Are you looking for free illustrations to add more flair to your design game?
If you looked this up, you’re likely a creator looking for some kooky (or regular) illustrations to pepper into your content without having to shell out hundreds of dollars.
The good news is that the internet is a great big world full of possibilities and promise, where you can find a solution to just about anything if you know the right keywords and the proper way to search.
But not everyone has time for that, and we get that. So to give you a headstart on things, we’ve shortlisted the ten best websites for free illustrations, vectors, and images.
So, here are ten excellent and FREE websites where you can find illustrations for your content.
Table of Contents
1. Pixabay
Pixabay is one of the most significant illustration search engines, with over 2 million copyright and royalty-free vector images. The website hosts images from hundreds of other sites, so there is an excellent variety of stock images and illustrations. The website’s user interface is uncomplicated, and you can search anything using keywords.
Features
Stock images on Pixabay are free and open for commercial use. This brings the expected licensing and purchasing hassle of illustrating your content to a nice, healthy zero.
The endless collection of vector images ranges vastly in style and tone, so whether you’re looking to spice up some charts for a work presentation, make icons for your website or make cute videos for your brand’s Instagram story, Pixabay has the fix for you!
Best for brand design and marketing materials.
2. unDraw
UnDraw has a seemingly endless selection of illustrations suited for a wide variety of content. Be it branding, podcasting, online transactions, app development, data analysis, creator and founder Katerina Limpitsouni has got you covered. The website is straightforward and easy to use.
Features
Your content design is in a neutral color palette, and all the illustrations you found on Google are orange? No problem, Illustrations on unDraw are customizable. You can select color schemes that go with your content and brand design so that everything looks seamless (and expensive… couldn’t hurt, right?)
On top of this, the vector images are all Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), which means you can make them bigger, smaller, flip or mirror them to your heart’s content without losing the pristine quality.
And lastly, all the illustrations are open source. They don’t require fancy licensing and copyright permits claiming your firstborn child. Anyone can use them for free without attribution!
Best for official website design, project, and data illustration.
3. Freepik
Freepik is another excellent search engine for free stock images and illustrations. The website contains thousands of free vector images, providing everything from greeting card templates, brochures, pamphlets, PSAs to brand announcements, you name it! Freepik also has a built-in template editor to customize templates according to your content and ideas.
Features
Illustrations on Freepik can be downloaded in various formats such as SVG, AI, and EPS, appealing to your spectrum of content illustration needs!
In addition to this, vectors and illustrations on Freepik are open source and require no attribution. The website is super user-friendly, requiring you to create an account and go nuts with its stock images’ free downloads.
Best for website design and infographics.
4. Openclipart
Openclipart is a treasure trove of up to 160,000 clipart available for free use. The illustrations available come in a variety of styles and aesthetics, so there is something for everyone!
Features
All the clipart available on Openclipart are public domain. Clipart being in the public domain means that there is no added hassle of copyright issues for illustrators using their illustrations.
Moreover, designs on Openclipart are one of a kind, original designs created by Openclipart’s large community of artists. Illustrations on Openclipart have a realistic look and will work great if you’re looking for something more complex than simple icons.
Best for background design on websites and infographics.
5. Flaticon
Flaticon is the world’s biggest stockpile of icons, with over 2 million vector icons. The illustrations are all free for anyone to use. Flaticon’s vectors are organized into “packs” of various themes and topics for users’ ease. Lastly, all icons created for Google Docs and Slides are customizable!
Features
Flaticon has vectors available for various formats; SVG, PNG, PSD, EPS, and Base64. What else? Flaticon’s new “UIcons” has over 2000 vectors for mobile applications. Artists can also become contributors to the site and sell their original designs on the website.
Icons on the site are categorized into hundreds of themed packs, so there’s bound to be something you like in their collection. You can even create icon patterns for your websites with Flaticon’s icon pattern tool.
Best for background design, avatar design, posters, and infographics.
6. VectorStock
VectorStock is a repository of over 250,000 vector images. It also has many logo designs such as monograms, emblems, sports logos, restaurant logos, and many others! Most of the vectors on the site are royalty-free, which means there is no public licensing fee.
Features
Vectors and logos on VectorStock are categorized by color, so you don’t need to spend extra time finding the color scheme you’re looking for. What’s more? Styles also organize them, so there’s minimal confused scrolling on your end.
Best for icon designs, avatar design, and infographics.
7. Vecteezy
With over 650,000 vector illustrations, Vecteezy is the biggest online database for vector graphics. Their collection is royalty-free and categorized into “free license” or “pro license,” so you can choose what works best for you.
Features
Vecteezy has vectors in a variety of orientations to fit a variety of devices and layouts. Fresh designs are added every single day, so your option is unlimited! Lastly, Vecteezy has a huge collection of stock videos. Whether you’re looking for timelapse or travel videos, or both, Vecteezy has you covered.
Best for website design, presentations, informational videos.
8. The Noun Project
The Noun Project has over a million free illustrations for public use. The designs range from minimalistic icons and vectors to colorful stock images.
Features
The Noun Project has its own Application Programming Interface (API), so you can use their icons on various apps for your projects. You can also drag and drop their vectors directly into apps on your desktop. If you’re on the hunt for some minimalistic designs, The Noun Project is for you!
Best for web design, marketing materials, and infographics.
9. Vector4Free
While Vector4Free may not have a collection as big as some other sites on this list, it has a decent collection of free vectors, and it will certainly get the job done. New vectors are added every week, so you’ll never get bored.
Features
The vectors are free and organized into collections that you can search for through keywords. There are several formats such as AI, EPS, SVG, CDR, and PDF available, so you can pick what works for you.
Best for infographics, social media stories, and data illustration.
10. Shutterstock
Shutterstock is the OG when it comes to a vectors and illustrations database. Though it may seem a little old school, with over 50 million designs, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for.
Features
Images and templates on Shutterstock are free for use. There are various tools available on the Shutterstock site to make your designs, such as Shutterstock Editor, File converter, Image Resizer, etc. Designs are neatly organized into topics and styles, so the user interface is easy to navigate and efficient.
Best for informational videos, PSAs, ads, and website design.
Review Illustrations and Designs with GoVisually
Before you set off on your journey to find the best illustrations online, we’ll equip you with another important process; reviewing designs and assets!
Finding the right illustration and creating a design is one thing. However, getting it approved internally or by a client is a whole other matter that can take up a lot of your energy and time. So to cut short and save that time, start reviewing your creative assets with GoVisually – the #1 proofing software.
Don’t believe us? Check out the demo yourself and see how easy it is to review designs with GoVisually. Upload, invite reviewers, and tada; you’re all set to receive reviews and make edits accordingly.
And remember, stock images and illustrations are an excellent way to take your content up a notch and make it look more professional. No matter what design you have in mind, the magical land of the internet and open-source stock images has you covered. These three websites listed above are guaranteed to get you the illustrations you need and more.
Next time you’re on the hunt for FREE illustrations, check them out.
