9 Best Sites with Free Images for Blogs & Pinterest

Free to Download & Use Stock Photo Sites for Blogs | Pinterest

Below you’ll find all the sites you need to create stunning graphics with free to download and free to use stock/royalty free pictures for your blog posts and your Pinterest Pins!

Note that these images are being used by many websites, so do not forget to edit your graphics unique using a free tool like Canva.

Adding text or your brand colors will make your images appear more high- quality & professional.

Check this post to find out what method the majority of bloggers recommend to drive traffic from Social Media: Which Social Network is the best for driving traffic to a blog? Poll + 21 Actionable Tips from Experts!

I encourage you to bookmark or save this post so you’ll have quick access to all websites with free images whenever you need them, instead of bookmarking each page separately.

Here’s the list:

1) PicJumbo

Pic Jumbo free stock photos

I found this site to include the most high-quality and high-resolution photos, that’s why I’m placing it first on the list!

Also, it includes even specific categories/collections like “Digital nomads” or “Millennials”. This way, there’s a high chance to find images suitable for any niche you’re looking for.

2) Pexels

Pexels stock images free to download

Another website with a huge collection of beautiful photos. You can explore the best pictures based on their category, the best photographers, and more.

You can download the image you like in 4 different sizes (original, large, medium, small) or you can even set your custom size (the image will crop accordingly though. This is a useful feature for using images in places that require a specific size such as Twitter background or Facebook Page background.

3) Unsplash

Unsplash has some of the most high-quality photos for the majority of the categories. However, graphic elements are missing from their collection.

Also Read: How to Find Your Blog Niche (The 80 Best Blog Niche List Ideas)

On the other hand, it offers some nice options:

  • You can create collections on your profile (you need to sign up for a free account)
  • Save an image to your online collection
  • Follow other users that upload/save/share photos you’re interested in
  • Browse the collections other users have created

4) Pixabay

Pixabay Free to use pictures

Not only Pixabay has one of the largest collections of images, but it also offers free videos, illustrations and vectors.

Further, there are filters that let you search for items by size, color, category or vertical/horizontal orientation (it’s useful for searching vertical images for creating Pins).

5) Burst

This website is made by Shopify, but it offers all of its images for free.

It couldn’t miss from this list, as it updates its database & uploads new free to use pictures very often.

Check these sites with free to download and use images for bloggers & Pinterest Pins. Plus, tips on how to make these pictures unique and brand your Pins! These are the best free stock photos | images | pictures sites!

6) PikWizard

Another directory full of free to download and high-quality images. What’s special about it?

It offers a wide variety of “free for commercial” use videos, a feature that lacks from other similar sites.

7) Reshot

Reshot free to download photos

Their motto is “Handpicked, non-stocky images” and they don’t lie!

In their collection, you’ll find some unique and beautiful photos that are missing from other websites.

As a result, it’s a good option if you’re looking for images that have not been used many times before.

8) FoodiesFeed

FoodiesFeed free food images

As its name suggests. this site specializes in food images. Not only they are super high resolution, but also includes a different category for every type of food!

If you’re a food blogger or you maintain a site about food or cooking, FoodiesFeed should be your primary choice.

9) StockSnap

Although Stocksnaps offers a huge collection of stock pictures, it mixes the sponsored images (watermarked) with the free ones, so I have to mention it as a downside.

Despite the fact that it’s a bit annoying, it deserves a place to our list.

Less Popular Websites with Free to Download and Use Images

The websites below offer less or lower quality images, but I mention them here just in case someone in a specific or rare niche finds them useful. Also, these sites are less popular, so there’s a higher chance that you’ll pick an image that has not been used many times before:

How to Make Your Graphics Unique to Match Your Blog & Brand or Create Beautiful Pins (for Pinterest) Using Stock Photos

No matter how beautiful the photos from the above-mentioned sites are, you need to edit them to match your blog & your brand.

Also Read: The 11 Best Ways to Monetize a Blog 2020

Especially if you use them for “Featured” images in blog posts or for creating Pins for Pinterest. Unedited pictures look amateurish and make your blog appear as a low-quality one.

Graphics play a huge role in your blog’s performance (especially on Pinterest), so don’t be bored to spend some time to create really eye-catching designs. First impressions matter and the online industry is not an exception!

This doesn’t mean you need complex effects and graphics. Quite the opposite actually. Simple but elegant designs are perfect for blogs or Social Media.

Hopefully, we can use a free tool like Canva. Tools like Canva are not made for experienced or professional graphic designers. They’re made for simple content creators (bloggers, influencers).

This is a good thing of course because they’re simple to use and they cover anything you need for your blog’s graphics or your Social Media uploads.

If you haven’t used Canva already, check out this tutorial to learn what it can do and how easy it is to use:

About Canva’s Stock Photos

Although Canva has its own collection of free to use images, they act more like a promotion method for their pro members or for their paid images.

When you perform a search, they appear a few (usually not fantastic) images, then you see many images that you can unlock if you have a paid membership or if you directly pay for them.

That’s fair because they offer awesome software for free and they have to somehow monetize it. However, take into account that:

  • Their free photos are used by thousands of other sites because it’s the fastest way to create a graphic
  • You can find higher quality images on the above-mentioned sites
  • If you still insist to use Canva’s stock photos, make a beautiful edit so they appear more professional and unique

Also Read: 7 Must-have Free WordPress Plugins

Instead, I suggest you take it one step further and download a high-quality picture from the sites above. Then, upload it to Canva and edit it.

How to upload an image to Canva

It takes a few more minutes, but it is worth the effort to make your graphics stand out!

Branding Tips for Blogs & Pinterest

When we refer to “Branding” for Blog images or Pinterest graphics, we mean some elements that remain the same across all your images.

This way, your audience is able to easily identify your content and is more probably to share it.

Further, if your readers connect your graphics with quality content (that they read after on your blog), they may read your posts again the next time they see your images on Social Media or Pinterest.

But what these branding elements are?

It has to be nothing special, for example:

  • Pick 2 different fonts and use them across all your images
  • Pick 2 different colors and stick to them
  • Include your logo in every image or Pin
  • Use images with similar style or colors

Have a look at this example, you can tell that both pins are from the same blog:

How to Design Pins with Canva

A quick navigation to Pinterest will let you understand what Pins are well-designed & therefore perform better and how popular blogs are branding their pictures.

It’s a nice way to get some fresh ideas, without copying others.

However, don’t be afraid to experiment & check what kind of graphics perform well. I’m still experimenting sometimes with mine, as I like to try new things that may perform better.

Here You Have All the Resources You Need to Start Creating Stunning Graphics!

Designing beautiful graphics is a game-breaking factor, so I suggest you spending more time on it.

You’ll not create the best images ever on your first try, but the more you practice it, the better you’ll get!

Do you already use any of the mentioned sites or you have another favorite one that is not listed here? I’d be happy to read it in the comments below!

Last but not least, I encourage you to share on Social Media, bookmark or Pin this page for future reference as it contains all the best stock free photo sites and tips 🙂

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