Imgur is an image hosting website you can use to upload, share, or embed pictures. It doesn’t require you to have an account with them either. It started as an image-sharing platform for Reddit but has now become more recognizable than the social network site itself.
There are various image hosting websites like Imgur. ImageShack, Postimage, ImgBox are all good at what they do. Though the best Imgur alternative is Flickr. It offers excellent editing features, top-notch picture quality, and ample storage space.
Why check out alternatives to Imgur?
There are a number of reasons why one would want to explore other options besides Imgur. For starters, loss of image ownership. If a user uploads a picture on the site, you lose ownership of that particular image.
Another reason why people opt for other solutions is that Imgur doesn’t have editing features. So if you’re looking to adjust and crop images, know that you won’t be able to do that on the site itself.
While Imgur is a useful platform, there are better alternatives to Imgur as mentioned above.
Read on to find out more.
Best Imgur Alternatives
1. Flickr
Flickr is a photo-sharing and hosting tool from Yahoo that prioritizes image quality and, like Imgur, it’s free to use.
Flickr gives users free storage space of around 1TB and unlimited images on display. Also, size limits of around 200MB should be more than enough even for professionals.
Another great thing about this platform is that it has advanced editing tools you can use to filter, annotate, refocus, and add filters to your images. This is a huge plus especially considering it’s something you don’t get from Imgur.
Probably most well-known for its photographer community and image sharing, Flickr has a discover feature that gathers and collects millions of photographs taken by folks all across the globe. It also has a handy mobile application for those who want to upload or edit pictures on the go.
Even though the site is free to use, if you want automatic uploads, ad-free browsing, and advanced statistics, you will need to pay for the Pro Plan.
2. ImageShack
ImageShack is a popular image-sharing platform for people who are fine with purchasing pro plans and want access to more features.
One of the best things about this site is that users can select pictures or entire albums and make them private or public, which is perfect for people who would like to limit who views their pictures.
You can also use the site to host pictures for your forum or own website. Furthermore, if image quality is something you prioritize a great deal, then you’ll want ImageShack because it does not compress pictures and saves them as high-res files in storage.
ImageShack Resize, its proprietary app, allows people to crop, resize, and add filters to their pictures. There’s also a Skypath app you can use to auto-synchronize the camera roll with the site itself which securely stores your pictures in the cloud.
A few other interesting features on the site include a dynamic image resizer, API access, and dedicated customer support.
As far as pricing is concerned, it has a Basic Plan that comes with direct linking and unlimited space and a Pro Plan that offers that plus everything else.
Find out more tools like ImageShack here.
3. Postimage
This simple alternative to Imgur allows users to upload pictures quickly onto their browsers. Once they have uploaded their images, Postimage gives them different link types such as hotlink, direct link, and thumbnail sharing.
This means users can easily attach their pictures to a forum or share permanent links on Twitter or Facebook.
The site also gives users a deletion link which allows them to delete pictures from the server. Also, it’s worth mentioning that image uploads from free accounts can’t be more than 10,000×10,000 pixels and 24MB.
Furthermore, you also have the option of uploading pictures in bulk, up to about 1000 at a go, and you can upload as many images as you want to your account.
However, Postimage can charge you if it doesn’t get any ad revenue from your pictures, for example, with pictures embedded in links that lead back to the website.
4. ImgBox
This image-sharing and hosting platform is a great alternative to Imgur and has quite a number of interesting features, including unlimited storage space and infinite storage time.
In addition, it also has a straightforward user interface that helps make it easy for people who’ve never used an image hosting site to know their way around.
Like a lot of image hosting platforms, Imgur included, ImgBox has a maximum file size. It provides its users with a maximum file size of 10MB.
It is also worth keeping in mind that the website supports PNG, GIF, and JPEG files, and you can upload videos as well.
Furthermore, you also do not have to create an account on the platform if you just want to upload the occasional file. All you’ll need to do is go to your web browser and quickly jump straight to uploading.
Just like Imgur, this site is absolutely free to use too.
Also Read: Best Pexels Alternatives
5. Kek.gg
If you are in search of a straightforward image hosting platform that gets the job done without the need for fancy features, then Kek.gg is a site you should strongly consider.
