7 Free Stock Photo Websites To Use Instead of Shutterstock

Originally written by Amir Hamdi. Updated by Bob Ruffolo with support from the IMPACT editorial team.
Last updated: October 29, 2026

I don't know about you, but overly staged stock photos on a website make me cringe. They feel stale, cold, and hard to relate to.

High-quality imagery helps highlight written content and make it easier to understand, but settling for average, staged, unrealistic stock photos can detract from your site and your marketing. They can make your company look phony, out of touch with your market, and less trustworthy.

Unfortunately, hunting for the right visual to support your copy (and look credible) can quickly turn into a daunting, uninspiring task.

If you're like me and usually need photos quickly but don't have the time (or patience) to sift through cheesy stock sites, these free resources will help breathe new life into the hunt and your website.

Before you download: check the license

Free stock photo sites each set their own terms, and those terms can change. Before you publish an image, check the license on that image's page, note whether the site asks for attribution, and take extra care with photos of recognizable people, logos, or private property, especially in ads. Some sites also mix paid or premium images into their search results, so make sure the image you picked is actually free to use.

1. StockSnap

StockSnap (stocksnap.io) was my go-to site when I first put this list together. Its searchable library of free photos takes a lot of the legwork out of finding something usable.

2. New Old Stock

New Old Stock (nos.twnsnd.co) focuses on vintage photos from public archives. Depending on what you're doing or how creative your brand wants to get, this site is full of retro gold. The images are described as free of known copyright restrictions, but it's still worth checking the source archive's notes for any image you plan to use commercially.

3. Pexels

Pexels (pexels.com) offers free photos and high-quality video, which is handy when you need footage for a page or social post as well as still images.

4. Picjumbo

Picjumbo (picjumbo.com) does a wonderful job of categorizing its content, which makes finding the right photo quick and painless. The style of its photos is far less staged and more realistic than most big-name stock sites.

5. Unsplash

The quality of photos on Unsplash (unsplash.com) is excellent. Its wide variety and artistic style are a great way to break up the monotony on a page. Search results now include Unsplash+ images, which are marked separately and require a paid subscription, so look for the free download option on the image you choose.

6. Gratisography

Gratisography's (gratisography.com) photos are fun and quirky. Its bright, humorous selection can be a gold mine for bloggers looking for an eye-catching, unusual featured image.

7. Startup Stock Photos

Startup Stock Photos (startupstockphotos.com) is a good place to find photos of tech startups, creative workspaces, and people working together. The photos are casual, candid, and realistic, and the site releases them under a CC0 license.

Key takeaway

As a designer, all I'm trying to say here is to put in the extra effort to find and use high-quality photos on your website.

Using images from the resources above will help your brand look more credible and human, and help it stand out from competitors who rely on the same overused stock photos.

Better still, whenever you can, use original photos of your team, your customers, and your work. Stock photos can fill gaps, but real people and real stories are what make buyers trust you. For more on that, read our guide on to how to humanize your brand.