Matthew Gates https://notetoservices.com 16m 3,984 #imagehosting
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Alternatives To Image Hosting Registration
Author Note: Since this article was written about 2 years ago, and just published now, some of these websites no longer exist, or have changed, but have been left in to preserve their memory.
In a previous article, The Art of Not Blogging, we explored the alternative options for people who did not want an official blog, not the obligation to even officially sign up for a blog, yet have a blog sparingly, to just be creative every so often.
This article explores The Art of Not Hosting Images. The article name might deceive you, as you are most certainly hosting images, but you are not hosting images on your own website and you are not paying for anything. In fact, you are not even registering for anything. No username, no password, no email, no commitment. That is all part of the Art in Not Doing Something. Call it genius, call it creative thinking, call it not committing your email away to potential spam or email lists, or just call it being a freeloader. There are plenty of websites that do not mind freeloaders, so take advantage and host your images for free.
Why would you want to host your images for free? Free is always good. Maybe you don’t want an official account on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Photobucket, or Flickr. All of these social media websites require you to sign up where your information and your photos are exposed to the public, though you can always change the privacy settings. However, you are still committed to having to expose an email address, take the time to set up a profile, and upload photos. Maybe you can’t be bothered with all that noise.
Many websites are generous enough to offer their hard drive space for free. Sometimes, these services do come with a catch and usually want you to sign up, and pay for more space, but there are certain companies and people who start websites and do it all for free, paying for the cost themselves. Why? They might just have a big heart. They may want to attract attention to their website just because. They might want to attract a lot of visitors and may utilize ads later on. They might want to attract people to upload photos to their website so they can use those photos as stock images. It might just be a project they were working on and offered to share it with the world, either to beta test, or just because they want people to see what they have done. Sometimes they will have ads or receive generous donations to keep the website up and running. It is never enough to quit their day job, but at least it helps to keep the website running.
You could ask the question: Why do people start a blog or a website? If the answer is money, the answer is most likely wrong. It might be that, hypothetically, 95% of people who start a website might think they are going to make money on their blog or their website, but only about 10% of people actually do, and they may have figured out ways make their articles go viral and acquired the necessary advertising, or they have pushed to sell products and affiliate links. The rest just want to share their thoughts and ideas with the world, influence and help others, and maybe make a mark on the Internet.
Some of these services do offer registration options, so that you may have an account and take credit for all your work, however, registration is completely optional, for those who want to share photos without the commitment of signing up.
The review of these websites are fairly brief and to the point, to explain how they look and what they do. For any website that had optional registration, I did not sign up, as I wrote this article for that very reason: avoiding the signup and registration process, specifically to avoid giving out my email address. This review does not include testing to see if these websites are responsive or mobile-friendly.
There are several advantages and disadvantages to using any third-party photo hosting system listed below.
Advantages:
- No signup or registration
- Takes up no space on your own server or hard drive
- Takes up no bandwidth cost from your own server
- May be faster than your own server
- May be uploaded anonymously
- Displayed and downloaded from a different source than your own server
- No commitment or author attached
- Easy sharing of photos
- Unlimited amount of photos
- Unlimited size of photos (varies)
- More people have the opportunity to discover your photos
- Some Image Hosting sites just have gorgeous and user-friendly interfaces
Disadvantages:
- Any photos uploaded are technically no longer your property
- Giving up complete privacy of your photos
- Server you are storing photos on may be slow
- Server you are storing photos may go down at any moment and photos may be unrecoverable
- If you forget the URL to where a certain image is stored, you may have lost that photo forever
- If photos are not protected, any search engine can grab the photos and display the photos for public download
- Other people may share the photos freely without your permission
- Other people can edit and make changes to the photos
- Files may be stored on the server forever and there is nothing you can do
- The hosting website may choose the prevent hotlinking to their photos at any time, causing the Red X to display on all the pictures you have ever hosted on other websites
- May have to view advertisements, have advertisements displayed with your photos, or enter in captchas featuring advertisements
There are literally hundreds of photo hosting sites out there, and I could not possibly list every single one, but I spent some time to find the top free no-registration photo hosting websites. There were plenty I left off the list that did not work correctly or required registration. I do not have any preferences of one over the other, and the preference is completely left up to you on what you might be interested in. You might prefer a beautiful UI, more privacy, the ability to delete your photo at anytime, or even a self-destruct photo feature after X amount of days. Hopefully in the list, you will find the one you like.
