How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Imgur alternatives at a glance
ImgBB is the best Imgur alternative for most people, because it is free, needs no account for a basic upload and gives direct links and embed codes. Postimages is the best for forum posting with no signup. Flickr and 500px suit photographers, while Cloudinary suits developers who host images inside an app.
Key takeaways
- Imgur removed most anonymous uploads not tied to an account in 2023, and its terms still allow removal of inactive anonymous content, which is why people leave.
- ImgBB and Postimages are the closest like-for-like replacements: upload an image, get a direct link, no account needed.
- Free plans cap file sizes at 4 MB to 32 MB per image, so check the limit before uploading large photos.
- Flickr Pro costs $11 per month or $82 per year, while ImgBB Pro costs $3.99 per month on a three-year plan.
- Cloudinary is the only pick here built for developers, with an API, transformations and CDN delivery instead of a simple uploader.
Imgur alternatives compared
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
| ImgBB | Quick free uploads with direct links | Free; Pro from $3.99 per month | Yes |
| Postimages | Forum uploads with no signup | Free; Premium from $3.49 per month | Yes |
| Imgchest | Closest to the old Imgur | Free; paid from $2.99 per month | Yes |
| Flickr | Photographers and photo community | Free; Pro from $11 per month | Yes, 1,000 items |
| Cloudinary | Developers hosting app images | Free 25 credits; Plus from $89 per month | Yes |
| Imgbox | Simple free galleries | Free | Yes |
| 500px | Photography portfolios and licensing | Free; Pro from $3.99 per month | Yes, 7 uploads per week |
| Photobucket | Long-term image hosting and embedding | Free 250 images; plans from $5.99 per month | Yes, 250 images |
Why are people leaving Imgur?
Imgur changed in 2023 when it removed sexually explicit content and targeted old, inactive anonymous uploads, and its terms of service still say files are not guaranteed to stay available, with backups and restoration at Imgur's discretion. The service is also no longer accessible in the UK. For a casual user that may not matter, but for anyone who embeds images in forum posts, Reddit threads or documentation, a deleted image breaks the page it sits on. The alternatives below solve different parts of that problem: ImgBB and Postimages replace the quick upload-and-link workflow, Imgchest replaces the old Imgur community feel, and Flickr and 500px replace the photo community. Pick by the job, not by the brand name.
What should you check before choosing an image host?
Check the file size limit first, because free plans cap uploads at 4 MB to 32 MB per image and large photos will fail silently or get compressed. Check whether anonymous uploads are allowed and whether they expire, since Imgur's removal of old anonymous uploads is the reason many people switch. Check whether direct links and embed codes are included, because some hosts only give viewer pages that do not embed in forums. Check the retention policy: Postimages says images are never removed for inactivity, while other hosts delete inactive uploads. Check the terms on commercial use, since ImgBB needs approval for commercial use and Flickr's API terms prohibit generic image hosting. Finally, check the privacy rules, because a shareable link is not the same as private storage.
Can you use these hosts for forum posts and Reddit?
Yes, but the right pick depends on the forum. Postimages is built for forums and gives hotlink codes for every upload, with no account needed and a 32 MB limit on free uploads. ImgBB gives direct links, HTML codes and BBCode, which covers most forums and websites. Imgchest is popular with Reddit users for large albums and is often described as the Imgur of today. Flickr and 500px give embed codes and direct image URLs, but they are photo communities first and forum hosts second. Cloudinary is overkill for a forum post but right for a website that needs transformations and CDN delivery. Avoid hosts that only give viewer pages, since those do not embed.
Do free image hosts delete your images?
Some do and some do not, so read the terms before relying on any host. Postimages states that images are never removed due to inactivity, for anonymous and free accounts alike. Imgur removed old anonymous uploads in 2023 and its terms allow removal of inactive content. Flickr caps free accounts at 1,000 items and content above the limit is at risk. ImgBB does not promise that an upload without an expiry date is a permanent backup. The safe rule is to keep your own copy of every image you host, and treat any free host as a delivery service rather than storage.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 ImgBB | Quick free uploads with direct links and embed codes | Free; Pro from $3.99 per month on a three-year plan or $12.99 billed monthly, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; free uploads up to 32 MB per image, no account needed |
 Postimages | Forum uploads with no signup and ready-made forum codes | Free; Premium from $3.49 per month on a three-year plan or $14.99 billed monthly, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; free uploads up to 32 MB per image, no account needed |
 Imgchest | Reddit users and large albums who want the old Imgur feel | Free; paid from $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; free uploads up to 10 MB unregistered and 30 MB registered |
 Flickr | Photographers who want albums and a photo community | Free; Pro $11 per month, $82 per year or $148 for two years in domestic USD, vendor help center, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; free accounts hold up to 1,000 photos and videos |
 Cloudinary | Developers who host images inside a website or app | Free plan with 25 monthly credits; Plus from $89 per month billed yearly or $99 billed monthly, vendor pricing page, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; free forever with 25 monthly credits, no credit card required |
 Imgbox | Simple free galleries with no account and no fuss | Free; no paid tier stated, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; completely free with no account needed |
 500px | Photography portfolios, licensing and a professional community | Free; Pro from $3.99 per month, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; 7 uploads per week on the free plan |
 Photobucket | Long-term image hosting and embedding on websites and forums | Free for 250 images; paid plans from $5.99 per month for 2,500 images, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026 | Yes; free plan hosts up to 250 images |
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The 8 best Imgur alternatives compared Imgur alternatives
#1
ImgBB
Best for: Quick free uploads with direct links and embed codes
Visit imgbb.com
Starting priceFree; Pro from $3.99 per month on a three-year plan or $12.99 billed monthly, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; free uploads up to 32 MB per image, no account needed
ImgBB is the strongest overall pick for most people leaving Imgur, because it does the core job with nothing extra. You drag an image onto the page and get a link, with no account needed for a basic upload and a 32 MB free limit per file. Pro raises the limit to 64 MB and adds features for $3.99 per month on a three-year plan or $12.99 billed monthly.
