11 Best Stock Photo Sites for Everyday Use

If you have ever contributed to a blog or website as a designer or a writer, you might already know the importance of having high-quality images at your disposal.

When well-placed, such images play a significant role in social media engagement—sometimes even more so than well-articulated copy, sponsorships, or even SEO optimization.

A sensible content creator or designer spends a major chunk of their time searching for pictures that will prove perfect for their content or website. While high-quality stock images are readily available on several platforms, they can become quite expensive quite quickly, specifically for those on a limited budget.

Fortunately, if you know the right websites and platforms, you can find an abundance of high-quality images available for free.

Almost half of such free stock images are protected by the Creative Common License, which means that while you can utilize them for free, you're obligated to attribute them to the owner or creator of the images. You also need to double-check the available licenses before modifying images protected under the Creative Common License to ensure that it allows you to do so.

The other half of the free stock images are in the Public Domain, which means you can use them freely without any attributions since they are not owned by anyone.

Whether you're a novice content creator or designer or an experienced one, we can help you find trusted stock photo sites that will add variety to your collection of high-quality stock images.

This article includes everything you need to know about the best stock photo sites for graphic designers, content creators, influencers, videomakers, and everyone else! You'll also find all the relevant pros and cons of each website along with a bonus section containing all the cool features of our top pick and a description of professionals and people who will benefit the most from this top-rated, Mac-exclusive desktop software.

Are you ready to dive in?

Let's begin!

PicFindr: The Best Resource for All Your Free Stock Photo Needs on Mac

PicFindr, which offers a whopping 3.1+ million free stock images, is Softorino's latest Mac-exclusive invention. The desktop application works on all Macs running macOS 11.0 and higher, including the latest macOS Ventura. It serves as a platform where you can search for and download beautiful, high-resolution, copyright-free images from numerous platforms, such as Pixabay and Pexels, in a few simple clicks.

It makes searching for and organizing copyright-free images from popular online services easier by combining all the relevant tasks in simple, easy-to-use software. Furthermore, the all-in-one stock images application can be used for all your different projects. It further makes the application handy by offering Mac users the option to set wallpapers directly with just one click of the button!

Notarized by Apple and trusted by Pexels and Pixabay, PicFindr by Softorino offers over a million high-resolution 4 K images that are completely royalty-free. The lightweight desktop application allows for countless downloads without any restrictions or need for attributions or permissions. Before downloading the images, you can create unlimited personalized collections for various campaigns.

The application also lets users choose between light and dark modes, depending on their preferences for Retina displays.

The only drawback is that PicFindr is currently only available for Mac users. However, Windows users can register their interest to be notified when the Windows version becomes available.

How Does PicFindr Work?

Searching for and downloading images has never been easier!

The following are the three simple steps you have to follow to make the most out of this software:

Step 1. Download and install Software

You can find the app on PicFindr download page or use the banner just below.

Simply drag and drop PicFindr to your Applications folder and launch it to begin.

Step 2. Search for Images via the Search Bar or Categories

Free images on PicFindr have been categorized based on subject, color, and mood, and you can also use the "Surprise Me" feature to find randomized images to download.

Type in the relevant search term in the search bar located at the left of the window to yield the results and find an image best suited to your requirements and preferences.

Step 3. Download or Set As a Wallpaper

Once you've found an image for your project or personal use, you can then either hit the "Set Desktop Picture" button, which will immediately change your desktop wallpaper, or the "Download" button if you want to download an image for any other use.

For the latter, you will also see a drop-up arrow next to the "Download" button, which will enable you to select a relevant quality for the image you want to download. Click on this drop-up arrow and set the image quality to Small, Medium, Large, or Original, and the download process will initiate automatically.

PicFindr Pros and Cons to Note

One of the primary reasons to choose PIcFindr as your ultimate resource for royalty-free images is that this application makes the search process marginally easier by offering search results from multiple platforms and websites, eliminating the need to open several browsers at once for varying royalty-free images. On the other hand, one of its biggest cons is that this software is only available for Mac users.

