Free Stock Photos for Commercial Use: Best Websites to Explore

Did you know that some of the world’s most iconic advertisements use stock images for commercial use? For example, AlamapBBDO, a Brazilian ad agency, used stock photos from Getty Images to create their Endless Possibilities campaign in 2016. The advertising campaign combined photos of random people’s faces to recreate portraits of famous people such as the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis.

Most creative agencies prefer altering stock images in most of their work. This is because it allows them to create campaigns for different companies much faster at affordable costs. Keep reading to find out how to get free images for commercial use in your next project.

Part 1: Download images in loyalty-free sites

Several sites offer free images for commercial use as part of their services. In addition, you do not need to register an account to download the images. The sites typically rely on user contributions and content teams to ensure their databases are fresh and maintain consistent quality. Furthermore, all creative assets they offer fall under the creative commons zero license or a variation of it. Here are some of the sites that offer you images for commercial use for free.

1. Pexels

Pexels.com is a free-to-use provider of high-resolution photos and videos for aspiring creators. The German-based website was started in 2014 by two brothers and has been under the Canva umbrella since 2018.

Currently, the website hosts over 3.2 million images and videos from over 250,000 active contributors. In addition, all the material you find in its library is under the Pexels license, which slightly varies from the creative commons zero license model. Some of the restrictions it enforces include:

You can only use pexels images for commercial use after making alterations to the original image. For example, you can use part of an image to create a collage for your commercial branding.
Furthermore, you cannot use any of the website’s content to promote political ideologies and explicit content, especially if the images contain identifiable subjects.

Pexels is available through the following channels:

Your web browser by typing the URL pexels.com.
The Android and iOS app.
A plugin for other content creation software such as Google Slides and MS Office.
An extension on your Chrome browser.
You can also access the database using the official Canva app.

2. Unsplash

Another website that offers free images for commercial use is Unsplash, a subsidiary of Getty Images since 2021. The website is a favorite among creators boasting over 16 billion photo impressions monthly. In addition, the database consists of over 3.48 million photos from more than 265,000 unique contributors, all under the Unsplash license.

The Unsplash license restricts the sale of its creative assets without incorporating new creative elements, including using them in print media and physical goods such as mugs and caps.

You can access Unsplash from your web browser or request API integration for your application from the site’s owners. In addition, the site also hosts photo walks across different cities, where Unsplash guides show you the best photo locations around the city and the best camera techniques for your work. Some cities to host the event include Boston, Montreal, Tokyo, and Toronto.

3. Freerange

Freerange Stock is an online resource for photos, illustrations, and textures you can download and use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Since 2007, the site has continued to provide high-quality images to its community of over 800,000 registered users.

Unlike the previous examples, all content on Freerange falls under the website’s Equalicense. It grants you broad commercial rights of its stock images while allowing the contributors to retain control of their copyright, image resale, and distribution. As such, you cannot use the images for bulk distribution or print-on-demand works.

Freerange Stock maintains its steady supply of images for commercial use via the following methods:

It has an in-house team of professional photographers who upload images across the different categories on the website.
Freerange Stock also purchases image rights or directly commissions photos from independent creators.
You can also contribute to the website’s library by voluntarily submitting your work to the platform. Kindly note that you will need a verified account to enable this function.
The website also works directly with photographers through a licensing and distribution model, providing them extra exposure on the site.
Finally, Freerange stock aggregates public domain images from other sources, including similar sites and government institutions. It does so by acknowledging the image owner and sometimes lists the image source when the owner is unknown.

Freerange Stock is accessible through your web browser or as an API integration on your app.

4. Vecteezy

Vecteezy is an extensive online library of free stock images for commercial use. Some of the site’s highlight features include the following:

A best-in-class search engine that incorporates multiple filters to ensure your results are extremely accurate. For example, you can sort images by color, style, number of people, and age of the subjects, something other free stock websites do not provide.
All images, videos, and vector illustrations are free for personal and commercial uses. It does so through a property sign and release model with its extensive network of contributors, which protects users from any legal liabilities.
Finally, it employs a content team that manually reviews each photo submission to ensure consistent quality standards for its offerings.

In addition, you can also purchase design resource bundles by subscribing to its Vecteezy pro for as little as $9 monthly. Some of the resources available include the Ultimate Text Effects Layer Styles Bundle for Photoshop, which costs $39 stand-alone or $4.50 when you subscribe to pro.

