What is the difference between Noun Project and Unsplash for Commercial Use?

Noun Project (Free): limited. Unsplash (Free): yes.

What is the difference between Noun Project and Unsplash for Editing?

Noun Project (Free): no. Unsplash (Free): yes.

What is the difference between Noun Project and Unsplash for Attribution?

Noun Project (Free): yes. Unsplash (Free): no.

What is the difference between Noun Project and Unsplash for Redistribution?

Noun Project (Free): no. Unsplash (Free): limited.

What is the difference between Noun Project and Unsplash for Client Work?

Noun Project (Free): limited. Unsplash (Free): yes.

Compare platforms

Noun Project vs Unsplash

Side-by-side comparison of licensing terms between Noun Project and Unsplash.

License Comparison

Hover or tap any field name to see what it means. Highlighted rows indicate differences.

Field	Noun Project Visit Noun Project	Unsplash Free · Free Visit Unsplash
	✓	✓
	~Commercial use is permitted on the free tier but requires visible attribution to the creator.	✓
	✗	✓
	Required	Not required
	✗	✗
	✗	~You cannot compile photos to replicate a competing stock photo service or sell unmodified copies.
	✓	✓
	✓	✓
	~Client work is allowed on the free tier, but attribution must be included in the final deliverable.	✓
	✓Published	✓Published
	✗	✗
	✗	✗

Prices may vary by region and are subject to change.

Noun Project:

Noun Project

Free

Visit Platform

Unsplash

Free

Visit Platform

Price

Free

Prices may vary by region and are subject to change.

Download

Yes

Commercial Use

Commercial use is permitted on the free tier but requires visible attribution to the creator.

Yes

Editing

No icon editor access; 'Black only icons, no editor' listed for free tier.

Yes

Attribution

Req'd

Exclusive Rights

Redistribution

You cannot compile photos to replicate a competing stock photo service or sell unmodified copies.

Print Use

Yes

Digital Use

Yes

Client Work

Client work is allowed on the free tier, but attribution must be included in the final deliverable.

Yes

Survives Cancellation

Forever

Noun Project:

Free icons require visible attribution - failure to credit the creator is a license violation.

Noun Project is primarily an icon library - the photo collection is newer and smaller than dedicated stock photo platforms.

Unsplash:

The Unsplash License is not the same as Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You cannot compile Unsplash photos to replicate a similar service.

Photos featuring identifiable people may require additional model releases for commercial use.

Key Differences

Fields where these platforms differ

Commercial Use

Noun Project:~Commercial use is permitted on the free tier but requires visible attribution to the creator.

Unsplash:✓

Editing

Noun Project:✗

Unsplash:✓

Attribution

Noun Project:Required

Unsplash:Not required

Redistribution

Noun Project:✗

Unsplash:~You cannot compile photos to replicate a competing stock photo service or sell unmodified copies.

Client Work

Noun Project:~Client work is allowed on the free tier, but attribution must be included in the final deliverable.

Unsplash:✓

Popular Comparisons

ShutterstockVSAdobe Stock ElevenLabsVSSoundraw ArtlistVSEpidemic Sound MidjourneyVSChatGPT ElevenLabsVSFish Audio CanvaVSCreative Market PexelsVSUnsplash ElevenLabsVSDescript Envato ElementsVSShutterstock Getty ImagesVSiStock PixabayVSPexels Hailuo AIVSKling AI

Informational Only - Not Legal Advice

LicenseOrg provides informational summaries of platform license terms for educational purposes only. This is not legal advice. Always consult the platform’s official license page and a qualified legal professional.

Exclusive perks for members

Join Our Community

Get early access to new features, plus exclusive deals and coupons from top creative platforms.