#nickpic

Finding an image host is tough. Especially if you're on a budget. And especially if you've been spoiled by some of our very niche image hosts lately.

So in light of Nickpic.host's shutdown and Imgur's ban of all unregistered and NSFW content, here is a list of alternative sites for you to host your images. This list includes sites I use, sites I've found in my own research, and sites that have personally reached out to me after Nickpic's shutdown.

Lensdump

If you're a Nickpic veteran, the site that's most similar to what you're used to will be Lensdump. The site creator, Swadesh, has invited all Nickpic users to migrate over and has been working with Nickpic's creator, Nick, to implement the image randomizer we all know and loved. Unlike most of the services on this list, they do have a support discord so you can stay up to date about traffic interruptions, maintenance, stats, etc. and get quick support directly from the Lensdump team. Lensdump is free to use for personal use, so things like avatars for your own personal forum accounts, personal image storing, etc. are fine. But any commercial use, like using it to store forum assets (i.e. emoji, banners, backgrounds, etc.) that see a lot of traffic require you to donate. Be sure to check their TOS for any other specific info and join the support discord if you have questions. Overall, Lensdump seems like a great option if you're looking for a new host for your personal images! But if you're looking to host forum images, images you've made for others, etc., you'll want to look elsewhere.

Gifyu

Another chevereto site like Lensdump, Gifyu is practically identical to Nickpic and has been operating since 2014. They have folders, the randomizer, and even a video to gif feature so you can easily make your own gifs from videos you've downloaded! I don't see anything in their terms against uploading images for commercial use, so it looks like this is is a decent option if you need to upload forum assets and your forum doesn't get too much traffic. It's worth noting that the site only allows family-friendly images. Under the free service, gifs larger than 10MB are throttled to 20mbps, there is an upload limit of 5k uploads/day, a bandwidth limit of 100GB/day, and you'll see light ads. You can get rid of these if you pay for the premium service. And be sure to upload images under an account, since anonymous images are deleted after a year. Gifyu has been reaching out to gifmakers, artists, and rpers here on tumblr since Nickpic's shutdown to try to help fill the gap Nickpick left behind. Be sure to read their TOS for any other specific info, but they look like another great alternative for hosting your images. Plus, the support team has been great about answering my questions!

Catbox

Catbox has been operational since 2015 and has been welcoming Imgur refugees since their change in TOS this year. It's cool to see that it's primarily targeted toward content creators and you can setup 2FA on your account. They also have a cool feature called Litterbox, where you can schedule an image for deletion after up to 3 days (which isn't a feature I'd use I just think it's neat). Catbox does allow NSFW content, however, it looks like this service is banned in the UK and Australia, and gets caught by Comcast security firewalls. They also have a 20MB upload limit for gifs and you can only use it for personal images, not for any commercial use (like forum assets). I'm not a huge fan of the album and upload setup, but it's still a great service for hosting personal images. Check out the FAQ for any specific questions you might have.

Postimg

Postimg has been around since 2004 and was specifically made for hosting forum images. It has various forum plugins (not for Jcink) so you can use it to up to upload images directly to your forum, and a handy Windows App for uploading screenshots! In the past, Postimage has had security concerns and malware was reportedly an issue, but they otherwise have good reviews. The biggest downside (for me personally) is that they do not have an image randomizer. But Postimg seems to be fairly reliable when it comes to access and ease of use. Be sure to read their TOS for specifics, but it looks like a good place to store personal images.

ImgPile

At the bottom of my list is ImgPile. If you're desperate, it definitely gets the job done. It promotes some social features like commenting on images and exploring other users' uploads, so if you're used to Imgur you might like this one! However, this website is allegedly used for advertisement and data collection, so if you do choose this service be sure your adblocker is up to date and register with a secondary email account. The creator of this site has since left and created Lensdump. Otherwise, it seems like a decent image host, especially if you're coming from Imgur. Be sure to read their lengthy TOS if you choose this host!

Other services I've found but have not considered for longterm storage (but you might find useful): Freeimage, ThumbSnap, ImgBB, ImageShack, Picinfinty, Picuza, vgy.me, imghut, Turbo Image Host, cubeupload, im.ge, Image Chest, and ImageBam.

As always, here's my gentle reminder to always have hard backups of the images you care about on a thumbdrive, an SD card...hell even a floppy disc if those still exist. Because you never know when a site will go down, change their terms of service, etc.

Nickpic was an amazing service and an absolute gem of a treasure trove. It sickens me that someone came into the community, decided to not just take down an entire service because of some bad/outdated information - but actively work to ruin Nick + teams livelihood as well. Ridiculous.

Before a single person comes to me and says “but that’s what you’re doing by running a tea blog!” No. I’m not singling a service, forum, person, character out for any malicious or ill-mannered reasons. I am not witch-hunting.

Nick paced back and forth in the living room, his phone on speaker and resting in his hand as he spoke to a client. “-No, but listen..” He shook his head as the voice on the other end interrupted. “Look, Andrew.. stop interrupting and have some patience for like ten minutes” He spoke. “Your numbers are going down because you’re spending without keeping an eye on your account and that’s not something I can help you with.” He spoke and nodded as the male voice continued to speak in a panicked and angry tone. “Of course I’ve seen your papers, but that’s the thing, I’m your lawyer, not your bank. I can’t help you with your own spending. Maybe consider selling that car you just bought?” He frowned and glanced up at Caroline as she walked in. “Look, if you can’t see where you’re wrong, then maybe you should contact your bank and while you’re at it, find yourself a new lawyer.” He said before hanging up. “Idiot.”

In light of nickpic.host's shutdown, I just want to take a minute to thank Nick and his cofounders for creating a resource like nickpic for all writers in this hobby to use. Using their service for the last 5+ years has been so easy knowing my content is safe and wouldn't get trapped behind a paywall. The team has always been so present and helpful, which is rare in a site nowadays. The randomizer was my favorite feature (I don't think I ever had a static avatar on any site after that was installed) and being able to keep all my chaos organized across my 3 machines was amazing.

Watching the shutdown happen today was devastating for the entire community, but seeing how Nick and the team handled it in real time showed how much they care. They did their best under horrible circumstances. I'm grateful for the team and their efforts to keep the service running for as long as they responsibly could.

I'm also grateful to the community that grew up around the service and how everyone is coming together to find a new home for our content. The community is truly a testament to the team that created and maintained everything.

Nick let out a soft breath as he looked at himself and his outfit in the mirror - there was nothing wrong with the outfit, as a matter of fact it was perfect, the same suit and tie-kind of outfit he always wore to work. The problem? The situation he was finding himself in. First full day back was a huge leap and it was giving him anxiety. He knew what kind of effect his office was going to give him, he’d been getting them without even being in the office. His father’s face and a gun aiming directly at his face were the images that filled his head when he got closer to the room.

Sighing, Nick ripped the tie off and tossed it aside to get another one - he’d lost count how many times he’s changed ties for this outfit, something he did when he was nervous. After getting another tie and tying the knot, he stopped, froze almost in his spot and just stared at himself in the mirror. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and somewhere along the way the beating heart mimicked the sound of the gun fire that happened that day. Like a snapped finger, he could see everything - details had faded now but some were still clear as day and those were the ones that were haunting him and keeping him from sleeping a single night in peace. These flashbacks were also the reason for him being absent from the present moment and not able to hear anyone if they were speaking to him or calling for him.