10 Places to Source Free & Paid Stock Photos for Your Brand

One of the key steps in crafting a quality brand is sourcing beautiful imagery that speaks to your brand’s voice and aesthetic. High-quality photography that will be used for your website and marketing helps your brand stand out and grab the attention of your audience. Depending on the type of business you have, hiring a photographer to create exclusive images for your brand may not be in the cards financially. That’s why I’ll be sharing some of my favorite go-to resources for curating high-quality visuals at an affordable price.

What is Royalty-Free?

When you see the term “Royalty-free stock photos,” it refers to images that are made available to use without having to pay continuous royalties to the photographer/owner of the asset after every use. I use royalty-free images when designing my Squarespace Templates, These images are a great, cost-effective option for sourcing imagery for your brand. Be sure to always double check the terms of your license when sourcing photography and assets for your business.

Pexels ( Free )

Pexels provides beautiful, high-quality photography sourced from their community of photographers. Under the Pexels License, all photography and videos are available to download completely free. Credit to the photographers is not required for use, but is appreciated by the creators.

Burst ( Free )

Burst is a platform of high-resolution royalty-free photography. They provide a wide variety of curated photos based on different themes that are free to download and use for your business. All photos downloaded through Burst are available for commercial use.

Unsplash ( Free + Paid Plan )

Unsplash is a great source for high-resolution photography and illustrations that users can download for both commercial and personal use, free of charge. However, some images are only available to download when you subscribe to their Unsplash+ Subscription Plan. Under the Unsplash License, you may use these images without attributing the contributor or Unsplash.

Kaboompics ( Free )

I love Kaboompics’ collection of modern and editorial-looking photography. The format allows you to curate a cohesive group of images that’ll complement your brand free of charge. You may edit and use Kaboompics images for personal and commercial use. To learn more about what’s allowed under the Kaboompics License, visit here.

Dupe Photos ( Free )

Dupe Photos is a royalty-free photography platform that specializes in curating images that specifically caters to creatives working in the online industry. The Dupe License allows you to explore and download relevant images based on your aesthetic, completely free!

Death to Stock ( Paid Membership )

Unlike the previous options mentioned, Death to Stock doesn’t offer completely free access to their images. However, the quality photography and professional support offered by the DTS team make it one worth mentioning. For a monthly fee, DTS gives you unlimited access to their catalog of stock imagery. This includes over 8,000 visuals + 500 new ones every month. With the paid subscription plan, they are essentially granting you a license to rent their images for as long as you’re a member. As an added bonus, all images available on DTS are exclusive to that platform, and they offer a free trial if you want to test out the membership before making any commitments.

The Vault Stock ( Paid Membership )

The Vault Stock is another standout paid membership platform that might be worth the investment. Their business model was designed with brands and entrepreneurs in mind. The Vault Stock offers different membership options for personal and commercial use of their curated library of images and videos. Additionally, you also get access to numerous social media templates, business essentials, and Lightroom presets to help further support your brand’s needs!

Pretty Stock Images ( Paid Collections )

Pretty Stock Images is perfect for creative entrepreneurs and designers looking to source images that elevate their brand while staying cohesive. With a slightly different model than the previous paid membership sites, Pretty Stock Images allows you to purchase collections. Each collection includes a bundle of curated photography you can download for personal and commercial use. As a bonus, if you’re looking for something more exclusive to your brand, they also offer custom stock packages upon request.

Elevae Visuals ( Paid Membership )

Elevae Visuals offers beautiful, stand-out stock imagery for feminine brands and entrepreneurs. Under their paid membership, you’ll have access to their exclusive collection of over 8,000 images, videos, and mockups. As well as valuable business resources and templates for building a strong marketing strategy for your brand.

Haute Stock ( Paid Membership )

Last but not least, to close out our list, there’s Haute Stock. Haute Stock grants you exclusive access to their collection of premium stock photography, videos, and marketing templates when you sign up for their paid membership. As a special bonus, Haute Stock offers specialty curation services, where their team of designers will help you pick imagery exclusively tailored to your brand’s mission and aesthetics.