Let's take a look at this list of pros and cons to help you determine whether this application is up to the mark for your needs:

Pros

• It has been notarized by Apple and Trusted by Pexabay and Pexels, making it a reliable software
• It's a one-stop solution for all your royalty-free images needs
• The software contains over 3.1 million images
• You can easily search for and organize images for free using this application
• It has an easy-to-use design and interface
• You can set images as wallpapers with just one click
• All images are available in high-resolution, 4K quality
• You can download unlimited images and create unlimited folders or collections
• The images don't require permissions or attributions
• You can pick the light or dark mode for this application, depending on your preferences
• The desktop software comes with a free trial version that enables users to test its features before making any investments

Cons

• PicFindr is currently not available for Windows users
• It is a paid application

The Top 10 Alternatives to PicFindr

An excellent stock image website should offer high-resolution images with at least 300 dpi, adequate licensing [especially for commercial use], affordability for various budget ranges, and unique and professional artwork that grabs the audience's attention.

Can't make up your mind about PicFindr by Softorino? Take a look at the 10 best stock photo sites, along with their pros and cons, to choose an alternative!

1. Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is a relatively user-friendly stock photo site that is specifically loved by graphic designers who use other Creative Cloud applications, such as Illustrator or Photoshop. If you're looking for lower prices, higher flexibility, and royalty-free licensing, this platform will be a good fit for your needs.

However, remember that this website only offers ten free images, and the pricing is set per image, which can add up and burn a hole in your pocket.

That said, it has a robust image library backed by complex image searches for those who want it and support from major artists offering high-quality images for the platform daily. In addition to images, videos are also available to download.

Pros

• Offers images and videos of high quality
• You can also download fonts, 3D objects, and templates
• It is integrated with the Creative cloud applications
• There is a plethora of old and new images on the website

Cons

• The premium content on this website is overpriced
• There are no coupons or promo codes available for users
• It is less budget-friendly compared to its alternatives in the market

2. Shutterstock

Shutterstock has been deemed one of the best stock photo sites in terms of overall functions, features, and performance. The website offers options various options for corporations, individuals, and businesses working in varying capacities. There are millions of images featuring high quality available on the platform to download and it comes with a 30-day free trial, which allows users to download 10 images completely free of cost.

However, unlike Adobe Stock, we wouldn't recommend using Shutterstock for stock videos. Furthermore, the application also doesn't have numerous on-demand options like some of its counterparts in the market.

Regardless, many users rely on Shutterstock's vast database of excellent-quality images and prefer the website's subscription plans, which might prove to be overpriced for some users, over the on-demand options.

Pros

• There are millions of images available to download and use
• The images are of high quality
• The 30-day free trial offers 10 free images to download and use

Cons

• It is not the best option for stock videos
• The on-demand options are limited

3. iStock

iStock, formerly known as iStockphoto, is one of the best stock photo sites for commercial use because it offers integrations into the Adobe Creative Cloud, such as Shutterstock and Adobe Stock. It can also be integrated into other platforms like Sketch, Dropbox, and iStock Editor.

Similar to Adobe Stock, this website also offers premium stock, which is known as "Signature" on the platform, and it comes at a relatively higher price compared to the basic downloads available. However, it is pertinent to note that this website isn't a great option for merchandise compared to its competitors in the market due to its expensive extended licenses. Moreover, this platform's free trial version is only available in a few countries.

Pros

• You can download 10 free images during the trial period
• There are millions of high-quality photos available

Cons

• The extended licenses are overpriced
• The Signature images will burn a hole in your pocket

4. Depositphotos

An RF microstock photo agency based in Florida, Depositphotos offers millions of high-quality images, illustrations, videos, and vectors that are perfect for e-commerce use, specifically for bloggers and small businesses. However, the free visuals available on this platform require attribution and there is no general subscription in place for all content types available.

That said, the files are available for everyone looking for commercial use or editorial or personal purposes. The platform also comes with free editing tools, support for various file formats, and flexible pricing plans.

While its 7-day free trial offers 10 images for free, the platform's extended license, on-demand plans, and subscription plans are relatively high-priced compared to some of its major competitors in the market.

Pros

• You can use files from this website for commercial, editorial, or personal purposes
• The pricing plans are flexible
• The platform offers free editing tools
• It supports various file formats
• There are numerous free and paid stock images available

Cons

• There are no general subscription plans for all kinds of content
• You will be required to add attributions for free visuals

5. Stocksy

If you're a book writer and want to find the best stock photos for book covers, Stocksy is one of the best options available. The premium stock agency offers a library with limited but top-quality stock images. However, keep in mind that since Stocksy only offers on-demand options, it can be quite expensive for some users compared to other similar stock photo sites.

That said, the platform also offers exclusive rights to images and freezes the market to ensure nobody else is buying the image you've bought exclusive rights to but this can be quite expensive for some users. It is also pertinent to note that this site does not offer any free trial.

