Looking for the perfect image or design tool to boost your creativity? You’re in luck! There are tons of royalty-free image and AI design websites that can take your projects to the next level—without costing a dime.
Whether you’re a blogger, designer, marketer, or student, these resources will give you superpowers. Below, we’ve picked 25 of the best sites to power up your creative journey.
Top 25 Royalty-Free Image & AI Design Websites
- Unsplash – Crisp, free photos submitted by awesome photographers. Great for blogs, covers, or backgrounds.
- Pexels – Stunning stock images and videos. All free. Search anything and you’ll find beauty.
- Pixabay – Photos, illustrations, vectors, and even music. It’s a creative buffet!
- Freepik – Great for graphics, icons, illustrations, and mockups. Some premium content too.
- Canva – A beginner-friendly design tool with free templates and images. Plus, an AI text-to-image feature!
- Adobe Firefly – AI-powered design magic from Adobe. Generate images with words! Still in beta, but brilliant.
- StockSnap.io – Fresh and stylish photos added weekly. Searchable and completely free.
- Fotor – AI photo editor and graphic design tool. It even has an AI art generator.
- Shutterstock (Free Section) – Known for premium content, but they also have a lovely free library!
- Reshot – A goldmine for high-quality, handpicked images. Totally free for commercial use.
- Dream by Wombo – Enter your idea, pick a style, and let the AI paint your vision.
- Artbreeder – Create faces, landscapes, or anything by blending images. Super creative and slightly addictive.
- Deep Dream Generator – Turn images into art with dreamy AI effects. Trippy and cool.
- Krita – A free painting program perfect for digital artists. Great brushes and tools.
- Placeit – Create mockups, logos, and designs. It’s ideal for branding and clothing.
- Designify – AI design tool that turns photos into professional product images. Great for eCommerce.
- Runway ML – AI video and image generation. Used in real design workflows. Yes, it’s that good.
- OpenArt – A home for AI image generation. Explore others’ creations or make your own.
- Craiyon (formerly DALL·E mini) – Funny and fast AI-generated images. Try typing something bizarre!
- Lunacy by Icons8 – Design software packed with free photos and icons. It’s offline too!
- VectorStock (Free Section) – Thousands of free vectors for designs that pop!
- Humaaans – A library of vector humans you can mix and match. Perfect for web or app design.
- Remove.bg – Instantly remove backgrounds for free using AI. So useful in creating clean images.
- This Person Does Not Exist – Wild! AI-generated portraits of people who don’t exist. Use them in mockups or stories.
- VanceAI – AI tools for image enhancement and background removal. Try sharpening or coloring your photos!
Why Use Royalty-Free and AI Tools?
Because they save time, money, and stress! These tools let you:
- Find unique content that’s free to use—even commercially
- Create designs fast with templates and smart tools
- Experiment with wild ideas—AI makes it easy
You don’t need to be a pro to create something amazing. These sites do the heavy lifting so you can focus on your ideas.
Quick Tips to Get the Most Out of These Tools
- Always check the license! While most of these are free, a few require attribution or have limitations.
- Use AI tools to brainstorm. Stuck on a concept? Type it in and see what the AI gives you.
- Combine multiple tools. For example, use Remove.bg to clean an image, then add it into a template on Canva.
Top Picks by Use Case
Looking for something specific? Here’s a quick shortcut:
Best for Photos
- Unsplash
- Pexels
- Pixabay
Best for Vectors & Illustrations
- Freepik
- VectorStock
- Humaaans
Best for AI Design
- Canva
- Adobe Firefly
- Wombo Dream
Best for Mockups & Branding
- Placeit
- Lunacy
- Designify
Try This Fun Creative Combo
Want an idea to get started? Give this a try:
- Go to Dream by Wombo and generate a landscape using the prompt: “crystal mountains at sunset.”
- Use Remove.bg to pull out any unwanted sections or clean up the image.
- Upload it to Canva, throw some lovely text or quotes on it, and bam! You’ve got a poster.
All done in less than 20 minutes. Plus, it looks like a pro made it. That’s the power of good tools.
Bringing It All Together
The internet is full of powerful design tools and royalty-free content. With just a few clicks, you can make something impressive—no design degree needed!
So go ahead. Dive into these websites. Try different combinations. Push the boundaries of your creativity. And most importantly, have fun doing it.
Your next amazing visual creation is just one image away!