Use Freepik to Find and Download Beautiful Images

Most designers have had occasional struggles finding appropriate images for projects. Perhaps some options have strict usage restrictions. Alternatively, maybe the image sites they come across don’t have enough variety. These are common problems a site called Freepik aims to address. 

What Is Freepik?

Freepik began in 2010, when brothers Alejandro and Pablo Blanes, and their friend Joaquín Cuenca, collaborated to work on the project. Alejandro wanted to create a platform where designers could find free graphic resources. Pablo thought the idea was a good one, and things took off from there. 

The platform has grown substantially since and is a leading place to find vectors, videos, images, and more. From 2022 to 2023, the company achieved $87 billion in revenue, representing 25% year-over-year growth. In September of 2023, executives decided on a rebranding effort to coincide with Freepik’s expansions in the United States. 

One of the main themes emphasized in the rebrand is that Freepik is available to anyone and everyone. Plus, the user-friendliness of the site helps people tap into their creativity, regardless of their experience level and background. 

How Do Designers Use Freepik?

Anyone going to the Freepik site will see a large search bar. They can use it to narrow the desired results and increase the chances of finding something fantastic. There’s a drop-down list to the left of where people enter their search queries. Using it allows searching for various options, ranging from icons to images to Photoshop files. 

It’s also possible to select multiple types of results by clicking them. Doing that makes a checkmark appear. Users will also notice they can filter the content by free or premium content. 

Freepik still has a wide range of complimentary resources. However, there’s now a paid tier. Anyone using Freepik’s resources without a subscription must provide an attribution line reading “Designed by Freepik” and linking to Freepik’s website. 

After finding something on Freepik, people can click on the content. The page that loads will have a green Download button on the right. Alternatively, there’s the option to open the content in an online editor. 

Each piece of content also has some helpful buttons that allow liking or adding it to a collection. Similarly, site users can share the content through a copied link or add it to popular social media platforms. Finally, there’s an option to follow creators, getting all the updates when they add new content. 

How Does the Online Editor Work?

People who find content they like and want to edit it online should start by clicking the gray Edit Online button. Doing that opens the content with accompanying editing tools to the left of the image. There are buttons to perform certain changes, plus sliders to change the contrast, brightness, and other aspects. Users can then save the edited image directly in the tool and download a version of it. 

Are the Downloads Unlimited? 

People using Freepik without registering can download up to three items per day. Choosing to edit and download an image counts as a single download. Registering increases the daily limit to 10. Users who need more than that should consider a premium subscription.

What Does the Subscription Cost and Include?

An individual subscription to Freepik costs $12 per year or $24 per month. Alternatively, the company has a plan for teams calculated on a per-seat basis. The rates start at $11.40 per month for annual billing or $22.80 per month if billed monthly. 

Freepik’s paid tier also comes with access to Flaticon, a service that has millions of icons and stickers. Recall how people can filter for free or premium images when searching with Freepik. Opting to see everything gives users access to more than 89,123,000 possibilities. 

Premium users can download 100 items per day. Subscribers get an icon editor and can create unlimited collections. There are also priority support options so people can get their questions answered faster. 

Does Freepik Use Artificial Intelligence?

When people choose new design tools to try, price is a top consideration. Designers may also pay attention to hardware requirements and whether the product has any artificial intelligence-based capabilities.

Artificial intelligence is not at the heart of Freepik’s business model. However, the company is still branching out into the technology gradually.  For now, that means there’s an image generator controlled by keywords or phrases. Once people enter their prompts, they’ll see numerous images appear that fit whatever they typed. Users can also customize the chosen result by selecting its size, resolution, or background color. 

People who’ve tried the tool appreciate that it’s free and allows them to get creative when working with AI. They suggest being as specific as possible when entering prompts and being willing to make changes until they get what they want. 

How Can Freepik Generate Income for Designers?

The Freepik platform allows designers to sell their content through it. People who become contributors earn money each time someone downloads one of their resources. However, uploading content to sell doesn’t guarantee its approval. The Freepik team will review submissions before putting them on the site. However, help documents on the site also specify why certain resources get rejected. Becoming familiar with them will greatly increase someone’s chances of success. 

Freepik uses a pay-per-download earning model. The main thing to keep in mind is that people should not expect the site to become a particularly lucrative side hustle. However, many designers may conclude that putting their assets up for sale is better than not having the option to profit from them. 

Can Designers Use Freepik With Other Apps?

Freepik has tools that allow people to use the site with Figma and Photoshop. Both are plugins that users should download first, and then open the respective programs to use them with Freepik. 

Alternatively, Freepik has a complementing product called Wepik that lets users find or create templates to support their small businesses. The items available to make with templates range from business cards to posters. The idea is that people can get beautiful options to grow their companies and support branding with much less effort than they might expect. 

How Can Freepik Bring Inspiration?

Most designers can remember times when they’ve felt excited about upcoming projects but felt a little hesitant to dive into the work. Perhaps that was because they needed to get inspired first or weren’t sure which direction was best to take with the upcoming work. Freepik can help in both those situations and others. 

People who scroll through the homepage will see trending categories and themed collections to explore. The site also has a comprehensive calendar page. It helps people find resources related to specific nationally or internationally celebrated days. 

Is Freepik Worth Trying? 

People can start searching through and downloading Freepik’s resources without paying anything. So, many feel there’s no harm in seeing what’s there. Another perk is that more stuff gets added to the site each day, meaning the collection always grows. 

A good starting point is to start by signing up for an account. People can then see how beneficial it is to have the 10 images to download daily. Once people become familiar with what Freepik offers and how it compares to other sites they use, they can decide whether it makes sense to sign up for a premium subscription. 

The themed collections are also always valuable to browse when people feel less creative than usual. Seeing eye-catching images is a great way to get out of a slump and feel energized and upbeat about an upcoming project.