Pros

• Rights-managed and royalty-free options are available
• The site offers unique and high-quality images and great value

Cons

• There is no free trial
• The pricing is quite hefty
• There are no subscription plans offered by this site

6. Canva

If you're searching for all-in-one stock photo sites, Canva is a good option to consider. This graphic design platform, which comes with a free trial and a Pro version, is suitable for designers with any level of experience and expertise in social media post creation, visualization, graphic creation, and design.

While Canva is primarily not an image agency, it has an integrated library containing millions of stock images. The platform has numerous professional templates to work with and an easy drag-and-drop mechanism for editors. Moreover, Canva Pro is relatively more budget-friendly compared to other stock photo sites on this list and it also comes with a 30-day free trial period.

The editor is much easier to use and the licensing is also relatively simpler.

Pros

• It is a multipurpose and easy-to-use application
• The Pro version comes with a 30-day free trial
• It is more budget-friendly than other similar tools in the market

Cons

• There is no on-demand option or extended license
• The free trial version has several limitations
• You can't move a design into another
• All the intellectual property belongs to the platform
• The export settings are limited
• You can't create unique elements

7. 123RF

123RF is a stock photo site that doesn't offer a free trial. While it has a larger content library than some of its competing sites, such as Canva, it is still considered an average application compared to its alternatives in the market.

The platform is integrated into Designs.ai, which is an online graphic suite similar to Canva in terms of AI. However, compared to Canva, this platform is less intuitive and quite slow. Moreover, its pricing is also not affordable compared to other tools, including both Adobe and Canva.

That said, this site does offer hundreds and thousands of good-quality images.

Pros

• The platform offers 180+ million images of good quality

Cons

• It doesn't work without an internet connection
• There's no option for a one-time purchase
• The photo editor is unpolished

8. Dreamstime

Dreamstime is a stock photo agency that offers extensive collections of on-demand and subscription plans, which might make it complicated for users to choose one based on their requirements. There is a free trial version available, however, it only allows users to download watermarked images from the platform.

In addition to this, the extended licenses are also relatively less budget-friendly than those offered by its competitors.

That said, there are some great discounts available for this site.

Pros

• Subscriptions can include extended licenses
• There are numerous great discounts available on this site

Cons

• All the free trial images are watermarked
• The available variety isn't great
• The images are often overedited

9. Unsplash

Unsplash is one of the best stock photo sites, which offers millions of images protected under the Creative Commons license. However, unlike other platforms that offer such images, you can use these free stock photos for any purpose, including for commercial projects, without attributing Unsplash or the author.

Its content library is constantly and rapidly growing, making it one of the fastest-growing free stock photo sites in the market. However, since anyone can post pictures on this platform and there are no commissions paid to the authors, it is quite challenging to find a good-quality picture that matches the consumer's needs.

Pros

• The images can be used without attribution
• The stock is free of cost for both personal and commercial use
• There are millions of images available of varying resolutions

Cons

• There is no security or compensation
• There are various subjects that lack coverage on this platform

10. PikWizard

PikWizard is an easy-to-use stock photo site that has an extensive library containing millions of free images. Moreover, it also offers affordable templates for novice professionals with limited design experience. While the platform is free of cost, you can upgrade to the paid version to integrate a designing tool called DesignWizard, which also includes the extensive stock library of PikWizard.

It is vital to note that this platform includes intrusive ads for other stock photo sites and the graphic designing tool is quite basic.

Pros

• The site is integrated into DesignWizard
• The available stock images are free of cost

Cons

• There are numerous intrusive ads for other paid stock photo sites
• The graphic designing tool is quite basic

Features That Make PicFindr Unique, Essential, and More Effective

As we mentioned earlier, PicFindr offers convenience and ease to Mac users by combining the best stock photos from various platforms into a single, lightweight application. Consequently, you don't have to open numerous tabs on your browser to look for a variety of pictures on different stock photo sites.

Let's take a look at some other PicFindr features that put this software at the top of our best stock photo sites list:

Various Categories to Make Your Search Easier

If you're a professional, you might need to organize your work based on the different projects that you're working on. Fortunately, PIcFindr makes the organizing task a lot easier by offering users the option to add personalized collections and organize various images into different folders as per their needs before hitting the Download button. Furthermore, you can add images to the Favorites folder in the application for later use.

The most amazing feature that PicFindr offers is the ease of search, thanks to its categorization of stock photos. All the images have been categorized under 20 different subjects, 6 emotions, and 7 colors.