Part 2: Buy from stock providers

Another way to get images for commercial use is by buying them from stock providers. Some of the benefits of buying images from stock providers include:

You get a wide selection of unique photos from top-tier photographers. Stock providers always seek collaborations with the industry’s finest to edge out the competition.
You receive exemplary customer service with your purchase. Selecting the right image can be confusing for amateur creators. As such, stock image providers have customer support channels to help you throughout your creative process.
Stock images reduce your delivery times significantly. Buying images from a stock provider eliminates the need to invest in photography equipment and the time you need for post-production. As such, you can deliver projects in a fast and cost-effective way.

Despite the above positive, here are some challenges that buying stock images may present:

Not all stock image providers will have the creative assets you need.
Image overuse is likely since every creator will rush for the most popular contributor.

Below are some of the stock image providers you should consider.

1. iStock

iStockphoto.com is an online database of creative resources, including royalty-free photos, videos, audio, illustrations, and clip art you can use in your creations. The website is a Getty Images subsidiary based in Calgary, Canada. In addition, contributors earn royalties depending on how often users download their content.

2. Alamy.com

Alamy.com is a British-owned stock image provider with contributions from photographers and agencies in 173 countries. It compensates its contributors by offering higher than average payouts every time users download their creations. Some popular brands to use Alamy’s services include M&C Saatchi, Microsoft, and The Economist.

Part 3: Shot a Photo by yourself or create one with editing tools

Alternatively, you can get images for commercial use by shooting them yourself or creating them with editing tools such as Figma and Wondershare’s Filmstock. Here are some benefits of using this method:

You get exactly what you want, provided you have the required skills and equipment. Sometimes, getting the right image for your commercial purpose can be challenging. As such, shooting an original photo may be the only option.
You have full ownership of the image.

Unlike obtaining images from stock photography websites, you are free to use the image in whatever capacity you please without any restrictions. For example, sites such as Unsplash do not allow you to use their images in political statements, a restriction you can bypass when using your own creations.

However, you should also consider the following factors when using this method.

It requires a substantial investment

Getting high-quality images for commercial purposes requires specialist equipment. For example, the Panasonic LUMIX GH6 camera, which has 4K resolution capability, costs $2,197 on Amazon. This makes it extremely expensive for amateur creators.

There is a steep learning curve

Becoming a professional photographer takes time and effort. Unless you are creating as a hobby, it will be a while before you can start generating income from your creations.

Part 4: FAQs

1. Do you need a contributor account to get images for commercial use?

Not necessarily. Stock image sites like pexels.com allow you to download images from their website without creating an account. You will only need one if you want to showcase your work on the platform.

2. Can you use your smartphone to get images for commercial use?

Yes. Most stock image providers have device-specific apps that allow you to access their databases from your mobile device. For example, UnsplashPhotoPicker allows you access to the Unsplash library from your Android device.

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Discover the Top 10 Free Game Download Sites for PC and Android

Top 10 Best Free Game Download Sites [PC & Android][2024]

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

We all know and firmly believe that games are an integral part of our life. But the world has progressed, and we yearn to achieve real-life experiences through virtual reality instead of experiencing the actual thing. Online games are not only mentally stimulating, but they are also very addictive. Not everyone wants to pay to play games for a couple of hours, so here is a list of top free game downloading sites. You can download full versions of your favorite games for free.

Part 1: Best Free PC Game Download Sites
Part 2: Best Websites to Download Free Android Apps

Part 1: Best Free PC Game Download Sites

1 Acid Play

Platforms: OS X and Windows

Key Features:

Huge gaming library

The acid play has a gigantic collection of games of various types. The games at acid play have been categorized into action, arcade, board games, RPG, card games, puzzles, driving games, simulation, etc.

Custom Search

The customized search helps you find the exact game you are looking for. It saves time since you cannot browse through thousands of games.

Ratings

If you are new to this site or looking for a new game to play, you can choose only without trying every game to decide the best one. Just check the ratings provided by other players, and it will solve your problem. You can also rate a game according to your liking.

Pros:

The games are easily downloadable and free.
There is a large variety of games available to play.

Cons:

The site is not updated, and no new games are introduced.

2 Origin Games

Platforms: OS X and Windows

Origin games are another best-known digital distribution platform for a free online gaming experience. It contains a fairly large library of premium games, but origin games provide links for free downloads for a limited time.

Key Features:

Social Features

Origin provides its users with many social features like profile management, networking with friends through chatting, and video streaming via TwitchTV. You can also share your game library and community integration through social media and networking sites like Facebook, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Nintendo Network.

Variety in games

It provides various games, from PC games to Fifa and even classic games like Plant Vs. Zombies are also available.

On-the-house games

The on-the-house features allow the customers to download a free trial of a premium game.

