Hello, dears, recently, I've been getting more requests for illustrations resources. Many of us must love designing our own assets and while having fun, but it can sometimes take a lot of time. That's why I want to recommend using "royalty-free stock illustrations." You can combine them with your own illustrations, and they can also help inspire your composition and color choices. In this blog, I’ll share free stock illustration sites that you can use for commercial purposes. Since each illustrator has their own unique style, it can be challenging to find the right fit for your project. It's important to keep a variety of styles in your collection, so you have options when you need them. I hope this helps you find the perfect illustrations!
Benefits of Using Stock Illustrations
Using stock illustrations has many benefits. It obviously saves you time. While creating our own illustrations is enjoyable, it can be hard to maintain quality without spending a lot of time. By using royalty-free illustrations, you can quickly access high-quality images that are ready to use. Additionally, there are many styles and themes available, making it easy to find illustrations that match your brand or project. Using illustrations can also make your content more visually appealing and help convey your message more effectively.
Vector/Illustration Resource Recommendations
Adobe Stock
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: AI, EPS, JPG, PNG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: Offers a vast library of high-quality vectors and illustrations, integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud for easy access.
Free Icons (フリーアイコンズ)
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: PNG, EPS
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: A diverse range of illustrations covering people, animals, seasonal events, food, and household items. Features flat illustrations with a calm tone.
Freepik
- Commercial Use: Yes (with attribution)
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: AI, EPS, JPG, PNG
- Credit Attribution: Required for free downloads
- User Registration: Required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: A popular site with a vast library of free and premium vectors, illustrations, and photos. Offers a wide range of styles and categories.
Illustration AC (イラストAC)
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: PNG, JPG, Ai, EPS
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: A well-known site for commercial use, boasting a vast collection of illustrations across various genres and styles. Registration is necessary to download materials, with limitations on free accounts.
Illustration Navi (イラストナビ)
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: PNG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Offers hand-drawn and watercolor-style illustrations, appealing to female-oriented media. Comments accompany each illustration, providing context.
iStock
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: AI, EPS, JPG, PNG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: A subsidiary of Getty Images, iStock provides a wide range of stock illustrations and vectors, available for purchase.
Jitanda (時短だ)
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: PNG, JPG, Ai, SVG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Focused on business-related illustrations, including unique isometric designs. Offers customizable colors for certain materials. Free to download 20 assets daily.
Linustock
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG (line only and color only), EPS
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Features a unified illustration style with simple and stylish line drawings. The EPS format allows for easy modification, as paths are not outlined, making it simple to adjust line thickness and style. Layers for lines and colors facilitate smooth coloring and silhouette creation. The site also offers tips on material processing techniques.
Loose Drawing
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Provides simple illustrations updated weekly, ideal for ads, flyers, and presentations. The hand-drawn style resembles marker sketches, and users can change theme colors on the site.
ManyPixels
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG, SVG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: Offers a wide range of illustrations, including those for tech, analytics, and marketing. The categorization is excellent, covering various styles such as outline, monochrome, isometric, line art, and two-color designs. Users can also change theme colors on the site.
Open Doodles
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG, SVG, GIF
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: Features pop and dynamic illustrations with a unique composition. Users can freely change color schemes using a generator, and combining them with high-saturation neon colors is recommended for a vibrant look.
Sozai Good (素材Good )
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: PNG, JPG, Ai, GIF
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Features a variety of fancy illustrations suitable for greeting cards and school materials. Unlimited use of seasonal and event-specific illustrations.
Shutterstock
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: AI, EPS, JPG, PNG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: A leading stock photo and vector site with millions of high-quality images. Subscription plans available for frequent users.
Sokosuto(ソコスト)
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG, EPS, SVG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Offers highly versatile illustrations suitable for various contexts, featuring a wide range of characters from babies to seniors. Each illustration comes in four styles, with the option to change colors for monochrome versions. The EPS format allows for easy adjustments to line thickness.
Skribbl
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: A community-driven site featuring hand-drawn illustrations in a monochrome style. The variety in illustration styles offers inspiration for adding unique touches to line art. Email input is required for downloads.
shigureni free illust
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Limited (the artist indicates that shigureni provides daily mudane vibe girly style girl.)
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG/SVG (paid)
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Offers charming illustrations capturing the everyday life of cute girls, characterized by a unique softness and rounded forms. The titles of the illustrations are also delightful, making browsing the site enjoyable.
tyoudoii-illust (ちょうどいいイラスト)
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG, EPS
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: No
- Overview: Features simple illustrations that fit any scene, balancing trendiness with a friendly, neutral style. Variations include line art, monochrome, and color options.
unDraw
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- License/Terms of Use
- File Formats: PNG, SVG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Not required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: Features sophisticated illustrations perfect for IT and business themes. The minimalist style works well with animations, helping to convey concepts and messages clearly. Users can change theme colors on the site to match their brand colors.
Vecteezy
- Commercial Use: Yes (with attribution)
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: AI, EPS, JPG, PNG
- Credit Attribution: Required for free downloads
- User Registration: Required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: Provides a large collection of free vector art and illustrations, with options for premium downloads. User-friendly interface and search functionality.
VectorStock
- Commercial Use: Yes
- Modification: Yes
- File Formats: AI, EPS, JPG, PNG
- Credit Attribution: Not required
- User Registration: Required
- English Support: Yes
- Overview: A large collection of vector art available for download, with both free and paid options.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are stock illustrations?
Stock illustrations are pre-made images that you can use for your projects. They are created by artists and are available for licensing, which means you can use them without having to create your own from scratch. This can save you a lot of time!
2. Can I use stock illustrations for commercial purposes?
Yes, many stock illustrations are available for commercial use. However, it's important to check the licensing terms for each illustration to ensure you are using them correctly. Some may require attribution, while others do not.
3. How do I find the right illustration for my project?
When looking for the right illustration, consider your project's theme and style. Think about the colors and mood you want to convey. You can browse through different categories on stock illustration sites to find something that fits your needs.
4. I cannot read Japanese and I don’t understand the license fully. What should I do?
If you’re having trouble understanding the license, you can use translation tools like Google Translate or DeepL to help you. If you still have questions, feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll do our best to offer some help. Or you can use YoruBox's assets, we have written english license and usage for each assets.
5. Are there any costs associated with using stock illustrations?
Many stock illustrations are free to use, but some may require payment or attribution. Always check the specific terms for each illustration to know what is required.
6. Can I modify stock illustrations?
In most cases, yes! Many stock illustrations allow for modification, but again, it’s essential to check the licensing terms. This way, you can customize the illustrations to better fit your project.
P.S. These sites are sorted alphabetically, so there are no rankings. If you're interested in a full review or have any questions, feel free to comment below.
and we've also received inquiries about our online social media presence. Currently, we are active (actually not) on Pinterest, YouTube, and Tumblr. We might consider starting a Bluesky in the future, but for now, there's not much to share about our daily lives! We mostly spend our days working and enjoying games like The Sims or Stardew Valley. (and we are making our own game so.... yeah)
