unsplash alternatives

7 Lesser-Known Unsplash Alternatives You Haven’t Tried Yet | 2024

Social media advertisers, bloggers, and digital marketers are always looking for copyright-free images, and Unsplash is a great website for that. This is a huge collection of photos uploaded by photographers worldwide. But sometimes, it’s a good idea to try Unsplash alternatives if you don’t want to be limited to just one.

There are websites in the market that perform as well as Unsplash or offer something better than it. However, if you find it tiring to spend extra time finding the best alternatives to Unsplash, you have come to the right place.

Today’s article will discuss the top free and paid Unsplash competitors. So if you are still not aware of its other options, then read the article without skipping any part.

What Is Unsplash?

Unsplash is a photo-sharing platform that has a large stock of high-resolution photos. If you are a blogger or marketer, finding the pictures according to the required category is easy. Besides, professional photographers can upload their captured images to a wide audience by uploading them to Unsplash. 

Photographers from anywhere worldwide can post their photos here for others to see. However, it does not pay photographers who upload their images to Unsplash. Browse the image you want and download it in seconds.

Founded in 2013, this platform still provides users with their required pictures for free. Although free will fulfills a major need, some limitations may still exist. You get more benefits by paying one affordable monthly payment.

Unsplash Cost
Unsplash Cost (Photo By Unsplash)

Unsplash Cost And Features

Cost4 USD/month.
Stock of photosOver 3 million.
Free imagesYes
SpecialtyMeets different needs.
Unsplash Cost And Features

Why Do You Need A Unsplash Alternative?

What are the reasons that encourage you to choose an Unsplash alternative? There are some serious reasons. Despite being popular, Unsplash also has some features that people are often unhappy with. Find out the following points that work behind considering an alternative.

  • Images may not always be legit: Almost anyone can submit images to Unsplash. Even someone, not the image owner, can share the image here with the jeopardy of use.
  • Free usage has limitations: Unsplash gives users access to many photos for free. Nevertheless, sometimes, the desired image may contain an ad. In this case, you may have to choose a paid plan.
  • Only one image format: You can download pictures from Unsplash in only one format because only one is available. This will seem inconvenient to many because an instant is insufficient.

7 Unsplash Alternatives

Much has already been said. Now you will know about the list of much-desired Unsplash alternatives. I won’t force you to read about every single one, but knowing at least a few of these might be enough to make the right decision about a replacement.

1. Pexels: Best Free Option

The first Unsplash alternative on my list is Pexels, which came out just 2-years after Unsplash was launched. Besides, it stocks a lot of photos to allow users to download images for free. One of the main differences between Pexels and Unsplash is that Pexels is designed for people in different languages. 

Another difference with Unsplash is that, apart from photographers, there are photos from other free websites too. If you want to measure the collection of free photos, Pexels is far ahead. With web access, users can also easily access it from Android or iOS devices through an app.

Pexels cost and features

CostIt’s free!
Stock of photosOver 2.8 million
Free images,9.5k free photos, and 1.3k videos.
SpecialtySupports 28 languages.
Best ForFree
Pexels cost and Features

2. Pixabay: Unsplash Free Alternatives 

Pixabay is one of the top websites that offer a huge stock of royalty-free pictures. It was launched a few years before Unsplash was launched. Pixabay works a lot like Unsplash. But if you want to make a comparison between the two, Pixabay has a lot more photos than Unsplash. 

Moreover, those downloading pictures for graphics work can undoubtedly rely on it. You can access tons of vectors, photos, and illustrations here. Not only that, but it also has different types of sound effects, videos, and music which can meet a great need of users. 

Pixabay cost and features

CostIt’s free
Stock of photosOver 2.8 million images.
Free imagesYes.
SpecialtyUsers can access more items freely.
Pixabay cost and features

3. Canva

Canva is a popular website that caters to the small needs of bloggers or digital marketers today, which differs from Unsplash. Basically, using a template, users can create a design of their choice. You can also use existing photos because they are unique. 