Pros:

It provides great game streaming features.
is developed by a renowned and successful company so that it can be trusted.
The ‘on-the-house specials’ are appreciated by many gamers, allowing them to play a paid game for free now and then.

Cons:

It has a lot of updates and takes an unreasonable amount of time to install and update the software.
Customers have complained that they provide expired discount codes.
Customer service needs to be improved as it is not very responsive.

3 AllGamesAtoZ

Platforms: OS X and Windows

If you want the best full version of a game for free, then AllGamesAtoZ is where you should go.

Key Features:

The website is full of addictive games from different genres like action, arcade, shooting, role-playing, adventure, racing, simulation, etc.
Multiple links for downloading a single game are available.
A customized search bar is available so that you can locate the exact game you are looking for without having to browse through thousands of games.
The games on AllGamesAtoZ are available on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
A forum for game reviews is provided, so it is easier to decide which game you want to download without trying them all.

Pros:

The gaming library is enormous.
The game reviews make it easier to make a decision and save time.
The website does not transfer viruses and is entirely safe from scams.

Cons:

The downloading process is quite long.
The website is not updated with new games.

4 Mega Games

Platforms: OS X and Windows

It is another highly recommended online gaming site. It not only provides PC games for free but also offers 3D PlayStation games to be downloaded on your PC without any charge.

Key Features:

Search and download

Mega games allow a search and download option for every game published on their site.

PlayStation games

It has provided its customers with not only PC games but also 3D PlayStation games that can be downloaded for free.

Cheat codes

Apart from all the standard gaming features, mega games also provide free cheat codes for the games.

Pros:

The games are easily downloaded.
The games have variety.

Cons:

The website stops working after a while, and the download gets interrupted

5 Caiman.us

Platforms: OS X and Windows

It is another digital distribution platform for free online gaming. After the death of the site’s developer, the site has gone offline.

Key Features:

It has a vast collection of games and over twenty free games categories.
2D and 3D gaming experiences are also provided.
A customized search is available to make it easier for players to find the game they are looking for.

Pros:

There is a vast collection of free games to download and play.

Cons:

The site is not well organized and confusing.
The search bar is at the very bottom of the page, so a person might find it hard to locate.
Since the site has gone offline, the games are not updated, so there are no new games.

Part 2: Best Android Game Download Sites to Download Free Android Games

Android is growing very fast; now, almost everyone uses it and prefers it over any other software. Here are the best websites from where you can download free android apps:

1 Google Play

Google Play is the most common website to download free android apps. It is free, it is fast, and it is efficient. You can not only use this from your android mobile but also operate it and download apps using your laptop.

Key Features:

The apps are easily downloaded, depending upon your internet connection.
The purchase methods are through credit cards, and the procedure is straightforward.
The platform allows everyone and anyone to sell their games.
Sign up through your Google account is necessary to access these features.

Pros:

It is easily accessible.
It is pre-installed on all android supported devices.
It contains a massive collection of unique apps, from books to music, workout, and games of various types.

Cons:

Since everyone and anyone can access it without paying any registration fee, it is exposed to scams and harassment.
A few games do not function and keep crashing.

2 Android Games Room

It contains thousands of free gaming apps in different categories like action, arcade, adventure, simulation, song games, and puzzle games. The download links are readily available; you can even access this site from your mobile by scanning a QR code. This site is a pretty good platform to download free games but has certain flaws. It does not allow a multiplayer gaming experience, and no customer services are provided.

3 Android Apps

It is another platform to download android apps for free. This site is pretty good since it updates games that developers handpick almost daily. You can also promote your app using the ‘promote your app’ feature. The site has a lot of updates and takes an unreasonable amount of time to install and update the software. Furthermore, you can say that they do not have a customer service function because nobody ever responds to the customer’s queries.

4 1 Mobile

One mobile is a free android store. It provides its users the easiest way to locate, download and manage free apps. 1 Mobile has over eighty (80) million apps. One mobile has just been recently updated, has a brand new interface design, and operates much smoother. The content is more prosperous, smoother, and a thousand times better than before the latest update. All the apps and games are 100% free forever without hidden charges. It supports various languages like English, Korean, Chinese, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Portugal.

5 Approx

It provides the best free apps not only for android but OS as well. You can download it on your phone by scanning a QR code. This software has been functioning for the past six years and is free from viruses or malware.

To furnish your gameplay videos, Filmora also provides some cool effects, transitions, and elements, such as camera shake chaos effects, distortion effects, 3D change, speed blur transitions, and more. Moreover, you can always find some specially designed gaming effects in the Filmstock effects store.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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