Choosing the right visuals is a key part of any website design . Whether you’re building a local Ballarat business brand from scratch or refreshing your existing site, eye-catching images, vectors, and graphics can instantly elevate the look and feel of your pages – whether or not you are going DIY Web Builder or professional design.
But paying for every image? That adds up fast especially for small business owners just getting started. Luckily, there are some excellent royalty-free resources that offer high-quality visuals you can use without blowing your budget.
Here are our top picks for free stock image and vector resources perfect for websites, marketing materials, and social media content:
Royalty Free Stock Images, Vectors and Graphics
Vecteezy
Vecteezy offers a free collection of vectors, stock photos, and videos, with some content available under a free license for personal and commercial use. Paid plans unlock premium content, faster downloads, and extended usage rights. It offers:
- Free vectors, illustrations, stock photos, and video clips
- Personal and commercial use options (check individual licenses)
- A paid plan for extended rights, exclusive designs, and faster downloads
The free collection is more than enough for most website projects, especially if you’re looking for icons, decorative graphics, or explainer-style illustrations.
Pixabay
Pixabay provides a large selection of free vectors, photos, and videos available for commercial use without attribution. There are no paid plans on the site itself, but premium content is available through linked third-party services. Pixabay is one of the most popular royalty-free content platforms, offering:
- Thousands of vectors, photos, and videos
- Commercial use without the need for attribution
- Easy downloads and no account required
There’s also no upsell everything on Pixabay is free. It’s perfect for Ballarat businesses looking to create a sleek, modern site without added image costs.
Freepik
Freepik offers both free and premium vectors, illustrations, and photos, with free users required to credit the source. The premium plan removes the attribution requirement and gives access to exclusive content and higher download limits. Huge Library with Free & Premium Options Freepik offers a massive selection of:
- Vectors, icons, illustrations, and stock photos
- Free downloads (with attribution)
- Premium subscription that removes attribution and unlocks exclusive content
If you’re creating a custom website and want to give your site a polished feel with on-trend illustrations or infographics, Freepik is a solid choice.
Pexels
Pexels is a completely free platform offering high-quality vectors, photos, and videos, with all content available for personal and commercial use. There is no paid plan, and all files come with a license that requires no attribution. Pexels is known for:
- Beautiful stock photography and vector artwork
- 100% free use for personal and commercial projects
- No attribution required, ever
Great for hero images, lifestyle shots, and subtle vector backgrounds. If you want to give your website that “big brand” feel without the budget, Pexels is a go-to.
https://www.pexels.com/search/vector
VectorStock
VectorStock provides a mix of free and paid vector images, with free downloads available for personal use and some commercial projects. For full access to premium vector files, users must purchase individual vectors or subscribe to a paid plan. Affordable & Free Vector Graphics VectorStock includes:
- A mix of free and premium vector graphics
- Free use for personal or limited commercial projects (check license details)
- Pay-per-download or subscription options for full commercial rights
It’s ideal for logo mockups, icon sets, and illustrations that need a more refined or professional edge.
Honourable Mentions: Not 100% Free, But Worth It
Now we have gone through the fully free tools, here are two standout deals that are too good not to share especially if you design frequently or want to future-proof your visual content.
VectorGrove – Lifetime Vector Asset Access (Deal)
VectorGrove is a treasure trove for designers, with:
- Over 2 million royalty-free vectors, icons, and graphics
- Fonts, textures, backgrounds, logos, flags and more
- Standard & extended license included
- One-time payment (lifetime access) – $79
- 30 downloads per day, single-user licence
- VectorGrove Premium – One time payment of $79 https://appsumo.com/products/vectorgrove-/
- VectorGrove Standard – Free for AppSumo Select customers https://appsumo.com/products/vectorgrove/
Perfect for creatives, marketers, or small businesses who want pro-quality visuals without monthly fees. Even though it’s not free, the lifetime deal makes it an incredible value for ongoing projects.
Depositphotos – AI Images + 100 Stock Downloads
Depositphotos combines traditional stock content with modern tools:
- Access to over 300 million royalty-free stock images, videos, and music
- AI-powered image generation tools
- Background remover, upscaler, and reverse image search
- One-time purchase: $49 for 100 downloads via AppSumo
- No ongoing subscription
Ideal if you want a mix of ready-made stock and custom AI-generated images for your website, blog, or marketing. A smart investment for any Ballarat business owners looking to build a long-term content library.
Pro Tip: Don’t Just Pick Any Image
Even royalty-free visuals need to be used wisely. A good image should:
- Fit your brand’s tone and colour palette
- Be properly sized and optimised for web speed
- Support the message on your page (not just fill space!)
Choosing great visuals is only half the battle, they need to match your brand’s tone, colours, and content strategy. At Brighter Websites, we help Ballarat businesses not only find stunning images but use them strategically for better SEO, conversion, and clarity.
That’s where a professional designer comes in someone who understands not just visuals, but how to make Images work strategically for SEO, user engagement, and conversions. ? Work with Brighter Websites – Your Local Experts in Website Design Ballarat.
Explore Our 5-Part Series: Free Website Design Resources
If you’re building or refreshing your website on a budget, this 5-part series is your go-to toolkit for getting started.
We’ve rounded up the best free tools and platforms that help you design like a pro without breaking the bank. Each article is packed with practical links and expert tips. Whether you’re a small business owner in or a creative launching your first project, these resources will help you launch with style, clarity, and confidence.