What we like- No account needed for a basic upload, direct links plus HTML and BBCode, API for developers, 64 MB limit on Pro
Watch out for- No social feed or community, commercial use needs approval, and an upload is not a permanent backup
Starting priceFree; Premium from $3.49 per month on a three-year plan or $14.99 billed monthly, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; free uploads up to 32 MB per image, no account needed
Postimages is a simple and reliable image hosting platform built for sharing pictures on forums, websites, blogs and social media. Anonymous users and free accounts can upload images up to 32 MB each, with up to 1,000 images per batch, and the service states that images are never removed due to inactivity. Premium raises the limit to 96 MB and starts at $3.49 per month on a three-year plan or $14.99 billed monthly.
What we like- No account needed, hotlink codes for forums, images never removed for inactivity, 96 MB limit on Premium, unlimited images per post
Watch out for- Ad-supported free service, no password protection, and embedding in email newsletters is not allowed for free users
#3
Imgchest
Best for: Reddit users and large albums who want the old Imgur feel
Visit imgchest.com
Starting priceFree; paid from $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; free uploads up to 10 MB unregistered and 30 MB registered
Imgchest is often described as the Imgur of today, and it is the best pick for Reddit users and large albums. The paid plan costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, and the free tier allows 10 MB per file and 10 files for unregistered users, rising to 30 MB and 20 files for registered users. The interface is clean, uploads and downloads are fast, and large albums work well.
What we like- Closest to the old Imgur experience, large albums supported, fast upload and download speeds, clean interface
Watch out for- Smaller service with less history than ImgBB or Flickr, and the free tier caps unregistered uploads at 10 MB
#4Flickr
Best for: Photographers who want albums and a photo community4.1/5 on
G2 (332 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit flickr.com
Starting priceFree; Pro $11 per month, $82 per year or $148 for two years in domestic USD, vendor help center, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; free accounts hold up to 1,000 photos and videos
Flickr is a photo and video hosting platform and online community aimed at photographers, from hobbyists to professionals. A free account holds up to 1,000 photos and videos, with 200 MB per photo and 1 GB per video, and shows ads. Pro costs $11 per month, $82 per year or $148 for two years in domestic USD, and adds unlimited full-resolution uploads, ad-free browsing, detailed statistics and priority support.
What we like- Unlimited full-resolution uploads on Pro, ad-free browsing, detailed stats, strong photography community, direct image URLs and embed codes
Watch out for- Free accounts are capped at 1,000 items with ads, Pro prices vary by currency zone, and the API terms prohibit generic image hosting
#5Cloudinary
Best for: Developers who host images inside a website or app4.4/5 on
G2 (219 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit cloudinary.com
Starting priceFree plan with 25 monthly credits; Plus from $89 per month billed yearly or $99 billed monthly, vendor pricing page, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; free forever with 25 monthly credits, no credit card required
Cloudinary is an end-to-end image and video management platform for websites and mobile apps, and it is the only pick here built for developers rather than casual sharing. The free plan includes 25 monthly credits with no credit card required, and one credit equals 1,000 transformations, 1 GB of managed storage or 1 GB of viewing bandwidth. Paid plans start at $89 per month billed yearly or $99 billed monthly for the Plus plan with 225 monthly credits.
What we like- API and SDKs for uploads, transformations and CDN delivery, 10 MB per image and 100 MB per video on the free plan, generous free tier for small projects
Watch out for- Built for developers, not casual sharing, and the credit system is confusing until you learn that one credit equals 1 GB of storage, 1 GB of bandwidth or 1,000 transformations
#6
Imgbox
Best for: Simple free galleries with no account and no fuss
Visit imgbox.com
Starting priceFree; no paid tier stated, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; completely free with no account needed
Imgbox is a simple and completely free image hosting service for galleries and quick sharing. There is no account to create and no paid tier to consider, which makes it the simplest pick on this list. Upload an image, get a link, share it. The trade-off is that a free-only service with no paid tier offers no support, no guarantees and no API, so it suits casual sharing rather than business use.