Here's a sneak peek into the different categories you'll find in this app:

Categories

• Animals
• Backgrounds
• Buildings
• Business
• Computer
• Education
• Fashion
• Feelings
• Food
• Health
• industry
• Music
• Nature
• People
• Places
• Religion
• Science
• Sports
• Transportation
• Travel

Emotions

• Angry
• Funny
• Smile
• Joker
• Blink
• Sun

Colors

• Black
• Blue
• Green
• Orange
• Red
• White
• Yellow

The Most Reliable Search Engine for Free Stock Photos

Softorino, with an accumulated rating of 4.8/5 for all of its applications, prides itself as the creator of some of the most reliable, trustworthy, and effective applications in the market - and PicFindr is not any different.

This software, as we mentioned earlier, has been notarized by Apple and trusted by Pexels and Pexabay, the two websites from where PicFindr yields most of its search results for free images. Moreover, it has been reviewed by numerous tech giants and they have nothing but positive reviews to share.

The users are never asked to upload their details onto a website, making applications by Softorino one of the most trustworthy options in the market.

Offline Accessibility to Create Groups

Trying to save up storage space is not an easy task. However, with PicFindr, you can create groups using the offline accessibility feature, which allows users to save images in the application without having to download them for offline viewing and downloads.

All of the images in PicFindr are 100% copyright-free and legal to download and utilize.

100% Copyright-Free Images, Legal to Download and Utilize

If you're on the hunt for 100% copyright-free images that are both legal to download and use, PicFindr is the perfect one-stop solution for you. You don't have to waste any time searching for various stock photo sites or browsing for royalty-free images on numerous browsers; PicFindr will fetch all the available free stock photos for you and showcase them in the search results.

Who Is PicFindr For?

PicFindr is perfect for all editors, content writers/copywriters, newsmakers, storytellers, designers, influencers, and video makers. It will also benefit Mac users who are simply looking for variety in their options for free desktop wallpapers. No matter which field you're in, you can download and install PicFindr by Softorino now to make the most of the available free stock photos from various different platforms and websites.

Factors to Consider Before Investing in a Stock Photo Site

There is a plethora of stock photo sites at our disposal. However, choosing the right one for your particular requirements and preferences is essential. The following are some of the many factors that you should consider before investing your resources in a site, platform, or application for stock images:

Additional Features

Additional features add value to a product and set it apart from its competitors, adding unique elements that are typically hard to find in similar applications.

PicFindr offers numerous additional features, such as its offline accessibility, that make it a better option than most other stock photo sites on the market.

Furthermore, you can also add your favorite stock photos to the application's Favorites folder or organize them into different folders based on your requirements. All of this can be done before you download the content from this platform.

Another unique feature is that this application allows Mac users to set their system wallpaper with a single click of a button.

Licensing

Several websites offer their own version of royalty-free licenses, which can be restrictive and push you to buy an extended license, which costs more.

Fortunately, using PicFindr will not present any such hurdles. All of the stock images available on this application are completely royalty-free and legal to download and use without any attribution.

Diversity

No matter the reason behind your need for stock images, variety is crucial when picking a stock photo site. After all, running out of good images is a stressful situation nobody wants to experience.

PicFindr is an image bank that offers a wide selection of free images on numerous subjects, so you'll never run out of eye-catching images for your content.

Reputation

Stock photo sites have to build a certain reputation to be able to garner more customers who leave a positive review after their experience with the website. Their feedback will help you determine whether or not a particular site is reliable and trustworthy.

You must also ensure that the stock photo site you choose doesn't use misleading or unclear contract terms or licenses.

Softorino has built an excellent reputation in the market with its various essential applications for Mac and Windows users. With an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5, the company has become one of the most trusted and reliable software providers.

Quality

Of course, quality is of the utmost importance for those looking for high-quality images for their content. High resolution means you'll get the highest quality possible, and an excellent image bank, such as PicFindr, will offer such images without any copyright restrictions or watermarks.

PicFindr offers more than just high-resolution collections; it also provides overall symbolic quality and the best sentimental value in the market.

Pricing

Last but not least, pricing is one of the most important factors that users consider before investing in stock photo sites because there's a high chance that you will require not one but multiple stock images within the duration of your project[s].

Choosing a platform that offers the best value for money can help you save big bucks in the long run and take advantage of essential features at your disposal.

PicFindr offers the most value for money in terms of its features, functions, and usability.

Concluding Thoughts

These were the 10 best stock photo sites for graphic designers. After reviewing all of them, we can safely advise that PicFindr by Softorino is the best overall software for Mac users looking for an image bank with value-added features.