The Art of Not Hosting Images
imgur.com was originally a gift to the Reddit community, but became increasingly popular by the entire Internet, and is probably the largest online photo community. Upload as many images as you want. If you are a non-registered user, you will be given a delete link only once which you can save somewhere for later use. After that, the image will remain on the website forever with no ability to ever delete it. Non-animated images have a maximum upload size of 20MB, while animated gifs can be 200 MB. Registration is completely optional but allows for you to delete or edit your images any time, create photo albums, get link codes to any of your images, add titles and descriptions, like or dislike images, comment on photos, etc. You can copy and embed any photo image into your website or share images on most social media websites. While videos are not allowed, imgur has a feature to convert videos to gif and provides the ability to create memes.
tinypic.com has optional registration which allows you to create photo albums and edit and delete your photos. The upload form allows you to add tags, upload from your computer or a link, or add video. The image can be resized to avatar (100×75), thumbnail (160×120), website/email (320×240), message board (640×480), 15″ Screen (800×600), and 17″ Screen (1024×768). The option to share via email is available. Upon clicking upload, in order to prevent spam, you will asked a question and to fill out a Captcha.
Once the image is uploaded, you can view the original image size, add to favorite, and share on MySpace. You will also be presented with the HTML code, [IMG] code, URL for email and IM, and Direct Link for Layouts. There is no option to delete your image once it has been uploaded.
postimage.org has optional registration is for quick uploading of photos. Choose from several resize options and whether the photo is for adults only or family safe. You may input links from the web and have them uploaded automatically or you can choose files from your computer. Once your image is uploaded, you will be taken to a page with several links to choose from, from a regular link, to a direct link, thumbnail for forums, or a hotlink for a website, as well as a link for to delete the photo, and social media sharing options. postimage.org also offers the option for you to add your own personal photo hosting to your website, forum, or blog (WordPress). All uploaded images are hosted on postimage.org.
imagehosting.biz, imageupload.co.uk, ultraimg.com, picoolio.net, imgup.io, ultraimg.com
imagehosting.biz, imageupload.co.uk, ultraimg.com, picoolio.net, imgup.io, ultraimg.com all use the Chevereto Image Hosting Script. Registration is optional. Uploading a photo will first present you with a screen to mark if it is for adults or family safe. You will be presented with a small thumbnail preview of your image, along with several options for links to choose from, from regular links to HTML links and thumbnail views, and forum/BB code. Size of files may vary, but usually range from 2 MB to 20 MB per file. Most websites accept the basic image formats, including BMP, GIF, JPG, and PNG. There is no option to delete your photo once it has been uploaded. You can also search for existing photos, view random photos, and view the entire gallery of photos.
imagevup.com
imagevup.com offers optional registration and free uploads. If you wish to have more options such as editing or deleting your photo, you will have to register. If not, upload a file, with options to change the thumbnail size, select whether the photo is safe for work or not. You can choose from uploading a single file, multi-files, an ajax form, enter in a url, cover (no explanation of what this is), or upload a zip file. Once the photo is uploaded, the next page provides you with BB code, HTML, or a link. There is no way to delete uploaded photos.
imgup.net is quite simple and straight-forward. Unless you sign up for the optional registration, you will be unable to delete photos, but upon uploading a photo, you will receive the link, thumbnail link, forum code links, and HTML code. If an image has not been viewed within 3 months, it is deleted.
ebayphotogallery.com was designed for auctioneers wanting to upload and display their photos in an ebay listing. Registration is completely optional and may offer further enhancements to photos including a delete option. It offers the option to upload a photo or multiple photos and store them in a gallery, with a variety of layouts to choose from. Upon uploading the images, you will be taken to the results page where you can change colors, add special effects, and even put your own signature at the bottom of a photo. Once completed, you will be taken to another page, where you are given the HTML code and the code to post it on a bulletin board, or a direct link to the gallery. There is no option to delete photos.
