Business

20+ Resources for Free Stock Photos in 2020

Published

5 years ago

February 5, 2021

Photos help us better understand the concept of a product or service. When we see the relevant photo, we understand what we can count on. Therefore, you should be extremely careful when picking up the right photo for your article or website. If you prepare a to-the-point photo, it will help you attract more clients and boost sales.

But how do we get beautiful stock photos with the relevant design? Nowadays, there are a lot of services that provide free stock photos of high quality. In this article, we will share the 20 best resources for free stock photos in 2020. They are easy to use so every user will handle the process unaided. Without further ado, let’s get started.

1. Pixabay

We think this resource is the most generous as it contains more than 1 million free stock photos. You can get free images in several categories such as photos, artwork, vectors, and videos. Also, you can opt for computer illustrations. To put it another way, Pixabay is a database of non-copyrighted photos that are distributed under the Creative Commons license.

Pixabay allows you to use different filters and change the size, color, and orientation of the photo. If you want to use a search feature, we recommend choosing an English version of it. Overall, this resource is worth your attention.

2. Unsplash

This resource provides you with 300 000+ stock photos from different photo-communities all over the world. Unsplash offers high-resolution stock photos of several categories. For example, you can browse through photos on the topic of technology, cooking, or traveling. If you sign up and create an account, Unsplash will be sending you dozens of free relevant stock photos every 10 days.

This resource is convenient and easy to use, so we recommend every user to try it. The good thing is that you can search the Unsplash library in the PicMonkey editor add pics to your designs seamlessly.

3. Pexels

Although this service contains only 40 thousand free stock photos, they are all worth your attention. You can use a search function to pick up the relevant photo from a particular category. Portraits, photos of individual objects, landscapes, and fashion photographs – you will be surprised by a wide choice of stock photos.

The website is made in a minimalistic design so that it is convenient to use. We recommend you to use the page in English the way it is to avoid mistakes in translation.

4. Burst

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that Burst has different licenses for every image. So, make sure to check it before using a photo. If you work in e-commerce and do online sales, this service will help you find the right photos.

You can find folders of pictures distinguished by the type of business all available to download as either high or low resolution. This resource is quite good in its category.

5. Dreamstime

To use this resource, you have to sign up and create an account. Dreamstime has 150 million stock photos which make it the world’s largest stock community. There 33 million users who have signed up. Although not all of the photos are free, the service has a separate section with free content that is constantly updating.

Dreamstime has not only stock photos but also editorials, illustrations, videos, and audios. However, makes sure to check if the piece is free to use.

6. Flickr

A lot of people think of this service as the first one among free stock photos resources. It is really huge: it seems like Flickr contains billions of photos. It has a convenient search feature so that you can find the relevant photo by entering a keyword, color, size, or even a license type of a photo. Be careful with this website: it might be overwhelming. For instance, you will get more than a million examples by typing a simple keyword.

7. Picjumbo

The benefit of this resource is that you don’t have to sign up if you need to download a stock photo. Although the service does not have a search function, you can explore different categories to find the right piece. The website was created in 2013 and it has more than 5 million downloads by now.

8. Visionpic

Visionpic.net provides you with high-resolution free stock photos from a community of professional photographers who travel all around the world. This service is recognized as one of the best among free stock photo websites. It shares lots of attractive high-quality photos without watermarks which makes it suitable for social media and businesses.

The website has a comfortable search feature and more than 20 categories of materials. This makes Visionpic convenient and easy to use. Also, it is worth noting that you will not have any problems with loading the pages because the website is perfectly optimized.

9. Stock Up

This resource shares free stock photos from other online services that gave permission on taking their materials. Stock Up makes collections of beautiful high-quality stock photos. Therefore, you can choose the appropriate image from more than 20 thousand pieces.

10. Free Range Stock

To use this resource of free stock photos, you have to sign up and create an account. This service is convenient to select images to illustrate abstract concepts. Overall, this free stock photos resource is quite simple and easy to use.