What we like- Completely free, simple galleries, no registration, direct links for sharing
Watch out for- No paid tier means no support or guarantees, fewer features than ImgBB or Postimages, and no API for developers
#7
500px
Best for: Photography portfolios, licensing and a professional community
Visit 500px.com
Starting priceFree; Pro from $3.99 per month, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; 7 uploads per week on the free plan
500px is a photography community and marketplace that lets photographers showcase and sell their work, with more than 15 million photographers in over 195 countries. The free plan allows 7 uploads per week, and the paid Awesome plan unlocks unlimited uploads, statistics and licensing through the marketplace. The community is known for high-quality professional photography, which makes it a good place to build a reputation and earn from licensing.
What we like- High-quality photography community, licensing marketplace for selling photos, portfolio features, global exposure to more than 15 million photographers
Watch out for- Free uploads are capped at 7 per week, the platform is for photographers rather than general hosting, and it does not suit forum embedding
#8
Photobucket
Best for: Long-term image hosting and embedding on websites and forums
Visit photobucket.com
Starting priceFree for 250 images; paid plans from $5.99 per month for 2,500 images, third-party reported, checked 13 Nov 2026
Free planYes; free plan hosts up to 250 images
Photobucket is an American image hosting and video hosting service founded in 2003, with more than 10 billion images stored from 100 million registered members. The free plan hosts up to 250 images, and paid plans start at $5.99 per month for 2,500 images, $7.99 for 25,000 images and $12.99 for unlimited images. Hosting links let an image appear directly on a website or forum page, but that feature requires a paid plan, and images on free accounts carry a Photobucket watermark.
What we like- Hosting since 2003 with more than 10 billion images stored, embed links for websites and forums, albums and organisation tools, paid plans restore third-party embedding
Watch out for- Free accounts get a Photobucket watermark on hosted images, hosting links require a paid plan, and the service has a history of changing its free terms
How we chose these alternatives
We compared 2026 image hosting roundups, vendor pricing pages and help centers, and kept only hosts with public evidence of working uploads and links. We favoured hosts that give direct links and state their file limits and retention rules, because those decide whether a link survives. We checked each host's official website by search on 13 Nov 2026. Prices marked third-party reported come from 2026 roundups and vendor pricing pages read via search, not from a page we opened directly, so confirm them with the host before relying on them. We did not test uploads ourselves.
How to pick the right Imgur alternative
Match the host to the job. Quick links and forum posts need ImgBB or Postimages. Reddit albums need Imgchest. Photography and community need Flickr or 500px. Developer hosting needs Cloudinary. Simple free galleries need Imgbox. Long-term embedding needs Photobucket on a paid plan. Check the file size limit against your images, check whether anonymous uploads expire, and keep your own copy of every image you host. Never rely on a free host as your only storage, since terms change and links break.
Frequently asked questions
Is ImgBB better than Imgur?
For quick image hosting, yes. ImgBB is free, needs no account for a basic upload, gives direct links plus HTML and BBCode, and offers an API for developers. Imgur adds a social feed, voting and GIFs, which ImgBB does not have. If you used Imgur mainly to upload an image and get a link, ImgBB is the closest replacement.
Do Imgur alternatives work without an account?
Yes, several do. ImgBB and Postimages both allow uploads without an account, with a 32 MB limit per image on their free tiers. Imgbox needs no account either. Imgchest allows unregistered uploads up to 10 MB per file. Flickr and 500px need an account, and Cloudinary needs an account for the API.
What is the file size limit on free image hosts?
Free limits vary widely. ImgBB and Postimages allow 32 MB per image free. Imgchest allows 10 MB unregistered and 30 MB registered. Flickr allows 200 MB per photo on free accounts. Cloudinary allows 10 MB per image on the free plan. Postimages raises the limit to 96 MB on Premium, and ImgBB raises it to 64 MB on Pro.
Can I use these hosts for commercial images?
It depends on the host. ImgBB needs approval for commercial use, and Flickr's API terms prohibit generic image hosting. Postimages is used by merchants to host product images, but the service says it is not associated with those merchants. Cloudinary is built for commercial use and its paid plans cover it. Read the terms of service for the host you pick, and do not assume a free plan covers commercial embedding.
Will my images stay online forever on these hosts?
No host guarantees that. Postimages states that images are never removed due to inactivity, which is the strongest promise here. Imgur removed old anonymous uploads in 2023. Flickr caps free accounts at 1,000 items and content above the limit is at risk. ImgBB does not promise that an upload is a permanent backup.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.videoproc.com/resource/imgur-alternative.htm
- https://www.shopify.com/ca/blog/image-hosting-sites
- https://www.screensnap.pro/blog/imgur-alternative-screenshot-sharing
- https://www.websitealternatives.com/best-imgur-alternatives
- https://postimages.org/faq
- https://www.flickrhelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404064001812-Pricing-FAQ
- https://cloudinary.com/pricing
- https://imgbb.com
- https://imgchest.com
- https://support.photobucket.com/hc/en-us/articles/51294217632276-Hosting-your-Images
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.