Freepik is a popular online platform for finding stock photos, vectors, videos, and other creative assets. It offers both free and paid subscription plans that provide royalty-free licensing for anything you download from the site. The key differences between the two plans are as follows:
The free plan allows you to use Freepik’s assets for both personal and commercial projects. However, you must attribute Freepik and the specific creator of any asset you use by including a credit line. This is essential for complying with the free license. The paid Premium subscription provides more flexible, unrestricted use of Freepik’s content without the need for attribution. This allows you to use assets in commercial projects without crediting Freepik or creators. However, the Premium license prohibits certain use cases, such as resale of assets or distribution in templates/mockups.
The do’s and don’t’s
To understand the Freepik license, you first must understand the difference between a main and secondary element. A Freepik resource is considered the main element if it is the primary focus and has not been significantly altered. It is secondary if other major non-Freepik elements have been added such that the Freepik resource is no longer the primary visual focus.
| Use Case | Summary |
|---|---|
| Personal Use | Resources can be used as main elements. No reselling, sublicensing, or redistributing of original or modified files. |
| Marketing Products for Own Business | Resources can be used as the main elements for illustrating press articles. |
| Packaging | Resources can be used as main or secondary elements for packaging designs. |
| Custom Work for a Specific Client | Resources can be used as main elements for a specific client; not for multiple client use or reselling. For products meant for reselling, resources should be secondary elements. No delivery of editable files containing resources. |
| Social Network Posts | Resources can be used as main elements for social media posts. |
| Blogs and Websites | Resources can be used as main elements for blogs and website design. No sublicensing, reselling, or redistributing of original files. |
| Youtube Videos | Resources can be used as main elements for a specific client, not for multiple client use or reselling. For products meant for reselling, resources should be secondary elements. No delivery of editable files containing resources. |
| Press Articles | Resources can be used as main elements for illustrating press articles. |
Attribution: How, when, and where?
How? Attribution should be clearly visible and easy to find, displayed as “Designed by Freepik” along with a link to Freepik. You don’t have to (can’t) link from physical products.
When? You can provide attribution whenever you want, but it’s obligatory when you download an asset with a free plan.
Where? The location of attribution depends on the type of product. For digital products like websites, blogs, e-books, and newsletters, place it next to the asset or in the footer. In social media posts, include it in the image/video or post description. For printed products, it can be placed next to the image or elsewhere on the product if not possible. In videos, add it to the credits or video description. For mobile apps/games, include it in the credits section or app/game description on the store or website.
Is Freepik free?
Yes, Freepik does offer free resources which are available to all users. You can find them by using the “Free” filter located at the top left corner of the screen after you make a search on the site.
When using free resources, you need to credit the author with the attribution line “Designed by Freepik” in a clear and visible way. This can be on the printed product, the digital image you create, or on the website where you use the Freepik resource, with a link to Freepik.com.
Freepik also offers Premium resources which are accessible only to users with an active subscription. To gain access to these resources, you need to purchase a subscription.
Please note that around 1% of the content on Freepik is from third parties, and for these resources, you will be redirected to a third-party site when you click the download button. In such cases, you should check their licenses to understand how to use the images and if attribution is required.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Can I use Freepik commercially?
Yes, you can use Freepik resources commercially with attribution if free or with a paid subscription without attribution. However, there are some limits, like free assets can’t be the main element in products for resale.
Is Freepik free for commercial use?
Yes, Freepik’s free resources can be used for both personal and commercial projects. However, if you’re using the free version, you must credit the author with the line “Designed by Freepik”.
Is Freepik copyright free?
No, Freepik’s images are not copyright free. All images on Freepik are copyrighted. However, they can be used for various purposes as long as the usage complies with Freepik’s license rules.
Can I use Freepik for YouTube?
Yes, you can use Freepik’s images for your YouTube videos, whether for personal use or for your business, even if you monetize your YouTube channel with ads. However, if you are a free user, it is mandatory to include the attribution line “Designed by Freepik” in the text description of the video.
Can I use Freepik images for social media?
Yes, you can use Freepik’s resources as the main element to create social media posts for any platform, such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and more. This applies to both private individuals and businesses. Thus, Freepik’s images can be used broadly across all social media platforms.
Just thought I should mention that as of yesterday (28th Sept 2023), it looks like Freepik premium licenses no longer display the licensee’s name (your name), but instead seem to show just a license number. This renders the licenses redundant as far as many publishers are concerned because they do not show named ownership of the assets licensed. This change will also have repercussions for anyone using licensed premium assets from Freepik in titles already published who didn’t download their licenses prior to today.
Bill
Hey Bill, thanks for the heads up! I took a look, and you’re right – it’s just showing a license number now. But I think Freepik’s still keeping track of each license on their end. Not sure why this change would be an issue though. Can you shed some light on it?