The hunt for high-quality vector illustrations can often feel like an endless cycle of wading through mediocre content. But why settle for less when there are goldmines of exceptional assets out there? We’re talking about professional-grade vectors that can elevate your designs from forgettable to unmissable.
The challenge, of course, lies in knowing where to look. Isn’t it frustrating to sift through a sea of generic vectors, only to find something that barely passes muster? This article aims to be your compass, pointing you to the websites where top-notch free vector illustrations await. No longer will you have to play detective; we’ve done the legwork for you.
What about licensing and commercial use?
First things first, “free” doesn’t necessarily mean you have free rein to do whatever you want with an illustration. Licenses can vary from one site to another, and even from one artist to another on the same platform. Broadly, you’ll encounter a few common types: Public Domain (CC0), Creative Commons (with various conditions), and custom licenses.
- Public Domain (or CC0) is the gold standard of free. It means the artist has waived all their copyright and related rights, making the illustration free for personal and commercial use. You can modify it, redistribute it, and you don’t have to give credit. Sounds like a dream, right?
- Creative Commons licenses come with conditions. CC BY, for instance, lets you use the work commercially but demands attribution. Then there are more restrictive ones like CC BY-NC-ND, which prohibits commercial use and any form of modification. Easy enough to follow, but you’ll need to read the fine print.
- Custom licenses are a different beast. The artist or the platform crafts these, and they can contain pretty much any condition you can think of. Maybe you can use the illustration for free in personal projects but need to pay for a commercial license. Perhaps you can use it commercially but can’t include it in products you intend to sell. Confusing? It can be.
So what’s the takeaway here? Before you hit that download button, always check the license. And if you’re ever in doubt, shoot the artist or the platform an email to clarify. No one wants to deal with cease and desist letters or legal fees, do they?
Let’s take a closer look at the actual illustration sites.
Lukasz Adam
Lukasz is a self-made developer/designer who has built an enormous library of free SVG illustrations as a means to give back to the community. Outside of designing, Lukasz also loves to write and provides reviews for products and courses he has taken part in.
Other than producing topical illustrations, Lukasz has also done a number of icon packs, relating to trendy tech topics, but also niche-specific things like fitness, crypto, and more. You can grab his entire collection of illustrations at Gumroad for free. In fact, because his work is licensed under a CC0 license – you don’t need to worry about attribution either. Though it’s a nice gesture, of course.
Mind you, this collection has thousands upon thousands of vector layers. And that means you can mix and match various layers together to create even more unique outcomes!
Humaaans
Speaking of mix and match – Humaaans is a character (people) based library of illustrations that you can use to create unique outcomes by mixing together different styles. As with our first listing, this collection is also under the CC0 license. Use it for personal or commercial projects completely free.
Includes the correct format files for Sketch, Figma, InVision Studio, and Adobe XD.
Pixel True
Pixel True operates as a business that specializes in both standalone but also animated illustration design. And, as part of their marketing strategy – they also offer various free packs.
Now, unfortunately, the only way I was able to “find” the free packs was by using CTRL+F on the page and searching for “free”.
In total, there are several hundred such free illustrations and icons spread throughout various packs.
You might see that on the page where illustrations are offered for free it says $1, but this doesn’t seem to be an issue. You can just go to Gumroad and enter $0 to download the pack anyway.
IconScout
IconScout provides a diverse range of illustration packs, whilst also pooling together illustrations from other websites/platforms. I also like that they have a neat filters sidebar where you can sort results based on packs or standalone illustrations.
You can also sort by the newest arrivals, and then apply specific filters for categories.
And while IconScout does say their entire catalog is royalty-free and ready for commercial projects, you are still required to attribute the usage of their works. Agreeing to that lets you download the illustrations in SVG format, but also many other popular file formats.
ManyPixels
ManyPixels is a subscription-based graphic design agency that specializes in branding, but also specific design tasks. And, similar to others, one of the ways they market their services is by offering free illustrations. It goes without saying that their library of vector art is massive.
You can sort results based on keywords, categories, and types. Types in this context are the style of the illustration itself, such as Isometric, Flatline, etc. Best of all, you can also set a specific color scheme for all illustrations before downloading the final SVG or PNG file.
Glaze
Glaze provides the means for graphic designers to share their work, and then earn commissions whenever someone purchases the full license for any given illustration.
Every illustration published on Glaze has a free version available. However, from what I gather – that illustration will be limited in dimensions (450-500px range) and only come in PNG format.
I still think it’s super useful for personal projects such as presentations. Their library is enormous and sorted through categories and individual publishers.
Open Peeps
Open Peeps is an open-source illustration library that specializes in hand-drawn art. It has a bit of Notion-esque style to it. Similar to some projects we saw already – Open Peeps encourages everyone to mix and match the various vectors to create even more unique variations.
You can either download the entire library or select some pre-made designs on the homepage.
Open Doodles
Both Peeps and Doodles are works by Pablo Stanley. On the homepage, you’ll find the raw doodles, available in SVG and PNG format, as well as links to Blush. You can also check out some demo Compositions that Pablo has prepared from the link in the top menu bar.
