There are several sites like Unsplash on the internet, be it for photographers or users. From the photographers point of view, they need sites like Unsplash to share their works, while users need Unsplash-like sites to download free photos to fulfill their photo needs.
Unsplash is a great site where users can discover and download beautiful photos for free. They are also allowed to use the downloaded photos for any purpose, including commercial thanks to the “use as you want” license applied by Unsplash. Users are not even required to give any credit to the associated photographers.
As Unsplash is getting more popular, the more people go to this site with the same purpose. That way, the possibility you would be using the same photos with someone else is getting bigger. Following are Unsplash alternatives you can consider in case you want to get different photos. Photographers can also use them to share their works to gain more exposure.
1. Reshot
Reshot is a lesser known free stock photo site. At least compared to Unsplash. So, if you are looking for a place to get some uncommon photos then Reshot is probably the best place to go. Same as Unsplash, Reshot also has its own license, which is pretty similar to CC0. The point of this license is to allow you to use the photos for free for any purpose without a mandatory to credit the associated photographers. Furthermore, Reshot also provides API to allow app developers to use its photo library.
2. Pexels
Pexels is popular enough so this is probably not the best place if your intention is to look for some unique photos. Many photographers share their works to this site for free, including me sometimes. Users are allowed to use all of the submitted photos for free for any purpose without requiring to give any credit to the photographers. Pexels adopts CC0 license. For photographers, Pexels is a great enough space to build personal brand. If you consistently contribute good photos to this site, there is a chance your name will be featured on the Photographer Leaderboard page. The top 3 photographers are showcased on the front page of the site. In Pexels, it’s also possible for photographers to accept donation to keep going with their free photos.
3. Pixabay
Pixabay is probably the most popular free stock photo site available today. It is more precisely the best alternative to Shutterstock, but you don’t need to spend a dime to use the photos available on Pixabay. Pixabay has the same concept as Pexels. First, it adopts CC0 license to give users a permission to use the photos for free for any purpose. Second, it also allows photographers get some extra money by accepting donation. Since Pixabay is a popular free stock photo site, it is also not too good site if you are looking for a unique photo. Commonly, photographers who share their works to Unsplash also share their works to this site. The fundamental difference between Pixabay and Unsplash is that Pixabay doesn’t specifically provide photos. It also provides other content types, including vectors, illustrations and footage.
4. Magdeleine
Magdeleine is a good place to get hand-picked photos. Each day, you will be welcomed by a new hand-picked photo on its front page. Clicking the “BROWSE” button you will be taken to a page where you can discover more photo collections at Magdeleine. If you are a user who are looking for a photo, be sure to check the license of the photo you selected since there are three licenses applied on Magdeleine. Those three licenses are basically allow you to use the photos for free for any purpose, but there is license that requires you to credit the associated photographer. You can see the license on the top-right corner of each photo you are viewing.
5. Skitterphoto
Whether you are a photographer who need to share your shots or a user who is looking for a free photo for commercial use, Skitterphoto is one of the best places for such needs. Photographers are welcomed to share their works to this site, while users are allowed to download the available photos for free and use them for any purpose. Skitterphoto adopts CC0 license so you don’t need to worry of breaking a copyright. Skitterphoto has been around since 2014. The project is started by two Netherlands photographers Rudy and Peter.
6. Life of Pix
Anytime you need to share your photos or need some free photos for your project, Life of Pix is another Unsplash alternative you can consider. All photos uploaded to Life o Pix are available as public domain and you are allowed to use them for free for any purpose. If you are a photographer, Life of Pix is a nice place to gain your personal brand. Each week, this site elects a photographer to become Photographer of the Week. If you get lucky, Life of Pix will also mention your name on its social media channels.
7. NegativeSpace
NegativeSpace is not too popular. Because of that, you can probably find unique photos from this site. NegativeSpace also adopts CC0 as the licence for the submitted photos. So, you — the users — can use the available photos for free for any purpose without worrying about breaking the photographer copyright. To be honest, there is a bit minor about this site that probably doesn’t benefit photographers. Users won’t be able to discover photos by photographer. Each photo contains information about the associated photographer, but there is no link to visit the photographer page.
8. Moose
Looking for some free photos that are taken at studio? Moose is probably the site you are looking for. The vast majority of photos available on this site were taken at studio, even for holiday photos! Most photos have a great background that looks beautiful and professional. You can even discover photos by background. Moose tends to suit for end users instead of photographers. What about the license?
Moose adopts one of the Creative Common licenses called Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported. This license allows you to use the photos for free for any purpose, but you are required to give appropriate credit. One of which is by mentioning the Moose link.