Finding good free desktop backgrounds can be very difficult. Rated as the 7th most dangerous search term, many so called “free wallpaper sites” are filled to brim with malware and advertisements. Many wallpaper sites contain no diversity, only displaying generic landscapes that don’t look that different from the wallpapers that come with Microsoft Windows.

So what did PC Fastlane do? We put together a list of some of the best free desktop backgrounds out there. From the unique and weird to the stunningly beautiful, wallpapers fit to please all can be found on the list.

Free Desktop Backgrounds

First off, we all know the most popular desktop background sources are Flickr and Deviant Art. They are the best two sources of free wallpaper I know of, but it would be a waste of time to mention the well-known.

1. Desktography

Some of the coolest desktop wallpapers I’ve seen yet.

Desktopography by Pete Harrison.

2. Desktop Nexus

Community-based wallpaper site with over 12,000 free desktop backgrounds up for download. If there’s a source to beat Flickr or Deviant Art, this is it.

Forces of Nature by anonymous submitter.

3. Pixel Girl

Over 1300 wallpapers catering to the feminine among us. Some of the best desktop backgrounds I’ve seen.

4. Interface Lift

Wallpapers, icons, themes, and more.

New York City by Paulo Barcellos Jr.

5. Best Game Wallpapers

Bring your favorite video game to your desktop. Hundreds of gaming wallpapers.

World of Warcraft by Gelena.

Honorable mention:

Google Images
Google Images is the largest source of free wallpapers I know of. Simply search for your keyword with the Extra Large filter set, and you’ll be in wallpaper heaven.

Stock.xchng
The thousands of free stock photos located here are all large enough to be used as desktop wallpapers.

Desktop Backgrounds

Other sites:
These sites have some great desktop backgrounds, but not in the quantities of the sites mentioned above.

Firefox & Thunderbird Wallpaper Gallery
Group of wallpapers portraying our favorite open source web browser and email client in new ways. Want more? Check out Spreadfirefox.com.

Blog Paper
French site that periodically posts some unique and interesting wallpaper.

My Best Desktops

Art. Lebedev

Spacetelescope.org
High-res images from the Hubble space telescope that can be used as desktop backgrounds.

Pixel High
Girls, girls, and more girls.

Mike Bonnel
Large database of computer-generated landscape and abstract computer wallpapers.

Ekosystem
Dozens of urban wallpapers.

Paid wallpaper sources:
These sites have thousands of wallpapers, in more sizes than the free sites, including dual monitor. While they’re not free, they contain too many awesome backgrounds to avoid mentioning.

Digital Blasphemy
Vlad Studio

Intro photo: New York City by Paulo Barcellos Jr.