Flaticon vs Vexels
Flaticon and Vexels solve asset problems but for very different audiences. Flaticon is the champion for universal vector icons and web design assets. Vexels focuses laser-like on professional print-on-demand merchandise creation. Choosing the right one depends entirely on your end goal and workflow.
Unmatched Icon Library for Design Workflow.
We find Flaticon delivers unmatched variety and highly usable format flexibility for visual assets. The platform excels with its extensive 18-million icon library and highly functional free tier, making it useful for both professionals and casual users like teachers or students. Overall, this is a necessary resource for streamlining nearly any graphic design workflow.
Pros
- Access to a vast library of over 18 million vector icons and stickers.
- High-quality icons available in multiple styles (flat, line, colorful, and 3D).
- Excellent, robust free plan provides professional-grade resources.
- Intuitive interface, efficient search function, and quick customization tools.
Cons
- Free plan requires strict attribution for all downloads.
- Isolated complaints noted concerning difficult account and content deletion processes.
Excellent tools, support is unreliable.
We found Vexels excellent for accessing high-quality, readily available POD designs and specialized creation tools. We must note, however, that the platform suffers from alarming reports of poor customer service and billing irregularities, especially for high-tier users. Overall, Vexels provides strong design assets but must seriously improve its administrative reliability.
Pros
- Access to a massive, exclusive library of over 500,000 POD templates.
- Cost-effective plans that offer strong value for money.
- Tools are constantly updated, including new AI design features.
- Easy-to-use online T-Shirt Design Maker and instant Mockup Generator.
Cons
- Frequent, serious complaints regarding unresponsive customer service and technical support.
- Reports of critical billing errors, including multiple unauthorized payments upon sign-up.
- High-tier custom design service often fails to deliver accurate results or accept feedback.
- The platform currently lacks an explicit free trial option.
AboutFlaticon
Flaticon is an enormous resource catalog built for creativity. It holds over 18 million vector icons and versatile stickers.
These resources are proudly made by and for designers just like you. You can find more than standard static images here.
Look for various resource types, including Animated icons and essential Interface icons. It truly is a comprehensive library for all your visual needs.
AboutVexels
Vexels is the ultimate Print on Demand (POD) merch design tool. It offers an extensive library of high-quality designs and powerful online resources. This platform makes merch creation simple for everyone, whether you are tweaking text or transforming templates. You can use it to upgrade your merch strategy with professional designs and AI-enhanced graphics.
It’s built for immediate use with major POD companies, including Etsy, Shopify, Printful, Printify, and Amazon Merch. 💡
Highlights
Feature Comparison
Features Overview
We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.
Scope & Content
Flaticon offers massive volume for general design needs. Vexels provides specialized, highly commercial merch templates.
Flaticon offers over 18.1 million vector icons and stickers. It is the world's largest library for vector graphics and UI elements. The selection includes specialized sets like Animated icons and Style Packs. Vexels provides over 500,000 professional Print on Demand Design Templates. These assets are specifically tailored for commercial merchandise and apparel. The core difference is sheer quantity versus deep specialization. Flaticon is a resource hub, while Vexels is a product factory. If you need a simple interface icon for an app, Flaticon is superior. If you need a ready-to-sell t-shirt graphic, Vexels is the winner here.
Specialized Tools
Vexels features tools purpose-built for creating commercial merchandise. Flaticon's tools are focused on asset preparation.
Flaticon includes essential integrated editing like rotation, flipping, and precise move controls. These functions help you prepare the icon position before download. Vexels features a dedicated T-Shirt Design Maker and an instant Mockup Generator. These tools accelerate the merchandising workflow significantly. Vexels invests heavily in workflow-focused tools for POD sellers. Flaticon provides basic customization needed for standard icon use. This distinction clarifies the focus: Vexels crafts products, but Flaticon prepares single design components.
Advanced Formats
Flaticon excels in providing versatile vector formats for professional design. Vexels focuses on optimized graphics suitable for POD printing.
Flaticon Premium provides crucial vector formats: SVG, EPS, and professional PSD files. It ensures compatibility with professional design software. Vexels delivers POD-optimized vector and raster files suitable for printing vendors. It guarantees compatibility with services like Printful and Amazon Merch. Flaticon is better for developers and designers who need layer control in external software. Vexels ensures the graphic is scalable and print-ready immediately. If you need Base 64 encoding to speed up web loading, only Flaticon has that capability built-in.
AI Capabilities
Vexels strongly uses AI for rapid design generation and variation. Flaticon does not currently offer integrated AI design features.
Flaticon does not list any AI generation or credit-based tools. Its library focuses on human-created, curated vectors and stickers. Vexels grants users monthly AI Credits to generate new, printable merch designs. It features over 20 new AI styles to explore trends quickly. Vexels is ideal if you want to test many design concepts rapidly using generative artificial intelligence. This requires using your plan's included AI credits. This speed advantage makes Vexels excellent for iterating quickly on trendy product niches.