Like many other image-sharing and hosting sites, Kek.gg doesn’t require its users to have an account with them before they can start uploading their content. It’s also an ideal platform for users who are privacy-minded.
This image hosting site is committed to free speech as well, which means there are basically no restrictions on the kinds of pictures one can store on the company’s server as long as the content is legal in the United States.
However, if you’re going to be using this site you’ll have to be content with the 5MB limit on picture uploads, which is more or less just a tiny JPEG file. This is one of Kek.gg’s most significant limitations but other than that, everything else it provides users with is top-class.
Lastly, it’s also an absolutely free-to-use website meaning you don’t have to worry about spending any money to upload images.
6. Pixeldrain
Pixeldrain is an image-sharing and hosting site similar to Imgur that’s also free to use. Users can upload their images onto the site and get shareable links back instantly. Pixeldrain also allows you to preview images, audio, video, etc.
In Pixeldrain, if your image is not viewed for two months, or 60 days, it’ll be removed from the site. When someone visits the download page of the file, Pixeldrain counts that as a view.
Pixeldrain also has many different ways to store files permanently, cheaply, and efficiently. Its servers which accept images and media files from users have hard disk drive caches of around 4-16TB, and this is where you’ll find most files.
Another great thing about Pixeldrain is that you don’t have to register an account if you do not want to. You are free to use the platform anonymously and you can upload your images even if you don’t have an account with them.
However, if you do decide to register an account, then all you need is a device with a web browser to access all your files. Files a user uploads will be linked to their account and will be displayed on their personal home page.
Check Out: Best Pixabay Alternatives
7. ImgPile
ImgPile is well-known for its image hosting capabilities and is perfect for those looking for unlimited storage space and free hosting. It is an excellent substitute for Imgur and you can use it to share pictures on social media platforms such as Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook with permanent links.
ImgPile also supports hotlinking and the platform lets its users upload pictures of sizes up to 100MB, and this might just be one of the site’s best features considering the amount other image hosting and sharing platforms give their users.
Also, you don’t have to create an account before you can start uploading your pictures. However, creating an account will allow you to enjoy the benefit of being able to access your upload history.
Additionally, the website also lets its users upload their pictures via URL or from their computer, which helps make the whole uploading process a whole lot easier. You can do all this for free. Like Imgur, you don’t have to pay to use the services ImgPile offers.
Explore: Best Image Search Engines
8. Publitio
Publitio is ideal for people in search of a full-suite platform that can convert, upload, host, and protect files. This image-sharing site is largely a pro solution, but it’s got a free 14-day trial option you can check out as well.
It has a simple dashboard and it’s very easy to upload media files onto it. You can also upload your files via the API and convert media files to different transformations and formats using its URL-based transformation feature.
Advanced privacy functions also let the user make their files private, only viewable or playable on their domain. In addition to all this, Publitio also has HLS video encryption functionality which helps prevent people from downloading your media files.
When it comes to sharing your files, you can do this via simple embeds and links.
There’s a free plan that gives you storage space of 5GB and a monthly bandwidth of 10GB. The Premium package, on the other hand, gives you a storage space of 50GB and a monthly bandwidth of 100GB, alongside extras such as analytics and encryption.
Explore: Best Sites Like Freepik
9. ImgBB
ImgBB is another free-to-use image-hosting platform that’s straightforward and that people can use directly from their web browsers. You can just drag and drop your images or media files directly from the computer.
It is incredibly easy to convert pictures into HTML thumbnails, BBCode, and URLs, and with a 32MB file size limitation, you can upload much bigger files compared to many other image hosting and sharing sites available.
Additionally, you can also install an upload plugin, which will then provide you with image-uploading capabilities to any site.
You can upload your images via a button feature that allows you to directly upload them to the platform’s server. Just copy and paste your plugin code to your side HTML code and you’re good to go.
Similar to Imgur and many other image-sharing websites out there, ImgBB is also absolutely free-to-use.
Explore the best alternatives to ImgBB in this post.
10. Unsee
Unsee is another image-hosting platform that’s perfect for people who prioritize image copyright and privacy.