Although Canva is not completely free, you will get thousands of photos for free, which should be enough to meet your needs. Moreover, the images here are included in the defined categories, making it easy to find what you want. Canva differs from the Unsplash substitutes mentioned above, allowing you to edit images and templates.

Canva Cost
Canva Cost

Canva cost and features

Cost54.99 USD/year.
Stock of photos71 million.
Free imagesMore than 2,50,000
SpecialtyMore free templates.
Canva cost and features

4. Flickr

Flickr is another popular photo-sharing website of photographers’ favorites that has maintained its popularity in the market. However, if you compare it with Unsplash, you will find a significant difference. Not all photographers’ photos are free on Flickr. Moreover, some copyrighted images cannot be used directly. 

Simply create an account by signing up and searching for photos by typing the desired keyword. There are many registered photographers here. Therefore you can expect Flickr to offer you more free pictures than Unsplash.

Flickr cost and features

Cost8.25 USD/month.
Stock of photos10 billion
Free imagesYes.
SpecialtyBest for professional photographers.
Flickr cost and features

Related: 7 Shutterstock Alternatives for Photo Selling and High-Quality Stock Images

5. Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is a well-known name for those who download free images online for various purposes, which has occupied a top position in providing royalty-free photos. It offers video, audio, and 3D assets along with images in various formats. Even the largest organizations use Adobe Stock to gather the necessary digital files. 

Many people think that this is an expensive option because the number of free images here is very less compared to other platforms. But don’t be disappointed because, with a monthly payment, you will get huge access. You can even print and publish the images.

Adobe Stock cost and features

Cost29.99 USD/month.
Stock of photosMillions of photos but not specified.
Free images10 images.
SpecialtyMeets different organizations’ needs.
Adobe Stock cost and features

6. Freepik

Freepik is well appreciated for providing people with vector images for free and paid. Unlike Unsplash, this platform uploads over 80,000 designs monthly. So users will find a huge collection of new designs here. Freepik is an ideal place, especially for those looking for vector and PSD images. 

Freepik has numerous categories from which it is easy to find the desired content. Search using a relevant tag, and the designated design will appear. However, there is nothing to worry about its premium plan as it is within almost everyone’s budget.

Freepik Cost
Freepik Cost (Photo By Freepik)

Freepik cost and features

Cost9.99 USD/month.
Stock of photosOver 24123000 photos.
Free images341.79k.
SpecialtyUploads images frequently.
Freepik cost and features

7. iStock

The last Unsplash alternative on my list is iStock which is a top local stock photo agency. iStock is a good platform for users who don’t hesitate to spend and want to collect the best quality images. You may be wondering how this can benefit you when you don’t want to go on a budget.

Well, iStock gives people free access for one month, and you can download ten free images. In addition, you can cancel this free trial at any time, and there is no cost. But with the paid plans, you get a lot of things that set it apart from other competitors.

iStock cost and features

Cost29 USD/month.
Stock of photosOver 6 million.
Free imagesOver 4,552,100 photos.
SpecialtyProvides ready-to-use images.
iStock cost and features

Final Thought

Unsplash is an excellent platform for getting royalty-free images for marketing, blogging, or personal use. Still, in some cases, it may not feel right. Trying any of the Unsplash alternatives I have already told you about might be a good idea.

The point is not that you must choose an Unplash replacement because some people deliberately try another one. Therefore consider your needs first. If you’ve read about each of the options mentioned above, you probably now know which one will be the right choice for you.

 FAQs On Unsplash Alternatives

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References On Unsplash Alternatives

1. Flickr
2. Adobe Stock Photos
3. Unsplash
4. https://www.acethinker.com/erase-watermark/sites-like-unsplash.html (The Most Reliable Free Stock Photo Websites like Unsplash)
5. https://medium.com/swlh/11-unsplash-alternatives-to-free-stock-photos-74ec9239caaa (11 Unsplash Alternatives to “Free Stock Photos” I See No One Using)
6. https://www.cbinsights.com/company/unsplash/alternatives-competitors (Unsplash’s alternatives and competitors)
7. https://www.reddit.com/r/designthought/comments/99bduv/unsplash_alternatives/ (Unsplash alternatives?)

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