Where to Find Royalty-Free Photos You Can Actually Trust
The best free (and paid) image sites for authors, marketers, and creatives, and what to do if you receive a takedown notice...
Images matter. Whether you're designing a book ad, creating social media posts, updating your website, or putting together a lead magnet, visuals catch attention.
In this post, I’m discussing the use of images for content, such as social media, blog posts, newsletters, and visuals or videos. I’m not referring to book covers or anything you plan to sell directly, such as merch or paid downloads.
💥 Shout-out to my exclusive advertising sponsor, the always-free Booklinker (universal book links—so helpful!), and the paid tool, GeniusLink. I love both💥 (affiliate link).
Grabbing any random photo from Google or tossing in a fun GIF? That’s a fast way to end up with a takedown notice, or worse.
Good news: numerous royalty-free image sites are safe, legal, and visually stunning. Here’s how to find them, what the terms mean, and a list of trusted sites I use (and recommend to all my author clients).
What Does “Royalty-Free” Actually Mean?
😵💫Let’s clear up a common confusion. “Royalty-free” doesn’t mean free of cost; it means free of recurring fees.
You usually pay once (or nothing at all), and you’re allowed to use the image within the terms of the license with no monthly payments. No royalty is owed to the creator each time the image is used.
That said, always check the usage terms. “Free to use” might still mean “credit required” or “not for commercial use.” When in doubt, read the fine print.
My Top Free and Trusted Image Sites
These sites are legal, safe, and provide commercial-use images with no strings attached (mostly):
1. Unsplash
📌 Perfect for: Blog headers, social media graphics, book promos
✅ Pros: Huge collection, free for commercial use, no attribution required
⚠️ Note: Top search results often include paid iStock photos, so set your filter for free options only (unless you want to upgrade).
Tip: Set the filters for FREE images and landscape or square (for most purposes). You may have noticed that Unsplash is what’s used here on Substack. Enter your topic in the search field (I used 'writing'), and when the images appear, select your filters as shown below.
2. Pexels
📌 Perfect for: Lifestyle shots, tech, even video clips
✅ Pros: Easy to search, includes videos, no attribution required
⚠️ Note: Some content overlaps with Pixabay and other free sites
3. Pixabay
📌 Perfect for: Vectors, icons, stock photos, music, and video
✅ Pros: Wide variety of formats and styles
⚠️ Note: Watch out for weird AI-generated content
4. Kaboompics
📌 Perfect for: Feminine, styled flat lays, lifestyle content
✅ Pros: Beautiful, curated images, free for commercial use
⚠️ Note: Attribution appreciated but not required
5. Burst by Shopify
📌 Perfect for: Product photos, e-commerce, entrepreneurs
✅ Pros: Built for marketers, totally free
⚠️ Note: Smaller library than some of the others
6. Depositphotos (via AppSumo)
📌 Perfect for: High-res marketing, ads, websites, lead magnets
✅ Pros: Pro-quality images for a fraction of the cost. AppSumo frequently offers 100 images for $39
⚠️ Note: This deal comes and goes. When it’s live, grab it fast. Great site, great pix. Highly recommend it if you can grab the deal.
🎯 Bonus: AppSumo = Author Goldmine
If you're not already checking AppSumo regularly, you're missing out. They offer limited-time deals on:
Depositphotos image packs
Lifetime design tools (like Canva-style editors)
Social media planners, stock video subscriptions, and more (I’m currently using Vista Social with an unlimited account plan. Gold.)
These tools are author-friendly and don’t require you to commit to monthly payments.
⚠️ What About GIFs? Read This Before You Post Another One
Here’s something most people don’t know (yet): GIFs are not automatically safe to use, especially outside social media platforms like X or Instagram that have licensed integrations. These platforms have secured agreements for the use of GIFs within their specific environments.
Pay attention! AI copyright bots are now scanning the web, including newsletters, websites, and blogs, for unlicensed GIF usage. If you upload a GIF file that features copyrighted content (such as a celebrity's face, a movie clip, or a TV scene) to your Substack, website, or email, that could be a copyright violation.*
That’s why it’s so important to use only licensed, royalty-free images and keep documentation.
There’s no grace period, so it's better to be safe than sued.
👩💻 What to Do If You’re Unsure
Audit your old content, especially websites, blogs, newsletters, and downloadable PDFs.
Replace suspect images with licensed or royalty-free ones.
Keep proof of licensing in a saved folder or email archive.
If you’re contacted: Don’t panic, but don’t ignore it either. You can often challenge the claim depending on the time passed, the image’s source, and usage.