Custom Design Service
Vexels offers unique custom service for proprietary assets under high-tier plans. Flaticon only provides a ready-made library.
Flaticon users select from the existing 18.1 million items. Custom work tailored to specific branding is not part of the subscription offering. Vexels Merch Seller and Expert plans include monthly Custom Design Request Credits. The Vexels team creates tailored graphics specifically for the user. If you require proprietary, unique designs that no one else has, Vexels provides that resource. This can make an expensive plan worthwhile. However, some Vexels users report serious issues with custom request quality and receiving accurate deliverables.
Pricing Structure
Flaticon offers a robust free tier and simple subscriptions. Vexels relies on tiered plans and one-time lifetime deals.
Flaticon has a highly valuable Free plan with 18.1M icons (PNG) requiring attribution. Premium plans are simple, starting at $8.25/month annually. Vexels offers no free plan; the lowest tier starts at $10.50/month. It limits consumption via monthly quotas (downloads and AI credits). Vexels offers unique long-term value via large, one-time Lifetime payment packages. Flaticon requires recurring subscription payments. Flaticon is budget-friendly for small users, while Vexels caters to serious sellers wanting maximum resource commitment.
Customer Reliability
Flaticon maintains high user satisfaction and reliable support. Vexels users report serious, structural issues with financial and technical support.
Flaticon consistently receives positive reviews regarding its intuitive interface and extensive asset quality. Paid plans include Priority Support handling. Vexels users report serious complaints regarding unresponsive support and critical billing errors. Unauthorized payments have been reported upon signup. Flaticon demonstrates reliability and a positive user experience, making it a safer commitment. Vexels' administrative weakness is a significant purchasing risk. Always choose reliability when your business depends on a subscription platform working correctly.
Scalability & Limits
Flaticon provides high daily volume limits for general users. Vexels is built to scale high-volume creative output via specialized limits.
Flaticon Premium allows for up to 2,000 icon downloads per day. This is effectively unlimited for most individual designers and developers. Vexels limits consumption based on monthly stock downloads (e.g., 200) and AI credits (e.g., 1000). This aligns usage with specific product output. For sheer volume of individual assets, Flaticon is the clear winner for design work. For managed, high-output print production, Vexels is structured better. Vexels also offers Custom Corporate Solutions for large agencies, which Flaticon does not explicitly advertise.
Our Verdict
The choice between Flaticon and Vexels is a decision of platform purpose. Are your graphics digital assets or commercial products? The answer drives your choice. Flaticon is the superior resource for nearly all digital design needs. With over 18 million assets, the library is unmatched in scope and volume. Flaticon’s incredibly robust free plan and simple, cheap paid tiers offer superb value and format flexibility. Vexels is an entirely different beast, focused on Print-on-Demand scaling. It gives sellers 500,000 ready-to-use templates plus essential POD tools. Features like AI design, mockups, and the T-Shirt Maker accelerate merchandise production significantly. Your purchase intent is the key factor. If you need simple, reliable vectors for web development or UI design, Flaticon is your partner. If you run a high-volume dropshipping or merch business using Printify or Etsy, Vexels is the specialized tool you need. Final verdict: Choose Flaticon for reliable, high-volume graphic assets and unbeatable value. Select Vexels only if you require its proprietary, specialized POD production suite and are willing to risk documented customer service issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which library is bigger, Flaticon or Vexels?
Flaticon has an unmatched volume with over 18.1 million vector icons. Vexels offers 500,000+ specialized Print-on-Demand design templates. Flaticon contains far more general assets, while Vexels specializes heavily.
Does Vexels offer a free plan like Flaticon?
No, Vexels does not explicitly list a free plan or traditional trial period. Flaticon offers a robust free tier with access to its full 18.1 million asset library. The free access only grants PNG formats and requires attribution.
Which tool is better for creating physical products for sale?
Vexels is specifically engineered for commercial merchandise creation. It includes instant mockups, POD templates, and AI tools for faster product design. Flaticon is primarily focused on digital, web-based projects.
Can I get vector formats like SVG and PSD from Flaticon and Vexels?
Flaticon Premium provides SVG, PSD, and EPS files, essential for professional designers. Vexels provides POD-optimized graphics, but Flaticon is structurally better for standard vector formats and advanced use.
Can I ask the Flaticon or Vexels team to create designs for me?
Vexels offers Custom Design Request Credits in its higher subscription tiers. Flaticon focuses entirely on providing access to its existing, massive icon library. Flaticon does not offer custom design services.
Does Flaticon have AI design tools?
Flaticon does not currently offer integrated AI generation tools. Vexels utilizes AI Credits to generate new design concepts for print-on-demand quickly. Vexels focuses on leveraging AI for creation.
Ready to Choose?
Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.