Understanding Image Licenses Without the Headache

"Free" is not one thing. A free image can still come with conditions, and ignoring them is the most common way creators get into trouble. Here's what actually matters.

The licenses you'll meet most

• Public Domain / CC0 — no rights reserved. Use freely, no credit needed.
• CC BY — free to use, including commercially, as long as you credit the creator.
• CC BY-SA — same as CC BY, but derivatives must share the same license.
• Provider licenses (Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay) — permissive and commercial-friendly, with their own small print.

When do you have to give credit?

Whenever the license says "BY". If attribution is required, include the creator's name, the source, and the license — ideally linked. When it isn't required, crediting is still a kind gesture that supports the people making this work.

Staying safe in commercial work

• Read the license before you download, not after.
• Keep a record of where each asset came from.
• When in doubt, prefer CC0 or a provider license for commercial projects.

PikFinder shows the license and creator on every result and generates the attribution text for you when it's required — so "free to use" comes with the details that keep it actually free to use.