Unsplash: Free images for commercial use

High-quality images are an important part of any online message you want to deliver. Free images that you can use on your website and with social media postings must either be your own originals, those that you have permission to use, or donated by artists to use free for commercial use.

I first discovered Pixabay.com, where I've found many beautiful images. Then thanks to visual marketer LouiseM.com, I discovered Unsplash.com, a site that has many stunning high-resolution images that are also free to use without attribution.

I’ve used Unsplash for many projects over the years and I’ve recommended the service to many clients. But I’ve learned that in October 2022 parent company Getty Images initiated a paid Unsplash+ subscription service where “even more” images are going to be available. That defeats the purpose of a free image service, which had been wonderful for budget-minded clients!

I love to combine text and images in inspiring and impactful ways, but I'm no photographer, so I'm grateful there are artists out there donating their images free for commercial use. Only time will tell if I’ll continue to recommend Unsplash to people who are looking for beautiful free images. Pexels.com is another service that I’ve heard good things about and may look into that too.

Getty Images Press Release, 10/5/22

[updated 11/20/22 to mention the paid subscription service Unsplash+]

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