jpegbay.com offers optional registration and multiple file uploads and was designed for ebay users to display their photos in a gallery. Upon uploading the image or images, the photos will receive their own gallery that can be customized and embedded into a website. By clicking on the tab, list of images, you can grab the code in URL, BBcode, or HTML code format. There is no option to delete photos or galleries, but they will be deleted automatically after 4 months of inactivity.
photo-host.org has no registration option, comes with a 2 MB upload file limit, allows you to resize your uploaded photo by defining the pixels, and allows you to convert the results of your image into a tinyurl. Upon uploading the photo, you will receive links to the short url, viewer, direct link, html image, bbcode, and more. You will also be given the deletion link, which will only be shown to you just once. If you want to delete the image later on, make sure you save the link.
From the website, httpsimage.com is a free secure image hosting service, designed for hosting images that need to be served using the HTTPS (SSL) protocol. This is useful for displaying images on secure payment pages such as paypal. If you need to place your images behind a secure server, this is the site to do it. The UI is extremely simple to use. Simply choose the file and click upload. The resulting page will give you just the link, which includes https. There is no registration or option to delete the file.
sslpic.com is another website that puts your image behind a secure website, with https. While there is no actual registration process, in order to receive the image link, you must enter in your email address.
unsee.cc only offers temporary image uploads of up to one hour. You have the option to delete the image after the first view, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes. There is no registration and no option to keep the image files longer. The image is uploaded behind a https and upon viewing the link, you will be able to add a title and description to the image, prevent the image from being downloaded, allow only users visiting from a certain domain or with a certain IP adddress, embed the photo, or delete it.
neepic.com
neepic.com offers optional registration and the ability to upload your photo to a gallery of photos. Upon uploading, you will receive the link, direct link, markdown, BBCode, HTML. You can also share the image on social media and delete the image with the link provided. To like, comment, edit, or do anything else with the image, you will have to sign up.
freeimagehosting.net comes with a catch: it is filled with advertisements, but that is the price you pay to get free. There is optional registration. The important thing on the website is the Select and Upload button. That is all you need to worry about. The max file size is 3 MB. No adult images are allowed to be uploaded. Upon uploading, you will be given the URL of the image in HTML format. There is no delete option and no other options available. It is kept pretty simple.
imgzzz.com has 2 options: upload from a file or upload from a URL. Registration is optional. You can browse the gallery of photos uploaded by others. You have several categories to choose from including General, Humor, GIFs, WTF, Infographics, Scary, Educational, Useful, Informative, Others. You can give the image a title and make it private. All of these selections are completely optional. Once the file is uploaded, you are taken into the gallery to see your photo. You are given absolutely nothing. You must right click and copy the image URL in order to have the link to the image. There is no option to delete the image.
imagebam.com comes with the option to upload multiple files or a zip file. You must select whether it is family friendly or for adults. You may choose to resize the photos, as well as convert it into a JPG or GIF. Once uploaded, you can retrieve the URL, BBcode, HTML link, and a delete link. Save the delete link, as it is the only time you will ever be able to delete the photo if you are not a registered user. Maximum file size is 4 MB.
share.pho.to offers an optional registration that offers these options:
- Easily upload multiple photos at once
- Create an account and keep your photos hosted forever!
- Delete and edit your uploaded photos and photo sets
- Add captions and titles to your photos
- Let your friends comment on your photos
- Get short and intuitive links to any of your photo or photo set
- Instantly share your photos in social media
- Have complete control over your photos and photo sets
If you choose not to register, you can still upload a file one at a time. Upon uploading, you will be given the shortlink, download the file in a zip format, share on social media networks, get the embed codes which provide the HTML, BBcode, and URL link, or you can comment on the photo. The photos looks like it is stored in its own personal gallery. Going back to the shortlink will always take you to the picture in the gallery. There is no option to delete the photo. It also has a forum for anyone who wants to chat, mostly about API and apps.
lookpic.com
A very simple upload form with ability to resize the photo, and once uploaded, you will be given the URL of the file, HTML, and BBcode. The maximum file size is 3 MB and there is no way to delete photos once uploaded.
cubeupload.com offers optional registration, offering more options such as the ability to delete your photos, keep track of them, and edit them. The main screen allows for you to drop a file anywhere on the screen to upload, or just click the select images button, and click upload once you have selected your images. You will be given two links: one to the photo itself and one to the photo located on the image hosting site. There are some buttons to share the image on social media, but there is no way to delete the photo. Maximum file size is 5 MB.
