15 Best Free Image Hosting Websites

Image hosting websites allow you to store pictures online and benefit from various features such as social media functionality, resizing and organization of your photos. Generally, they provide links that you can embed on your website or send to friends. That way, you will manage to display your photos on your website while using the storage space of the service – not your website hosting accounts. Most image hosting platforms allow users to sort their content.

You can make folders, add tags and edit your images without having to leave your website. So, which are the best image hosting sites? You do not have to do the search work because we have done that for you. Here are the 15 photography hosting websites to try.

0. SmugMug

SmugMug

SmugMug offers many features that are similar to those of Flickr in that it allows photographers to display their photos. Even though the website is not a good choice for people who would want to share their photos on social media, you can share your photos and then view those of other users. After creating a SmugMug account, you will have opened your customizable photo website. With the photo website, you will have a wide range of designs to choose from in addition to built-in photo editing tools that you can use to change the offered design templates. And because the site does not offer a free account, it is suitable for people who want to display their photos and sell them. The price of packages ranges between $40 and $300 per year.

1. Google Photos

Google Photos

If you want to upload high-quality images and photos in a larger quantity, you should opt for Google Photos. The photo-hosting platform offers an automatic backup feature, which means that you will never worry about losing a photo. They also allow you to organize and edit your images so that you can identify them with visual searches.

As you continue using the platform, it will recognize the habits of your photos and start sorting them automatically to reduce manual work. To start using the platform, open photos.google.com or install the Google Photos app in your device. The app will upload all your photos automatically and sync them with your Google account. The platform offers unlimited storage space for photos. You can upload PNGs, GIF, JPGs and videos in 1080P.

2. Imgur

Imgur

Imgur allows users to store as many photos as they want permanently. You do not have to create an account to store them, but if you have to add captions, create albums or upload your photos through email attachments, you will have to do that. The website allows direct linking and you will get a link for every image you upload so that you can embed it in HTMLs or post it in social media and forums.

The upload process is easy – you just need to paste photos onto the website, enter the URL or select it from your computer. The allowed file formats include JPEG, JPG, TIF, PNG, GIF, APNG, BMP, XCF, PDF and Animated GIF TIFF. The size is limited to 200 MB per image.

3. Dropbox

Dropbox

Dropbox allows users to upload and store images in various formats. After uploading your images to the free cloud storage facility, you will get a shareable link to the individual folder and file. The site provides automatic backups, which is a benefit to people who are planning to upload many images at a time.

You cannot change, resize or edit your photos after uploading. However, you can make folders and sub-folders if you want to organize your photos in a better way. You will get 3GB of storage.

4. TinyPic

Tinypic

TinyPic is a sister website of Photobucket, which means that you should expect many similar features. The site does not require you to make an account to start uploading photos. Therefore, you will be able to upload your photos faster and share them. To upload an image, you just need to select it, add tags and set the appropriate size. The site will provide you with the link you require to share your photo on the social media or through your website.

The optional tags will make your photos visible to TinyPic users who search for them. You are limited to PNG, JPG, BMP and GIF below 100MB size. You can also upload a video of 5 minutes in length. If a photo is above 1600 pixel in width and length, TinyPic will resize it automatically. They delete images that people do not view for 90 days. Therefore, it is not a good choice for people who want to store their images permanently.

5. Use.com

Use.com

One of the great benefits that Use offers is the ability to upload 100 photos at a time. Therefore, if you are planning to upload large quantities of photographs, the website is a better option for you. After you have uploaded an image file, it will remain on the website permanently and you will not be limited to the file size, storage or bandwidth. Moreover, you do not need to make an account to start the uploading process.

You will benefit from a photograph editor and resizer, and get the chance to organize your images into albums. You can make your images private or public. And because the website does not offer direct links to websites, you will have to copy the image URLs directly or use social sharing buttons on your website to post each upload on your social media sites. The site supports GIF, BMP, JPG, TIF and PNG files.

6. Flickr

Flickr

Flickr is among the famous image and photos sharing websites. And even though it has gone through many changes since Yahoo purchased it, it is still a great choice for photographers. Apart from the free hosting services, the website provides editing tools that you can use to organize your photos into albums. Flickr is a social media website. Therefore, you will be able to share your photographs with the whole community.

After you have created an account, you will find many groups of different interests and topics ranging from black and white photography to fashion and nature. You can favourite the photos of other users or leave your comments.

For privacy, the website offers you a chance to edit the privacy settings before you share your photos. Furthermore, you can use your email, phone or any other photo application to upload photographs. The offered mobile application is easier to use and allows you to back up photos from Dropbox, computer or iPhoto.

7. 500px

500px

If you need a photo-hosting website with social networking features, 500px is a good choice. Whether you are an amateur or a professional photographer, you can share your work, comment on other photographs and follow your favourite users. You can upload the number of photos you want, but people use the website primarily to display their work. After creating your profile, you will be able to sell the use of your photos through the website. However, you will not be able to link the photos to your website directly or share them on social media platforms. They do not allow the upload of over 20 photos per week – you do that after purchasing the premium annual membership that will cost you $25.

