Top 10 websites provide free illustrations for UI design
In this post, I’ve rounded up a list of 10 libraries where you can easily find free illustrations for UI design, both for personal and commercial use. Most of these sites offer illustrations in vector formats, which can be easily copied and edited by online editors like Figma or Adobe XD.
Why use libraries that provide free illustrations for user interface design?
Illustrations are used more and more in UI designs for web and mobile apps. Using simple, intuitive illustrations creates an intimate experience that makes your interface designs more appealing to users.
Yet in order to create synchronous, high-quality illustrations, UI designers themselves must first master drawing skills, and at the same time require a lot of time, expense, and effort. With the limitations mentioned above, looking to the library that provides illustrations is one of the optimal and economical solutions for UI designers, whether new to the profession or have many years of experience.
10 websites that offer free illustrations for UI design
1. Highlight
Highlights, as its name suggests, is a library that provides hand-drawn illustrations of small elements used to emphasize content in UI design such as arrows, underlines, circles, highlights, and more.
Highlight allows:
- Download hand-drawn illustrations in SVG format
- Use the downloaded content for personal and commercial purposes completely free, under a CC0 license, meaning no attribution is required
2. Humaaans
Humaaans is a library of free human illustrations created by Pablo Stanley, under the CC0 license.
Humaans allows:
- Download an illustration pack that includes flat illustrations, and files for Figma, Sketch, Studio, and XD. The flat illustration file includes PNG and SVG files
- Combine elements to create different character poses, perspectives, and background
- Use downloaded and edited illustrations for personal and commercial use, without attribution needed
3. Isometric
Isometric is a library of 52 free isometric illustrations with familiar topics like finance, technology, creativity, social media, and more. These resources are published under the MIT license.
Isometric allows:
- Download the isometric images on the page as SVG and PNG
- Freely edit and use downloaded illustrations for commercial and personal projects without attribution
4. Lukaszadam
Lukaszadam is a library that provides free illustrations on various common topics under CC0 License.
Lukaszadam allows:
- Download free flat illustrations in SVG format
- Use free download illustrations for personal and commercial use, no attribution is needed
5. 3dicons
3dicons is a 100% free and open source library that provides 120 icons, 1440 rendered images with plugins for Figma, Sketch, XD, developer package.
3dicons allows:
- Edit color scheme of icons
- Download as Figma, PNG Dynamic, PNG ISO, PNG Front, Blender File, Fbx files
- Use downloaded 3D illustrations for personal and commercial use under a CC0 license, without citation
Install 3dicons plugin for Figma
6. illustAC
illustAC has a library of thousands of free illustrations in a variety of styles and themes. Besides modern flat illustrations, isometric vectors, hand-drawn clipart of popular themes like geometric, business, people activities, you can also find unique Asian and Japanese illustrations here.
illustAC allows:
- Download illustrations in JPG, PNG, and EPS/AI formats
- Use downloadable illustrations for personal and commercial purposes, without citation. However, there are some limitations when it comes to commercial use such as you cannot edit and resell illustAC’s resources, cannot use it for anti-social purposes, and so on.
Duplicate illustAC’s library on Figma
7. Storyset by Freepik
Storyset offers a library of hundreds of free illustrations on a variety of topics, divided into five customizable styles.
Storyset allows:
- Customize the color, and number of illustration blocks within an image
- Animate each illustration right on the page
- Download illustrations as images in SVG/PNG format or as motions (#animations) in GIF/MP4 format
- Use the downloaded files for commercial and personal projects, provided you attribute the resource as guided. There are also some restrictions in use.
Download Storyset Plugin for Figma
8. Scale by Flexiple
Scale offers a library of 200+ free illustrations in monochrome and multicolor styles, with a variety of themes. Resources on the site are constantly updated, so the number will not stop at more than 200 as at present.
Scale allows:
- Online color customization on the page for each illustration
- Download the illustration in SVG/PNG format
- Use free illustrations for personal and commercial projects, no attribution is needed
9. Ira Design by Creative Tim
Ira Design provides a library of 22 backgrounds, 19 character illustrations and 27 gradient color scheme object illustrations, 17 character illustrations, and 26 outline monochrome object illustrations. All content is published under the MIT license.
Ira Design allows:
- Online color customization for gradient color schemes right on the website
- Download the entire illustration pack including background, character, and object graphics in SVG or/and PNG format
- Use free illustrations for personal and commercial projects without citation
10. Craftwork Freebies
Freebies by Craftwork offers a library of hundreds of free illustrations under different theme packs.
Craftwork Freebies allow:
- Download illustration theme packs in AI, SVG, PNG, EPS, and Figma formats
- Use downloaded illustrations free for commercial and personal projects with some limitations such as no redistribution of illustrations, no transfer of copyright, etc.
Last thought
Above, I have compiled and introduced 10 libraries that provide free illustrations for UI design that can be used in both personal and commercial projects.
Each library will have its own terms and conditions about how to use the content properly. Be sure to read the Terms and the License carefully before any use.
If you know of other libraries, please leave a comment in the comments section.
