Top Free Stock Photo Sites for Small Business Owners

When you’re building websites, marketing content, or social graphics for your business, high-quality images matter. But budgets are often tight early on. That’s where free stock photo sites come in. Below are the top 5 free stock photo sites (or ones with notable free tiers), ranked across three categories: Most Traffic, Highest Rated, and Best Customer Feedback. For each, you’ll find a short description, pros & cons, and any paid tier or upgrade options.

📈 Ranking by Traffic

These are the free/photo sites (or freemium ones) that receive the most web traffic—often a signal of broad usage and reach.

1. Pixabay – Over 5.2 million free photos, illustrations, vectors, videos, and music.
2. Pexels – Large curated collection of photos and videos, free for commercial use.
3. Unsplash – More than 5 million+ free images, highly regarded by designers.
4. Vecteezy – Combines both vectors and photos with strong design tools.
5. Rawpixel – Creative assets beyond just photos, including vectors & illustrations.

Pros & Cons (Compared to Other Top Sites)

Pixabay

• Pros: Large asset library; vectors, illustrations, video included; broad usage license
• Cons: Quality inconsistent; overused images; weaker in curated premium-style photos

Paid Tier: None – completely free

Pexels

• Pros: Strong curation; clear license; includes videos
• Cons: No vectors/illustrations; overlap with Unsplash; popular images often reused

Paid Tier: None – all content is free

Unsplash

• Pros: High quality aesthetic; strong brand & community; integrations with design tools
• Cons: Mostly photos only; licensing changes have caused confusion; many overused images

Paid Tier: Unsplash+ – subscription with exclusive images & expanded rights

Vecteezy

• Pros: Great filtering; offers both vectors & photos; includes releases
• Cons: Smaller library; free tier limits resolution; premium gating

Paid Tier: Pro memberships – unlock high-res assets & exclusive content

Rawpixel

• Pros: Wide variety (photos, vectors, design elements); unique styles; strong for creative teams
• Cons: Free tier limited; premium heavily gated; navigation less straightforward

Paid Tier: Premium plans for exclusive assets & extended licensing

⭐ Ranking by Highest Rated (Design / Industry Reviews)

1. Unsplash – frequently rated best for photography quality
2. Pexels – praised for clarity and ease of use
3. Pixabay – valued for breadth across media types
4. Rawpixel – strong in creative industry reviews
5. Vecteezy – recognized for combining vectors + photos

💬 Ranking by Best Customer / User Feedback

1. Pexels – loved for simplicity and free commercial licensing
2. Unsplash – praised by designers, occasional licensing complaints
3. Pixabay – popular for flexibility, but some duplication
4. Rawpixel – valued by creatives, limited free tier frustrates some
5. Vecteezy – good for mixed media, but smaller photo library

🏅 Editor’s Picks

If we were curating, here are three additional stock photo sites we’d highlight:

• Burst (by Shopify) – Excellent for eCommerce & business-oriented photos
• Kaboompics – Lifestyle, blog, and artistic photos
• Negative Space – Smaller library but very unique & well curated

Conclusion: If you need mostly photography, Unsplash and Pexels are the most straightforward choices. For teams needing photos + design assets, Pixabay, Rawpixel, and Vecteezy stand out. Use the Editor’s Picks when you want something more unique and brand-defining.