8. Pinterest

Pinterest

Pinterest is actually a search engine for images. There are millions of images uploaded on daily basis to Pinterest. Few of us would use this platform to upload and store images, however it is a great platform to save your images. In fact, if you are a photographer, and want to bring traffic to your website, Pinterest is a great platform to upload your portfolio photos.

The max file size you can upload to Pinterest is 10MB, and you are allowed to upload only PNG and JPEG file types. Animated GIFS can also be uploaded, however this might not work very well. You can also upload videos of up to 2GB in size. The length of a video can be between 4 seconds and 30 minutes. Only mp4 and mov are the supported video file types at Pinterest.

9. FreeImageHosting.net

FreeImageHosting.net

Free Image Hosting is another free website you can use to store and share your images. The website offers many features that are similar to those of Imgur but it does not offer similar trendy layout and the convenience of a hyperlink shortener. If the many ads on the website will not bother you, you can upload your photos and images without the need to make an account.

Free Image Hosting will provide you with an HTML code that you can use to access your photos for sharing. The image storage is not temporary, which means that your photos will remain on the website forever as you long as you adhere to their terms of service. Some people opt for the site because they allow the upload of animated GIFs – they might look distorted.

10. PostImage

PostImage

The free photo hosting site, PostImage, allows users to store their photos permanently without creating an account. They also provide a desktop software version. PostImage allows you upload of images below 8MB in size and you can even use their URL for upload.

The supported file formats are JPG, PDF, GIF, PSD, TIFF, BMP and PNG. You will have the chance to make a gallery and share your images with friends. Each individual file comes with its unique direct link and you can link them to your website or social media sites. You can resize the images immediately after upload.

11. ImageShack

ImageShack

ImageShack provides a layout that is very similar to that of Pinterest – it highlights only the best photos. To start uploading your photos, you will have to create an account. The free account comes with many helpful features. For instance, you will be able to reorganize all your photos and images into albums. The site also allows the addition of tags and tracking of images. In other words, other users will discover your good work easily.

If you want all your images to remain private or to remain accessible to a particular audience, you will be able to do that. They offer a 30-day trial period for the premium version. During that period, you will benefit from many features like direct linking, unlimited space, image stats and watermarking. With the offered web and mobile applications, you will be able to upload your photos and then share them easily. The offered tools include ShackIt app that allows faster upload and the Resize App, which allows you to crop, resize and edit your images easily.

12. ImageVenue

ImageVenue

You can upload your JPEG images on ImageVenue. If your images are very large, the website will resize them and retain their quality after the uploading process is over. The site preserves the quality of images and the aspect ratio during the resize process. If you do not want it to resize your images, you will have to limit them to 3MB of size.

They provide 3GB maximum storage capacity per month for the users. The image hosting service has been a good choice for message board users and bloggers who need to organize and upload photos in large quantities and share them with other users.

13. Imgbox

Imgbox

In addition to hosting your photos and images, Imgbox will also facilitate the sharing process. The website provides unlimited storage space, unlimited hosting time and the ability to upload any image below 10MB size. In addition to that, the image uploader feature is easier to use and fast. After you have uploaded your images, you can share them through any social media website. To embed your images to your website or blog, you will just need to use the direct links the site offers for every photo.

Moreover, you will have the option of allowing other Imgbox users to locate and comment on the images. On the downside, the options for organizing your photos on the site are limited.

14. Facebook

Facebook

Most people do not see Facebook as a free image-hosting website. In reality, it is among the largest image hosts available today and you can upload the number of images and photos you want free. Furthermore, the social media site offers a wide range of functionality to help you organize, tag and categorize all your images. If you have been using the website, then you possibly know that they allow organization of photos and images into galleries and albums.

The process of moving photographs later might be time-consuming, but the offered edit functions will make the re-organization easier. Facebook is also providing facial recognition feature. They will identify the people in your photos and notify them immediately the uploading is over. Alternatively, you can make your photos private or share them on your profile or that of your friend. Remember that the site will shrink your photos automatically after uploading.

15. Photobucket

Photobucket

If you need a user-friendly website that you can use to store your quality photos, then Photobucket is a good choice. The website allows users to buy or create printed copies of the photographs in their huge library. After uploading your photographs on the website, you can convert them into home decoration items, metal prints, canvas posters, framed prints or regular prints. People who choose the free account option benefit from 10GB of bandwidth each month and 2GB of storage capacity.

However, the website provides a pro account facility for people who want to organize, share and store an unlimited number of images and photos. You can store as many photos as you want and print them in their original format. If you do not want to spend any money, you can download the mobile application, which offers 8GB of storage space. The website supports BMP, GIF, JPEG, JPG and PNG file formats.