- Seven clip art libraries and what each is good for
- Clip art libraries side by side
- Openclipart, Pixabay and Microsoft icons: the licence detail
- Wikimedia Commons isn't one licence
- Using clip art safely on worksheets, slides and products
- Worksheets, decks and printables: where clip art earns its place
- Frequently asked questions
The short version: Openclipart, Pixabay, Microsoft 365 icons, Wikimedia Commons, Vecteezy, Canva and SVG Repo all give you free clip art in 2026. Openclipart is public domain with no credit needed, Pixabay lets you skip attribution too, but every source has rules about trademarks and reselling the files as they are.
Clip art has had a quiet comeback. Small business owners use it for worksheets, flyers, slides, social posts and printables, and teachers and crafters use even more of it. The problem isn't finding it. The problem is knowing which free image you're allowed to put on a product, a client deck or an ad, and which one gets you an awkward email later.
Seven clip art libraries and what each is good for
In no particular order:
- Openclipart: best for public domain vector clip art you can use without credit.
- Pixabay: best for illustrations and vector graphics under a licence that doesn't ask for attribution.
- Microsoft 365 icons: best for simple icons inside Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook without leaving the app.
- Wikimedia Commons: best for historical drawings, diagrams and maps, each with its own licence.
- Vecteezy: best for a large mixed library where free files and licensed files sit side by side.
- Canva: best for clip art you'll drop straight into a design you're already making.
- SVG Repo: best for icon-style clip art collected from openly licensed sources.
Clip art libraries side by side
| Source | Best for | Licence note |
|---|---|---|
| Openclipart | Public domain vectors | CC0, no credit needed, commercial use allowed |
| Pixabay | Illustrations and vectors | No attribution needed, limits on trademarks and standalone resale |
| Microsoft 365 icons | Icons inside Office apps | Free to use, no royalty or copyright to worry about |
| Wikimedia Commons | Historical and educational art | Each file has its own licence and credit rules |
| Vecteezy | Big mixed library | Free files and licensed files have different terms |
| Canva | Designing as you go | Check the content licence for how you'll use it |
| SVG Repo | Icon-style clip art | Default licence needs no attribution, some icons carry their own |
Licence terms change, so check the file page before you rely on them.
Openclipart, Pixabay and Microsoft icons: the licence detail
Openclipart is the most generous. Its own FAQ describes a collection of more than 180,000 vector graphics, all in the public domain under the Creative Commons Zero licence, and says there's no need to cite it. It goes further than most: you can use the clip art commercially, for school, for church, for your job, or even to manufacture products. Credit is still appreciated, and if you're online, a mention helps the artists.
Pixabay's licence summary says you can use its content for free, without attributing the author, and you can modify it into new works. Two things aren't allowed. You can't redistribute the content on a standalone basis, meaning the image unchanged with no creative work added. And if an image contains a recognisable trademark, logo or brand, you can't use it commercially in connection with goods and services, which includes printing it on merchandise.
Microsoft is the one people forget they already have. Its support page says the icons inside Microsoft 365 are free to use with no royalty or copyright to worry about, and you can rotate, colour and resize them with no loss of quality. Go to Insert, then Icons, and you can pick several at once before you click Insert.
Wikimedia Commons isn't one licence
Wikimedia Commons looks like one big free library, but its own reuse guide says the Wikimedia Foundation owns almost none of the content there. Each file belongs to its creator and may have different requirements: some licences need you to credit the creator, some need you to name the licence, and some need your changed version to be shared under the same terms. The file's information page tells you which, so click through every time.
The same goes for mixed libraries like Vecteezy, where the licence agreement covers several licence types. Free and licensed files can look identical in search results, so read the label on the file before you build a client project around it.
Using clip art safely on worksheets, slides and products
- Decide where the image is going: personal, client work, a printed product or an ad.
- For printed products, start with Openclipart, where public domain files can go on products.
- For quick office work, use Insert, then Icons, inside Word or PowerPoint.
- Avoid any image with a logo or brand if it's going on merchandise.
- Open the file page and read the licence before you download.
- Add your own colour, text or layout so the final piece is your work, not the file as it came.
Worksheets, decks and printables: where clip art earns its place
It works well in worksheets, slide decks, social graphics, newsletters and simple printables. If you're building the design itself, my Canva tutorial and roundup of free graphic design software will get you there faster, and if you'd rather generate an image than download one, see how to create AI images free.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My take: public domain first, attribution-free second, and anything with a brand in it never goes on a product. That simple order keeps you out of trouble.
Run a free clip art site that belongs on this list? See how to get it featured.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free clip art for commercial use?
Openclipart says all of its clip art is public domain and can be used commercially, even to manufacture products. Pixabay also allows commercial use without attribution, with limits on trademarks and standalone resale.
Does Microsoft still have clip art?
Microsoft 365 has icons you insert from the Insert tab. Microsoft's support page says these icons are free to use with no royalty or copyright to worry about.
Do I need to credit free clip art?
Not on Openclipart or Pixabay, though credit is appreciated. On Wikimedia Commons some licences require credit, so check each file's information page.
Can I put free clip art on t-shirts or mugs?
Public domain clip art from Openclipart can go on products. Pixabay doesn't allow images with recognisable trademarks, logos or brands on merchandise, and doesn't allow the image to be redistributed on its own with no creative work added.
Is Wikimedia Commons clip art free to use?
Most files can be reused, but each has its own licence. Some require credit, some require naming the licence, and some require changes to be shared under the same terms.