picshome.com comes in a variety of different languages with optional registration and an upload form. The maximum limit on uploads is 300 MB. You may email the file to yourself and others, but that is completely optional. You may also add a optional password that is required in order for the file to be downloaded along with a description of the image. You must agree to the terms before uploading. After the file is uploaded, you remain on the same page and are provided with a download link, a url, an image link, and a delete link. Files are automatically deleted after one week of inactivity.
picorator.com
picorator.com is easy to use with optonal registration. Select your files and upload them. Upon upload, you may add a caption, choose to make the photo private. A link, direct link, HTML code, forum code, markdown link, HTML with thumbnail, and forum code with thumbnail is available. You may also share your image on social media. A deletion link is also available.
There is no registration at stooorage.com. Normal, URL, and Flash options are available. Choose from 4 images at a time to upload. You will receive a BBCode with thumbnail, HTML with thumbnail, [code] tag, and a direct link to the file.
img.bi
img.bi sits behind a https secured server, as do your images once uploaded. There is no registration. You have the option to store your image for one day, three days, one week, four weeks, 90 days, 180 days, 1 year, or forever. img.bi will remember the images you upload in your browser’s cache, so you can leave the website and return to see those same photos. You will receive several tabbed options from HTML, Tor, and I2P with links to view, embed, delete image, or delete image after first view. You can choose to remove the images from your browser storage which will remove the images permanently. If you somehow manage to delete your cache before that, you may be unable to retrieve or delete the images beforehand.
pixhost.org
pixhost.org does not have any registration and API is available. Max file size is 10 MB. Choose your file and upload it. If you have multiple images, you can choose to have them connected. You must also choose the content type of adult or family safe photos. Once the file is uploaded, you get a direct link, forum thumbnail, html thumbnail, or html link. There is no option to delete uploaded photos.
imgjar.com has no registration and is a simple drag and drop of images to create a gallery. Once your gallery is created, you will be able to see all the images you uploaded. The only option you have is to share them on social media. You can also download the image, tweet it, or pin it. To get the URL, right click and copy the image URL. There is no option to delete the gallery and you must save the URL to the gallery in order to return to it later on, otherwise it will be lost forever.
itmages.com offers optional registration along with OpenID registration. Upload by file or by URL. Once the file is uploaded, you will receive the ability to create a shortlink, link, BBCode, HTML, and direct link. You may also delete the image by clicking on Delete History.
pic.al offers optional registration and the ability to view the gallery of previously uploaded images. You may upload 15 images at a time, at 2 MB max file size. Once the image is uploaded, you can add a title and description along with the option to make it private. Once you save the image, it will be added to the gallery and you will receive a shortlink, html link, or BBCode with social media sharing options and you can view the number of times it has been seen. There is no way to delete the photo once it has been uploaded.
imgbox.com comes with optional registration. Other features include:
- Hotlinking
- 10MB maximum file size
- Simple interface
- Unlimited storage space
- Unlimited storage time
Once you have selected your file, select the content type of Family Safe or Adult. Choose to resize the thumbnail. Enabled or Disable comments. Create a Gallery if you prefer. After you have uploaded the file, you will receive the link, html code, or BBcode. You can get the links for the full image or the thumbnail. You are also given a URL to delete the image later on, otherwise it is stored indefinitely. Social media sharing is available upon visiting the link.
imageup.info comes with optional registration and a simple form with several options including single uploading, multi-uploading, ajax, remote, and zip file uploading. Choose whether the image is adult or non-adult and upload. You may also change the thumbnail size. Upon uploading, you will receive the direct link, HTML code, and BB code. There is no option to delete uploaded images.
Honorary Mention
BinCDN offers CDN image storage hosting with a very affordable 100 GB, 500 GB, or 1 TB plan. While registration is required, storage pricing comes at one of the most affordable on the Internet. BinCDN allows you to see your cache including the tracking of visitors, such as where they are from, which server the data was retrieved from, who referred them, the browser they are using, and more. BinCDN even offers an API service if you wish to develop your own BinCDN tools.
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