Open Doodles vs unDraw
Quick verdict
Open Doodles and unDraw are both excellent illustration tools, and the right pick depends on what you need. Open Doodles is a free set of loose, hand-drawn illustrations you can use anywhere, while unDraw is open-source illustrations for any idea, recolor to your brand. For most people, unDraw is the safer default thanks to its wider adoption — but Open Doodles can be the better fit for the right workflow.
If you're choosing between Open Doodles and unDraw, you're not alone — they're two of the most talked-about illustration tools around, and the differences aren't always obvious from their landing pages.
We track hundreds of illustration tools on DesignBookmark, so we've put them side by side below: what each one is, where they overlap, how they differ, and a clear answer to which you should choose.
No fluff and no fabricated benchmarks — just an honest, practical comparison to help you decide fast.
At a glance
| Open Doodles | unDraw | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Illustrations | Illustrations |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| On DesignBookmark | Listed | Featured pick |
| Categories | 1 | 1 |
Pricing is a general guide and changes often — always confirm current plans on each tool's site.
What they have in common
At a high level, Open Doodles and unDraw are after the same thing. Both sit in our illustrations category, both are aimed at designers, developers and creators, and both are built to make that job faster and more enjoyable.
So if you're only going to use one, you won't be missing out on the fundamentals either way — the question is which one's particular take on illustration tool suits you best. That's what the rest of this comparison digs into.
Open Doodles
Open Doodles bills itself as a free set of loose, hand-drawn illustrations you can use anywhere — and in practice that's exactly what it delivers. It earns its reputation by being genuinely useful day to day, not just impressive in a thirty-second demo.
Compared with unDraw, it's the one to reach for when you want something that just works out of the box. On the pricing side, Open Doodles is generally free — always click through to confirm current plans, since they change often.
unDraw
unDraw is open-source illustrations for any idea, recolor to your brand. The team behind it ships steadily, so it keeps improving rather than standing still.
Against Open Doodles, it tends to win people over when you value a tool you can pick up without reading the manual. On the pricing side, unDraw is generally free — always click through to confirm current plans, since they change often.
How to choose between Open Doodles and unDraw
Pick Open Doodles
Choose Open Doodles if it clicks with you in a quick hands-on test — that's the real deciding factor.
Pick unDraw
Choose unDraw if you want the more established, widely-adopted pick that most people reach for first.
Pricing & how you'll pay
Open Doodles and unDraw use broadly similar pricing models, so cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor. Focus instead on which one fits your workflow — and always confirm the latest plans on each site, since pricing changes often.
Workflow & learning curve
The best illustration tool is the one that disappears into your routine. Think about which interface feels more natural to you, which integrates with the apps you already use, and which you'd actually open every day. A short free trial of each tells you more than any feature chart.
Scope — all-rounder or specialist
Both cover similar ground here, so neither is obviously the "bigger" tool. Judge them on how well they do the specific job you care about most, rather than the length of their feature lists.
Momentum & community
A tool is only as good as the team and community behind it. Both Open Doodles and unDraw are actively maintained and listed on DesignBookmark for that reason — but it's worth a quick look at each one's changelog and community to see which is moving in a direction you like.
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Doodles better than unDraw?+
Neither is universally "better" — they're both strong illustration tools, which is why people compare them. Open Doodles suits you if you want a free set of loose, hand-drawn illustrations you can use anywhere; unDraw suits you if you want open-source illustrations for any idea, recolor to your brand. The best way to decide is to try both on a real project.
What's the difference between Open Doodles and unDraw?+
They overlap a lot — both are illustration tools aimed at the same audience. The practical difference is emphasis: Open Doodles is a free set of loose, hand-drawn illustrations you can use anywhere, whereas unDraw is open-source illustrations for any idea, recolor to your brand. That shapes which workflows each one feels best for.
Is Open Doodles or unDraw cheaper?+
Their pricing models are broadly similar (Open Doodles is free, unDraw is free), so cost isn't the deciding factor for most people. Check each site for the current plans, since they change regularly.
Can I use Open Doodles and unDraw together?+
Often, yes. Plenty of people use more than one illustration tool side by side — one as their main driver and another for the things it does best. There's no rule that says you must pick only one, though most settle on a primary tool over time.
Is there a free version of Open Doodles or unDraw?+
Both generally offer a free or freemium way in, so you can try Open Doodles and unDraw before paying for either.
The bottom line
The bottom line: unDraw is the easier one to recommend as a default, but there's no wrong answer between Open Doodles and unDraw — they're both genuinely good illustration tools. Re-read the "how to choose" points above, take whichever one speaks to you for a quick spin, and keep the one that earns a permanent place in your workflow.