11. Stockvault

This is another photo stock for photographers and designers that allows you to both publish your work and use other people’s pictures for personal purposes. The advantage of the resource is that registration is not required to use stock photos. The website also offers a selection of suitable photos from collections such as “Merry Christmas”.

12. Kaboompics

This service offers a rather interesting option: you can search for pictures with a dominant color. Looking for images in a specific color palette? Just set up the filter and you will find something suitable in a few minutes. You will immediately appreciate the feminine atmosphere and sophistication of each photo. Bloggers and freelancers will love it!

13. Life of Pix

This site contains photos of a wide range of professional photographers. All photos are free for both personal and commercial use. Landscapes, architectural objects, and portraits – here you will find photos for every taste. The base of materials of the site is updated every week, and the administration selects the photos manually.

14. Foter

Foter is a search tool for Flickr that helps you quickly select images with licensing options of interest. This site contains thousands of atmospheric photographs on various topics. You can search for photos by keywords by entering them in English. Filter “All Creative Commons” to select free photos.

15. Negative Space

Negative Space is not very large, but it only helps to make the viewing more positive. You will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of smartphone layouts presented. Photos are CC0 licensed.

16. Free Digital Photos

This resource contains a large database of stock photos, divided into categories. All images are free for both educational and personal or business purposes. This service is simple and straightforward to use.

17. Skitterphoto

SkitterPhoto presents a selection of lovely cute photos from three Dutch photographers. Landscapes, animals, individual objects – everything you need is here. Keep in mind that the service regularly adds new photos.

18. Barnimages

Although this site was created by a couple of photography friends, it bypasses many famous resources in quality. You can use their free, non-attributed stock images for any purpose, but the site’s creators would appreciate it if you like their work. Also, they have a pretty helpful blog to help you get your head around stock photography.

19. AllTheFreeStock

This is another service that collects snapshots of other free stock resources. Free stock images, icons, and videos – what else do you need to be happy?

All photos, videos, and icons are collected in one place. The service offers different licenses, but we recommend that you check the terms of use of the photos on the original site before downloading materials.

20. DesignersPics

This free stock service adds new photos every month. Users can use all the images for both personal and commercial purposes. A small collection of beautiful modern stock photos on various topics. These are mainly separate items, but there are also some pretty good landscapes. The site collects only high-resolution photos. And yes, they are absolutely free. There is a general feed of updates and a separate section where pictures are divided into categories.

Overall, that’s it for now. These were the 20 best resources for free stock photos in 2020. We recommend you to check out at least a few of them to find your favorite one. Feel free to spend some time browsing through the service to evaluate its design and optimization. Also, make sure to subscribe to our social media to stay tuned with the latest updates.

Business

Inside the $4.3B Quarter: What’s Fueling Black Banx’s Record Revenues

Published

1 week ago

January 16, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Every quarter brings fresh headlines in fintech, but few make the kind of impact achieved by Black Banx in Q2 2025. The Toronto-based global digital banking group, founded by Michael Gastauer, reported an extraordinary USD 4.3 billion in revenue and a record USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, while improving its cost-to-income ratio to 63%.

These results not only highlight the company’s operational efficiency but also mark a pivotal moment in its journey from challenger to global leader. The big question is: what’s fueling such impressive financial performance?

Customer Growth as the Core Driver

One of the clearest engines of revenue growth is Black Banx’s expanding customer base. By Q2 2025, the platform had reached 84 million clients worldwide, up from 69 million at the end of 2024. This 15 million net gain in six months demonstrates both the attractiveness of its services and the scalability of its model.

Unlike traditional banks, which rely heavily on branch expansion, Black Banx leverages digital-first onboarding that allows customers to open accounts within minutes using just a smartphone. This approach is especially effective in regions underserved by legacy institutions, where access to affordable financial tools is in high demand.

More customers don’t just mean higher transaction volumes—they generate a compounding effect where network size, brand trust, and service adoption reinforce one another.

Real-Time Payments and Cross-Border Solutions

A major contributor to Q2 revenues is the platform’s real-time payments infrastructure. Black Banx enables instant cross-border transfers across its 28 supported fiat currencies and multiple cryptocurrencies, helping both individuals and businesses bypass the traditional bottlenecks of international banking.

