

Pexels

Pexels photos use the Pexels License (free for commercial and personal use, no attribution required for most cases). The library is massive, the search works well, and it has not been acquired by a stock agency as of early 2026. My go-to alongside Unsplash.

Website: pexels.com

Pixabay

CC0 license on most photos, plus illustrations and vectors. More varied in quality than Unsplash or Pexels but the sheer volume means you’ll find things the others don’t have. Watch for the “Sponsored” results at the top — those link to Shutterstock paid images.

Website: pixabay.com

Burst (by Shopify)

Shopify’s free stock library aimed at e-commerce operators. Strong for product photography categories (apparel, food, tech accessories). Photos are under a Shopify/Burst License that allows commercial use. Updated less frequently than Unsplash/Pexels but the niche coverage is useful.

Website: burst.shopify.com

StockSnap.io

High-resolution photos with CC0 licensing. Adds new content regularly. The search and category filtering are solid. A reliable backup when Unsplash and Pexels don’t have what I need.

Website: stocksnap.io

Reshot

Free icons, illustrations, and photos under a Reshot Free License (free for commercial use, no attribution required). Good for flat illustrations and UI-friendly assets that feel less generic than typical stock photos.

Website: reshot.com

Gratisography

Unusual and intentionally quirky photos from photographer Ryan McGuire. Not for every brand, but when you need something that doesn’t look like stock photography, this is a strong option. Free for commercial use.

Website: gratisography.com

FoodiesFeed

Specializes in food photography. If you’re running a restaurant, food blog, or recipe content operation, the quality here is consistently good. Free to use with attribution preferred (verify current license terms on site).

Website: foodiesfeed.com

Kaboompics

Created by photographer Karolina Grabowska. Strong for lifestyle, workspace, and “flat lay” content. The Kaboompics License is free for personal and commercial use; reselling or redistribution of the images themselves is not allowed.

Website: kaboompics.com

Life of Pix

Run by Montreal’s Leeroy Advertising Agency. Photos are public domain — no copyright restrictions. The library is smaller but curation is thoughtful, with genuine photographic variety. Mass redistribution remains restricted.

Website: lifeofpix.com

Picjumbo

Built by photographer Viktor Hanacek. Free tier gives access to a solid library; premium membership unlocks more. Good for blog headers and lifestyle shots. As of early 2026, the site is active and updated.

Website: picjumbo.com

LibreShot

Photographer Martin Vorel’s personal library, released to the public domain. Architectural and nature photography with a distinctive style. Hotlinking images is not allowed — download them.

Website: libreshot.com

New Old Stock

Vintage photos pulled from public archives. Useful for editorial and historical contexts. Most are free for non-commercial use; check per-image licensing. The site is niche but irreplaceable for its content type.

Website: nos.twnsnd.co

Sites I removed from the 2022 list

Several sites from the original post are either defunct, redirecting to unrelated services, or haven’t updated their libraries in years. I’ve cut them rather than send you to dead links: Stokpic, Epicantus (Tumblr blog, inactive), Jay Mantri (minimal updates), Fancy Crave (acquired/merged), Styled Stock (pivoted to paid-only), MMT Stock, ISO Republic, SplitShire, Negative Space, Picography, Death to Stock, HubSpot’s stock pack (limited static download, not a live library). Some of these URLs may redirect elsewhere — verify before using.

The AI alternative: when to skip stock photos entirely

For a significant portion of my content needs in 2026, I generate images instead of searching stock libraries:

• Abstract backgrounds, textures, and hero images — AI tools produce unique outputs that don’t look like recycled stock.
• Conceptual illustrations — “a person looking at a dashboard” is faster to generate than to search.
• Brand-consistent visuals — once you have a style prompt dialed in, AI outputs match your palette better than random stock.

Where stock photos still win: authentic human candids, editorial documentary images, specific real-world products and locations.

Licensing note: AI-generated images from commercial platforms (Midjourney, DALL·E via OpenAI, Adobe Firefly) generally grant you commercial usage rights, but terms vary by platform and tier. Verify your platform’s current ToS — these evolve. Images generated from models trained on unlicensed data are in a legally unsettled space as of early 2026.

Free Stock Photo Sites — 2026 FAQ

Is Unsplash still free after the Getty acquisition?

Yes, Unsplash photos are still free to use for most commercial and personal purposes. The key change is the license: it’s now the Unsplash License, not CC0. You can use photos in marketing materials, websites, and products, but you can’t resell or redistribute the photos as stock images. Read the full license at unsplash.com/license.

Do I need to credit photographers when using free stock photos?

It depends on the site. CC0-licensed photos (Pixabay, StockSnap, most Pixabay) require no attribution. Unsplash and Pexels don’t legally require it but recommend credit. Kaboompics and others request attribution. When in doubt, add a credit — it’s good practice and costs nothing.

Can I use AI-generated images commercially in 2026?

Generally yes on major platforms (Midjourney, DALL·E, Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion via commercial APIs), but the specifics depend on your plan tier and the platform’s current ToS. Free tiers sometimes restrict commercial use. Verify current terms before publishing AI images in commercial campaigns.

What’s the fastest way to find a usable photo for a blog post?

I search Pexels first (fast search, reliable license), then Unsplash if I need more variety. For anything I can’t find in two minutes, I generate it with an AI tool. The days of spending 20 minutes hunting through mediocre stock libraries are mostly over.

Related reading: How to create a marketing strategy · Set up an e-commerce store · Facebook cover photo guidelines

---

The shorter version

If you’re reading this because the workflow it describes is eating your week, that’s the kind of loop I build AI agents for. Two build slots open at a time.

Updated for May 2026

A short note from May 2026: the workflow this post describes was checked against the current state of the underlying tools and platforms. Where specific tools, UIs, or features have evolved, the structural advice still holds — the implementation will look slightly different in 2026. If you hit a step that doesn’t match what you see on screen, that’s likely a UI refresh, not a fundamental change in approach. Drop a note via the contact form and I’ll patch it explicitly.