When one uploads a picture, they can select to include expiration dates, either making the picture delete itself after it has been viewed in 30 minutes, in one hour, or even after an entire day.
However, that’s not all because to further enhance security, the site watermarks the IP address of all users who view the media file. This way, the person who uploads the file can check who has viewed the file.
Each picture has its own QR code as well, alongside an encrypted IP, timestamp, and ID of the person who uploaded the image. It’s also a free-to-use site similar to Imgur.
Check Out: Best Apps Like PicsArt
11. 500px
500px provides both amateur and professional photographers with the chance to license digital downloads and share their pictures.
This image-hosting and sharing platform makes it easy for users to find new images and inspiration, and you can even use it like an online hub where you can store your photos if you don’t have your own website.
If you want to get the complete best out of 500px, then you’ll want to think about creating your own profile within the site. In that profile, you can have a description of your business or yourself as well as add links to your social media pages and websites.
You can also upload pictures to the profile and place them in galleries. Images in the profile will be displayed chronologically by default, although you’ve got the option of rearranging them however you desire within these galleries.
12. Photobucket
Photobucket is an online-based video and image hosting platform similar to Imgur that’s designed to help you share images across several different channels as well as edit these images.
Photobucket lets users choose privacy levels, which you can then share with other businesses or individuals according to individual requirements.
With that said, the main features of the platform include asset sharing, access permissions or control, file conversion, asset library, and search or filter. Photobucket also lets teams back up original digital images in the cloud.
They can also compress these pictures so that they can share them across several social media sites, and all the images still retain great image quality.
In addition, Photobucket also provides its users with pre-defined filters which they can then use in the editing process. You can also tweak contrast, saturation, and clarity.
Check out the best alternatives to PhotoBucket in this post.
13. DeviantArt
If you’ve always liked art galleries, then what you need to be looking at is DeviantArt. While this platform is more for the artists and not the photographers, it is a great place for people who want to view amazing art and pictures.
This online-based, popular digital art gallery allows users to view some amazing pictures and artwork as well as lets them socialize with the huge community it has managed to build over the years. Some of the most stand-out features within the platform include the gallery and profile features.
This website has more than 30 million registered members who’ve uploaded over 350 million pictures, making it one of the biggest online art communities. You can use the site to share your pictures with the world just like how you would with Imgur.
Members of the platform can leave comments on individual deviation pages. However, besides textual critiquing, users can also leave tiny pictures as comments, which is pretty unique. Individual deviations have their own designated pages, with statistical data about the image.
14. Pixelfed
Pixelfed is another image-hosting and sharing tool that prioritizes security, safety, and privacy.
Unlike most image-sharing social networking platforms, Pixelfed is decentralized, meaning that anybody can run Pixelfed “instances” from its server, provided you’ve got the requisite resources and expertise.
Pixelfed’s desktop version features a camera button function in the top right corner of your profile screen. Pressing this button will allow you to publish new collections, stories, and posts.
After you upload an image, you’ll be provided with the chance to add one of the site’s preset filters, which is something you can also do on Imgur.
In addition, you’re allowed to upload up to 5GB of video and image content, which should be enough for both professionals and amateurs alike.
15. Imghut
Imghut is similar to Imgur in the sense that it’s an easy-to-use, consistent, and reliable image hosting and sharing platform. You can use it to share images by hotlinking them to wherever you desire.
It may not be the best Imgur substitute out there, but it can certainly get the job done. If you’re looking for a place to upload and share your images and media files and don’t want to pay a single cent to be able to do this, then this is definitely for you.
Another huge reason why you might want to check it out is that you don’t have to have an account with them to enjoy their services.
Summary
All the image hosting and sharing platforms mentioned above perform incredibly well and are some of the best Imgur alternatives out there. However, the best out of all of them has to be Flickr.
Not only is it a site that prioritizes picture quality but it’s also free to use just like Imgur. It features advanced editing tools that you can use to filter, annotate, refocus and add filters to your images and has a free storage space of 1TB.
If you’re a photographer or anyone looking for a solid image-sharing and hosting platform, this is it.
