In 2018, Flickr made the controversial decision to slash its free service greatly. The policy of giving 1TB of free storage to all users was canceled, with the number of free photos limited to 1,000.

For casual users, Flickr is still a dependable service. But given the restrictions, it is no longer the only option worth considering.

Here are some of the best free photo-sharing sites that you can use instead of Flickr.

1. 500px

500px

Like Flickr, 500px offers a free and a paid service. If you have a free account, you will be able to upload 2,000 images before you need to pay for a subscription. That's twice as many as Flickr.

But there's a catch. The site limits all free users to seven uploads per week, meaning it would take you five and a half years to reach the 2,000-image threshold.

500px justifies its policy on image quality grounds. Because the site is primarily aimed at hobbyists and professional photographs, the limit helps prevent endless image spam from other users.

The paid plans start at $5/month.

2. Imgur

imgur

Imgur is most closely associated with image-based content on Reddit. But while Imgur's reputation for memes is justified, it is also a remarkably robust image-sharing site.

It is free to make an account, and thereafter, you can upload 50 images per hour, with no limit on the total number of pictures you can upload.

Of course, we wouldn't recommend using Imgur if you're trying to showcase a portfolio of professional work, but it's perfect for using among groups of friends.

3. DeviantArt

deviantart

Another site that's often overlooked is DeviantArt. While the bulk of its users are digital artists, there are also plenty of professional photographers and traditional artists who use the platform.

In addition to acting as a showcase, the site also has robust networking and community feedback tools. Both are essential for artists to understand their markets and grow their businesses.

Again, both free and paid plans are available. If you sign up for a free account, you will get 2GB of upload space. Paid plans begin at $5/month.

4. Google Photos

google photos

Google Photos is not as alluring as it once was. While it is still a valid Flickr alternative, it has opted to add restrictions on the number of photos users can upload for free.

From the start of June 2021, any new photos that users upload to the service will count against your Google Drive storage limit. For most users, that limit is 15GB. Remember, your Gmail inbox also counts against the limit, so if you have lots of large photos in your inbox, you might need to do some juggling.

Nonetheless, if you manage your storage effectively, you should be fine to use the service for several years before you hit the limit. 15GB is still more generous than most other cloud storage providers and free photo sharing services.

5. Facebook

facebook

For genuinely unlimited photo uploads, you might want to consider Facebook. There are no restrictions on how many images you can upload, with the site only too happy to hoover up as much of your personal information as possible.

Aside from the obvious security concerns, Facebook does have a lot going for it from a photography standpoint. Sharing with friends and family is a breeze, the use of albums makes your images reasonably easy to organize, and professionals can bring in a lot of business via related Facebook pages and groups.

6. Amazon Photos

amazon photos

Amazon Photos isn't technically free—you need a Prime membership to use the service. However, it is arguably one of the more overlooked Prime benefits; many people pay for a Prime plan and don't realize that the Photos app is included.

If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, Amazon Photos will let you upload an unlimited number of photos and does not impose any storage limits. Better yet, you can invite five other users to also have free photo uploads and create a shared vault, meaning the service can act as an excellent hub for families to collect their photos.

7. Instagram

instagram

Again, Instagram is not going to be the best Flickr replacement for everyone. However, if you only need a way to share images for free, there are few better services out there.

The downside of using Instagram is organization; you can't sort your images into folders or collections. Yet, it remains an easy way for artists to provide a glimpse into their work.

8. Photobucket

photobucket

Photobucket is a popular platform for professionals who want to share, host, and store their images.

A free tier is available to all users, but you are restricted to 250 image uploads. The free tier will still let you access some of the site's other tools such as embeds, editing, social sharing, encryption, visibility controls, and EXIF data removal.

If you need more than 250 uploads, you will need to upgrade. Paid plans start at $6/month.

9. Dropbox

dropbox

Dropbox is the most platform-agnostic cloud storage app. If you don't want to tie yourself into either Google or Apple's ecosystem, it is the best option.

From a photo standpoint, the app lets you upload images directly from Android and iOS and provides numerous sharing options. All free accounts get 2GB of space.

The drawbacks of Dropbox are the lack of reasonably commonplace photo tools such as tagging and editing.

10. 1x

1x

1x is a unique service on this list. That's because you need to submit your work to the site, and it will decide whether or not to publish the photo.

Fair warning—the standards are high. It is believed that as few as five percent of the photos submitted eventually make it onto the site.

If you're a professional photographer looking for ways to share your work, the upside of getting on the site is enormous. Just don't expect to use the site as a storage tool.

Why Not Host Images Yourself?

If all the free Flickr alternatives in our list are too restrictive, remember you could host the images on your own website. It will take a little time to set up, but you will have complete freedom to structure and share your image catalog in any way you choose.