Using royalty-free images in your content can help your business cut expenses and speed up production without requiring heavy effort into visual search. Read on to discover what royalty-free images actually mean, explore their benefits to your company, and see the top stock photo platforms to consider in 2025, from DepositPhotos to Freepik.
What exactly are royalty-free images?
Royalty-free images are pictures, graphics, or illustrations you can legally use without paying ongoing fees each time you include them in a project. Don’t be misled by the term “royalty-free”—it doesn’t mean the images are completely free of cost. Instead, once you purchase or download them from a stock website, you don’t need to pay additional royalties for every use, print, or view.
Royalty-free images usually come with broad licenses that cover multiple use cases: websites, social media, marketing materials, presentations, or even commercial projects. This makes them convenient and cost-effective: royalty-free images remain a dominant revenue stream on the stock visual market. Still, rights vary by provider—some royalty-free images cannot be resold, redistributed, or used in trademarked logos.
Where to find royalty-free images? On special stock platforms. Working with such platforms offers companies numerous benefits.
How your company can benefit from using stock photo websites in 2025
Despite the rapid rise of AI-generated visuals, the stock image market remains strong, valued at $4.34 billion in 2025. Here’s why you should consider working with royalty-free image websites for commercial use.
- Cost savings. Royalty-free stock photo websites give you access to millions of professional images at a fraction of the cost of custom photography. Instead of hiring photographers for every project, you can license ready-to-use visuals, cutting marketing expenses while maintaining brand quality.
- Faster content production. In fast-paced marketing, speed is crucial. Sometimes you need to launch a campaign or support a trend as quickly as possible. With royalty-free stock photo platforms, you can instantly find relevant visuals instead of waiting for lengthy photoshoots or design cycles.
- Versatility across projects. You can use royalty-free visuals in websites, ads, brochures, and presentations—ensuring consistency across campaigns without paying extra fees.
- Global and diverse visuals. Modern stock websites offer images representing different cultures, industries, and demographics, helping you connect with audiences authentically.
- Safe and legal use. Random photos from the internet can lead to copyright issues. The best royalty-free image sites provide licensed visuals that keep your business compliant and protected from legal risks.
Top 5 image platforms for royalty-free visuals
Today, you’ll find countless image platforms for business projects. To simplify your choice, we’ve highlighted five top stock photo platforms for bloggers and companies.
1. DepositPhotos
DepositPhotos is a professional stock photography website with a library of over 300 million files: photos, vectors, videos, and music tracks. It offers both free visuals and paid licensing options, allowing businesses to purchase images individually or through subscription plans. Known for its diverse, high-quality files, DepositPhotos is a reliable choice for companies needing polished, commercial-ready content.
2. Unsplash
Unsplash is a free stock image platform popular among designers, bloggers, and marketers. It provides high-resolution photos contributed by creators worldwide. The library is visually appealing, and most images are free for commercial use. Attribution isn’t required but is recommended as a courtesy to photographers.
3. Pexels
Pexels offers free stock photos and videos under a simple license that allows commercial use. With a focus on modern, authentic visuals, it’s especially useful for lifestyle and creative projects. Attribution is appreciated but optional.
4. Pixabay
Pixabay hosts millions of photos, illustrations, vectors, videos, and music. Its strength lies in variety—from realistic images to creative artwork. All content is released under a royalty-free license, making it safe for commercial use without attribution.
5. Freepik
Freepik goes beyond photography, offering free and premium vectors, PSD files, templates, icons, and illustrations alongside stock photos. Designers and marketers use it for editable design assets. Many visuals on Freepik are free with attribution, while premium subscriptions unlock larger libraries and flexible usage rights.
To sum up
In 2025, royalty-free images aren’t just a fallback—they’re a strategic business tool. Stock image websites help companies save time, cut costs, and avoid copyright issues while gaining access to diverse, high-quality visuals. Platforms like DepositPhotos, Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, and Freepik give your team the freedom to focus on creativity, growth, and delivering value to your audience.