Illustratious
I couldn’t find any information on who the person/brand running this project is, but they do seem to have a knack for graphic design. There are some 260 vector graphics (illustrations and icons) – all of which can be downloaded in SVG format.
You are required to add attribution, and then for commercial projects, you’ll have to grab a license.
One interesting thing about their pricing model is that they use pay what you can. I tried putting in $1 to test it and it seemed to work. All transactions are processed through Gumroad.
Storyset
Storyset (which is run by Freepik) is one of my favorite places to get vector graphics. I mean, this is not just world-class graphic design at your disposal, but also the ability to use these designs with nothing but attribution as part of the license. That goes for commercial projects, too.
And the reason this is one of my favorite sites is because of the following features.
- All graphics have several styles.
- You can change color, and add or remove objects prior to downloading.
- You can use their animation engine (yup!) to animate individual objects in the vector itself.
They also have a custom-made plugin available for Figma users. Incredible stuff.
Icons8
I was there when Icons8 first started out, and I have also been fortunate enough to work with them in the past to publish articles for their blog. It’s been amazing to watch this brand go from a small graphic design company to a full-blown vector platform.
The easiest way I found to sort through free stuff is to simply search for “free” in the search bar.
They do offer quite a lot of unique designs at no charge. Having said that, their premium library is one of the best out there. I do believe that some of that has to do with the fact that they have opened doors for other graphic designers to publish their work on the Icons8 platform.
DrawKit
DrawKit is part of the Designstripe family. If you visit the DrawKit website, you can sort out results by Free using the filter on the homepage. In total, there are around 50 different collections, and most of them have anywhere from 10 to 30 illustrations as part of the collection.
The style, I’d say, is in line with modern trends in web design.
unDraw
Katerina Limpitsouni launched unDraw back in 2017, and since then the platform has been a staple for offering free vector illustrations. No attribution is required for personal and commercial projects.
The platform has kept growing over the years also. Katerina has kept illustrations updated on a regular basis, but also added a Handcrafts section. And, recently, she has also made it possible for people to support her project through the unDraw+ platform.
Blush
Blush lets you create illustrations on your own, in your own style. It is most commonly used by brands who’d like to use vectors as part of brand identity. It’s also frequently used to create illustrations for interactive user experiences, such as onboarding or landing page presentation.
Sadly, while there is a free plan, getting the graphics in vector (SVG) format requires a Pro plan. That said, you can still use the platform for free and download your illustrations in PNG format. That should be plenty for personal projects and presentations. Maybe even demo mockups.
IRA Design
IRA Design from Creative Tim is yet another interactive platform for designing vector illustrations by using pre-determined tools. In this case, it’s the sidebar widget on the site itself.
You also have the option to either download all of their illustrations as a full SVG pack or style them individually, and then download them one by one.
As far as I know, these illustrations in particular are very popular with template developers who will often use IRA Designs as placeholders for their templates.
SVG Repo
SVG Repo is not just another repository for vector illustrations. Its distinguishing feature is an in-browser SVG editor, enabling quick edits before you even hit the download button. Say you find an almost-perfect illustration, but the color scheme is off.
With SVG Repo, you don’t have to jump between your design software and your web browser—you can tweak right there on the website. The platform offers a wide range of free SVGs, many of which are CC0-licensed, meaning you can use them for commercial purposes without a second thought.
One downside? The platform leans heavily towards tech and business-oriented vectors. If you’re in those fields, it’s a goldmine; if not, the search might be a bit limited.
Openclipart
Openclipart brings community engagement to the forefront. Anyone can contribute, and all of the vectors are under public domain. This makes it a double-edged sword. On one hand, you get variety and the potential for some truly unique finds. On the other hand, the quality varies significantly, given that there’s no curation.
The site is straightforward to navigate, and the option to sort by ‘most downloaded’ or ‘most recent’ helps you filter through the clutter. Another perk? You’ll find vectors here that are less ‘corporate’ and more creative, making it a great resource for projects that require a dash of whimsy or artistic flair.
VectorStock
While VectorStock does offer a range of premium vectors, don’t overlook its ‘Free Vectors’ section. These free options often come from the same high-quality pool as their premium counterparts, making it a reliable source for professional-grade vectors.
The site is easy to navigate and offers advanced search filters, allowing you to zero in on exactly what you need. While the free selection may not be as extensive as other platforms, the quality is consistently high.
One catch is that free vectors often come with more restrictive licensing terms, so double-check before you hit download, especially for commercial projects.
Summary
Wrapping up, it’s clear that the hunt for quality vector illustrations doesn’t have to deplete your budget or your patience. Websites like Icons8, VectorStock’s free section, and OpenClipArt offer an expansive range of vector files fit for multiple purposes—be it a corporate presentation, web development project, or a blog post. But why stop there? Diversifying your sources ensures you’re not missing out on hidden gems like unDraw or SVGRepo, which boast unique features like SVG editing or community contributions.
So, why spend hours concocting the perfect graphic when an existing vector can do the trick, often with a few minor tweaks? Time, after all, is a finite resource. Plus, with most of these sites allowing commercial use, you’re good to go whether it’s for a side hustle or your nine-to-five. So, why not bookmark these sites for your next project? You never know when the perfect vector might be just a click away.