For freelancers, SMEs, and multinational clients, this means faster liquidity, reduced foreign exchange costs, and simplified global operations. The demand for real-time financial services is growing rapidly—Juniper Research projects global real-time payments turnover to hit USD 58 trillion by 2028—and Black Banx is strategically positioned to capture a significant share of this market.

Crypto Integration as a Revenue Stream

Another key revenue driver is crypto integration. While many traditional institutions remain hesitant, Black Banx embraced digital assets early and has built infrastructure to support Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the Lightning Network. In Q2 2025, 20% of all transactions on the platform were crypto-based, reflecting strong customer appetite for hybrid banking services that bridge fiat and digital assets.

Revenue comes not only from transaction fees but also from value-added services like crypto-to-fiat conversion, staking yields (4–12% APY), and blockchain-enabled payments. For customers in markets with unstable currencies, these services act as a financial lifeline, further expanding the platform’s relevance.

AI-Powered Efficiency and Risk Management

Record revenues would be less impressive if costs ballooned at the same rate. But Black Banx has proven adept at balancing growth with efficiency. Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 63% in Q2, down from 69% a year earlier, thanks to heavy reliance on AI-powered automation.

AI now drives fraud detection, compliance, and customer onboarding—areas where traditional banks often struggle with cost inefficiencies. By automating these processes, Black Banx can process millions of transactions securely while maintaining profitability at scale. This level of efficiency is rare in fintech, where high growth often comes at the expense of margins.

Regional Expansion and Untapped Markets

Geography also plays a role in fueling revenues. Much of the Q2 growth came from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America—regions where demand for mobile-first banking continues to soar. In 2024 alone, Black Banx reported a 32% increase in SME clients from the Middle East and Africa, signaling the strength of its positioning in underserved markets.

By extending services to populations previously excluded from formal banking—migrant workers, rural communities, and small businesses—Black Banx taps into vast pools of latent demand. The strategy proves that financial inclusion and profitability are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing.

Diversified Revenue Streams

Another factor behind Q2’s record revenues is Black Banx’s diversified business model. Income is not tied to a single service but spread across multiple streams, including:

Transaction fees from cross-border transfers and payments.
Crypto trading and exchange services.
Premium account features for high-net-worth clients.
Corporate services for SMEs and international businesses.

This diversification insulates the company against volatility in any single segment, creating stable revenue growth even in shifting market conditions.

Michael Gastauer’s Strategic Blueprint

Behind these results is Michael Gastauer’s long-term strategy: scale aggressively but with efficiency, innovation, and inclusion at the core. His vision has always been to create a borderless financial ecosystem, and Q2 2025’s performance is evidence that this vision is not only achievable but sustainable.

By balancing mass-market accessibility with premium features, and by blending fiat with digital assets, Gastauer has positioned Black Banx as a category-defining player in global finance.

The Road Ahead: Toward 100 Million Clients

Looking forward, the company’s goal of reaching 100 million customers by the end of 2025 will likely be the next catalyst for revenue growth. More customers mean more transactions, more data insights, and more opportunities to refine and expand its service offering.

If current momentum holds, the USD 4.3 billion quarterly revenue milestone could be just the beginning of an even larger growth story. The challenge will be ensuring systems scale securely while maintaining trust in an environment where privacy and compliance are paramount.

A Record That Signals More to Come

Black Banx’s Q2 2025 performance—USD 4.3 billion in revenue, USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, 84 million clients worldwide, and a lean 63% cost-to-income ratio—is more than a financial milestone. It is a signal of how the future of banking is being rewritten by platforms that are borderless, crypto-inclusive, and data-driven.

What fueled this record-breaking quarter is not one innovation but a combination of strategies—scalable onboarding, real-time payments, crypto integration, AI efficiency, and expansion into underserved regions. Together, they form a model that doesn’t just challenge traditional banking but actively builds the foundation for global dominance.

For Black Banx, the road ahead is clear: the $4.3 billion quarter is not an endpoint but a launchpad for even greater scale and profitability.