- Free stock photo sites side by side
- Ten Pexels alternatives to try
- Which library matches the job
- Read the licence on every site
- Photo libraries, video libraries and niche collections
- Five checks before you download
- Ways to make free photos feel like yours
- Signs it's time to use your own photos
- My plain advice on Pexels alternatives
- Frequently asked questions
Good Pexels alternatives give you free photos and videos you can use on websites, blogs and social posts. Some focus on ecommerce shots, some on quirky images, and some add free video, music and sound effects. Ten options follow, in no particular order, with what each library is best at.
Pexels is often the first stop for free images, which is exactly why its most popular photos turn up everywhere. If you've seen the same laptop-and-coffee shot on three competitor sites, it's time to look further afield.
The libraries below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and each description comes from the site's own pages, read this week. If you'd rather edit what you already have, my round-up of AI photo editors shows how to make any image look more on-brand.
Free stock photo sites side by side
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names the tool, an account or a plan or version of it as free. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start, so check the tool's own page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burst | Free stock photo library | Product and ecommerce photos | Yes |
| Coverr | Free stock video library with AI tools | Background video for websites | Yes |
| FOCA Stock | Free photos, videos and templates | Small business social posts | Yes |
| Freerange Stock | Free stock photos and illustrations | Photos and illustrations together | Yes |
| Gratisography | Quirky free stock photos | Playful images that don't look like stock | Yes |
| ISO Republic | Free CC0 photos and videos | Public domain photos and clips | Yes |
| Kaboompics | Free stock photos for commercial use | Styled lifestyle photoshoots | Yes |
| Life of Pix | Free high-resolution photography | Photographer-led galleries | Yes |
| Mixkit | Free video, music and sound effects | Video projects that need music too | Yes |
| Skitterphoto | Free public domain photos | Public domain photos from a small community | Yes |
Ten Pexels alternatives to try
Burst
Best for: Online store owners who want free photos for product pages, banners and blog posts, from a library built for entrepreneurs.
Coverr
Best for: Web designers who want free HD and 4K stock video, plus music and AI tools to recreate a clip in their own style.
FOCA Stock
Best for: Small business marketers who want free commercial-use photos and videos, plus templates they can customise for stories and posts.
Freerange Stock
Best for: Bloggers who want free images and illustrations from one library, with photographers contributing new work over time.
Gratisography
Best for: Brands with a sense of humour who want whimsical, unusual photos that look nothing like the usual office handshake shots.
ISO Republic
Best for: Creators who want high-resolution CC0 photos and videos across business, nature, technology and city scenes.
Kaboompics
Best for: Lifestyle and interiors brands who want whole free photoshoots in matching colours, plus mockups for members.
Life of Pix
Best for: Website owners who want high-resolution photos from named photographers, shared without copyright restrictions for any project.
Mixkit
Best for: Video editors who want free stock footage, music tracks and sound effects for the same project in one place.
Skitterphoto
Best for: Bloggers who want free public domain photos and like browsing featured shots and admin picks from a small community of photographers.
Which library matches the job
- Product and online store images: Burst.
- Background video for a website: Coverr.
- Matching lifestyle photoshoots: Kaboompics.
- Images with a sense of humour: Gratisography.
- Video, music and sound in one place: Mixkit.
Read the licence on every site
Creative Commons explains that its public domain tools were created because there was historically no simple, reliable way for creators to make their works clearly free for everyone to use worldwide. A CC0 or similar free licence is what lets you reuse a photo without asking.
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Every library writes its own terms, though. Some photos need a credit, some can't be used to suggest a person endorses your product, and some sites mix free and premium images on the same page. Check the licence on each site, and keep a note of where every image came from.
Photo libraries, video libraries and niche collections
General photo libraries are the workhorses: broad categories, high-resolution downloads and new uploads from contributing photographers. They're perfect for blog headers and social posts, and searching more than one helps you avoid the overused shots.
Video libraries add moving footage, music and sound effects for reels, ads and website backgrounds. Niche collections focus on a style or a theme, such as ecommerce, playful images or styled lifestyle shoots, and that's often where you'll find pictures your competitors haven't used yet.
Five checks before you download
- Can you use it commercially, not just on a personal blog?
- Does the site ask for a credit to the photographer?
- Are there recognisable people or logos in the shot?
- Is the resolution high enough for where it's going?
- Have you seen it on a competitor's site already?
Ways to make free photos feel like yours
- Crop tighter. A new crop changes the whole feel.
- Use a consistent filter or colour. It ties images together.
- Add your own text or graphics.
- Mix in your own photos. Real images build trust.
Signs it's time to use your own photos
- You keep seeing your images on other sites.
- Customers ask what your team looks like.
- Your product needs to be shown accurately.
- Stock shots no longer match your brand.
Do you make stock photo or stock video libraries? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on Pexels alternatives
Bookmark three or four libraries rather than one, and search them all for important images. You'll get more choice and far fewer pictures that every other business is already using.
Keep a simple record of where each image came from and its licence, and replace stock with your own photos wherever you can. For ideas on getting more from AI images too, my guide to AI images for business is a good next read.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best free alternatives to Pexels?
Most sites on this list name their images as free, and the table shows what each one does best.
Can I use free stock photos commercially?
Many sites allow it, but read each licence, especially for photos with people, logos or products.
Do I need to credit the photographer?
Some sites ask for a credit and others don't, so check the terms each time.
Where can I find free stock video?
Several libraries here offer free video, and some include music and sound effects too.
What does CC0 mean?
It's a Creative Commons tool that lets creators give up their rights so anyone can reuse the work.
How do I avoid overused stock photos?
Search several libraries, look past the first page and add your own crop or edit.