There are now automated services tracking this, and yes, people have been fined. A “funny Friends moment” might cost you hundreds or more.
PicRights is one of the largest and most aggressive companies out there, actively hunting for image copyright violations. But they're not alone.
Here’s a breakdown of the key players that authors, creatives, and marketers should know about:
Companies That Monitor Image Use and Send Legal Threats
1. PicRights
Represents: Getty Images, AP, Reuters, and other major photo agencies
How they work: Use bots to crawl websites and newsletters, then send settlement demand emails
Known for: Aggressive tactics, scare-letter tone, and high-dollar demands (sometimes $600–$1,500+ per image)
Typical scenario: You used an image you thought was free 5 years ago, and now they want you to pay or face legal action
2. ImageRights
Represents: Individual photographers, small agencies, and news outlets
How they work: Similar to PicRights, they use AI to detect unlicensed usage and send legal notices
Known for: Working more closely with independent artists, not just big stock companies
3. Copytrack
Represents: Stock agencies and photographers
How they work: Uses reverse image search and AI to identify infringements and offer legal services in 140+ countries
Notable feature: You can dispute claims directly in their portal
4. Pixsy
Represents: Often used by freelancers and small studios to monitor their own work
How they work: Offers monitoring and takedown services, but also allows photographers to pursue legal claims through their platform
Less aggressive, but still enforceable
🚨 What They Look For
Blog posts, websites, and PDFs (even archived ones via Wayback Machine)
Newsletters (including Substack and Medium, because they are public)
Social media, especially profile banners, memes, and ads
Book covers, trailers, and promotional materials
🛡️ How to Protect Yourself
Use royalty-free sources only (with clear commercial-use licenses)
Save license receipts or a screenshot of the terms
Never assume Google, Pinterest, or Giphy are safe sources
If contacted: don’t admit fault, don’t ignore it; get legal advice (or negotiate carefully). I contacted Rocket Lawyer and received a prompt and informed response within a few hours about an image notice.
Safer options:
Use Giphy only on platforms that have a licensing agreement (like Instagram Stories or Twitter)
Don’t download and then upload GIFs to your site or email (unless you make your own using your photos).
Consider using short video clips from royalty-free libraries instead (like Pexels or Pixabay video)
If you need a safe GIF alternative for something expressive, create your own using Canva’s animation tools or short reels.
Paid Image Sites That Are Worth It
For higher-end work (book covers, author sites, promo campaigns), paid options give you exclusivity and license clarity:
Creative Market: Bundles of stock photos, fonts, and templates
Adobe Stock: Industry-standard quality and extended licenses
Depositphotos: Offers single images or plans if you miss the AppSumo deal
Final Tips: Avoid These Common Image Mistakes
🚫 Don’t copy/paste images from Google or Pinterest unless clearly marked PUBLIC DOMAIN.
🚫 Don’t assume all GIFs are fair game. Check the source and usage rights
🚫 Don’t forget to label images with alt text for accessibility and SEO
✅ Always read the licensing terms and save a copy for your records
Read more about alt-text and its importance here ⬇️
💡 TL;DR: Royalty-free images can elevate your content safely
You don’t need to spend a fortune or risk a fine. Use trusted, free sources, watch for licensing terms, and skip risky GIFs unless you’re 100% sure they’re allowed.
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Have you adjusted your Facebook photo-sharing settings? Read more here
Reading Now:
Several excellent books have been released recently - all great!
• Jeff Burgess’ 𝙄𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙚: 𝙈𝙮 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 is a fantastic business memoir with many insights and a lot of humor. And…100% of the royalties go to the Wounded Warrior Project! A worthy purchase. Business memoir.
• Sheila Sharpe’s Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief is fantastic! Art theft at its most compelling. Reading now and massively hooked. Literary and mystery fiction.
• J. Herman Kleiger’s Whispers, his third novel of psychological suspense, was just released. It’s fantastic. Learn more here. Psychological fiction.
• Adam Aresty’s Skyboy is also out now. If you’re a sci-fi nerd like me, you’ll love it. Adam is a professional screenwriter and professor at Fordham University in NYC. YA, Sci-Fi, Tech, Adventure - it’s all in there.
• R.A. Ruegg’s The Making of BRIO McPRIDE: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time meets Life of Pi is one of my favorite reads this year. The book inspired two films! YA/NA fiction, psychological, literary.
Happy writing!
I mostly use my own photos. Bookmarking this! Great info.
Great info!