The Best Unsplash Alternatives for Free High-Resolution Photos
Unsplash has become a go-to platform for creators seeking stunning, high-resolution photos that are free to use. With its promise of "Do whatever you want high-resolution photos" and a steady supply of new images, it's an excellent resource. However, depending on your specific needs for variety, licensing, or unique features, you might be looking for an Unsplash alternative. This article explores some of the top platforms that offer similar (or even enhanced) benefits for sourcing royalty-free imagery.
Top Unsplash Alternatives
Whether you're a designer, blogger, marketer, or simply need a great image for a personal project, these platforms offer a wealth of high-quality stock photos to meet your demands, often with distinct advantages over Unsplash.
Pixabay
Pixabay stands out as a robust Unsplash alternative, offering over 1.6 million royalty-free stock photos and videos. Available on Free, Web, Android, iPhone, Android Tablet, and iPad platforms, it’s a versatile choice. Its key feature is extensive Image Sharing, making it easy to find and use a wide range of content.
CC Search
CC Search is a powerful Unsplash alternative for those who need to find content specifically licensed under Creative Commons. This Free, Open Source, Web platform (also available as Chrome, Opera, and Firefox extensions) allows you to search content free of rights or in the public domain across selected websites, including Google and YouTube. Its features include a Built-in search engine, Search by license, and general Search engine capabilities.
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons is an extensive Open Source, Free, Web, MediaWiki platform that serves as a media file repository for public domain and freely-licensed educational media content. It’s an excellent Unsplash alternative for educational and general-purpose use. Notable features include being Ad-free, DRM Free, License management, a comprehensive Media library, Multiple languages, SVG Editors, User generated content, Wiki functionality, and Wikipedia integration.
Pexels
Pexels is a strong Unsplash alternative for its simple and generous licensing. Available on Free, Web platforms, it offers pictures completely free for any legal purpose, including personal and commercial use, and allows modification and copying. While it doesn't list specific features, its straightforward licensing and high-quality images make it a favorite.
Freepik
Freepik offers a different kind of resource as a Freemium, Web Unsplash alternative, specializing in high-quality graphic designs. It provides exclusive illustrations and graphic resources. Its features include Cliparts, Image Mockups, and Vector images, making it ideal for designers needing more than just photos.
Lorem Picsum
For developers and designers needing placeholder images, Lorem Picsum is a unique Open Source, Free, Web Unsplash alternative. It provides elegant placeholder images directly from Unsplash. Its key features are a Free API and High-resolution images, making it perfect for development mockups.
LibreStock
LibreStock acts as a search engine for various stock photo sites, making it an excellent Free, Web Unsplash alternative for finding CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain images. Its main features include Multiple search engines and Photo Sharing, allowing users to find a vast array of images from diverse sources in one place.
Burst
Burst, powered by Shopify, is a Free, Web Unsplash alternative that provides thousands of hi-res photos free for both personal and commercial use. New non-copyrighted pictures are regularly added, and its Responsive design ensures a smooth user experience on any device.
motosha
Motosha - Free Stock Photos is a comprehensive Free platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Chrome OS, iPad, PlayBook) that provides free high-quality photos for bloggers, webmasters, and designers. It’s a solid Unsplash alternative with High Availability, High-resolution images, and an Integrated Search function.
Avopix.com
Avopix.com is another strong Free, Web Unsplash alternative, offering over 15,000 absolutely free photos under Creative Commons CC0 (Public domain) for both personal and commercial use. Its features include Magazines and Photo Sharing, providing diverse content options.
Each of these Unsplash alternatives brings its unique strengths to the table, from vast libraries of images to specialized search functionalities and diverse licensing options. Exploring them will help you find the perfect fit for your specific creative and commercial projects, ensuring you always have access to high-quality visual content.