Are mockups free to use? Mockup licenses explained
Some mockups are free to use and some are not. A free download does not always mean free for commercial work: the license decides whether you can use a mockup in a personal project, for a paying client or for resale. Read the license of the exact file before you use it for anything that earns money.
What do personal, commercial, client work and resale mean in a mockup license?
A personal license covers projects where no money changes hands, a commercial license covers work that earns money, and resale means handing the mockup file itself to someone else. Each site words these differently, so the terms below are the common meaning, not a rule.
- Personal use: a portfolio, a student project or a hobby post. Some sites ask you to credit them when you use a free mockup this way.
- Commercial use: ads, an online store, a product page or your own business materials.
- Client work: a mockup in a presentation or a delivered design for someone who pays you. Some licenses name it separately, because "commercial" alone can be read as your own business only.
- Resale and redistribution: selling the mockup, giving the PSD away, or bundling it into a template pack. Nearly every free license forbids this, even when the other uses are allowed.
This is general information, not legal advice. When a project has real money or a contract behind it, read the license text itself.
Can I use free mockups for commercial projects?
Sometimes. Free for commercial use is a separate promise from free to download, and each source makes it differently. Some sites allow commercial and client work on every free file, some allow it only on files whose author says so, and some limit free exports to personal use.
The trap is a site that mixes free and paid items under different terms, or lists mockups made by many authors. The license shown on the download page of that file is the one that applies, not the site's general slogan.
What should I check in a mockup license?
Check six things before you download: who the license covers, what uses it allows, whether you must credit the source, what you may do with the source file, whether it covers this exact file, and who owns the objects shown. A short check takes a minute and avoids having to redo a client deck.
- Commercial use and client work: are both named as allowed?
- Attribution: do you have to add a visible credit, and where?
- Redistribution: can you share the PSD with a teammate or a client, or only the flattened picture you export?
- Scope: does the license cover this file, or only part of the site?
- Watermarks: is the free export clean?
- Brands and people: mockups can show real products or logos. ls.graphics says in its terms that third-party product names or images may appear in its mockups and that you are responsible for following the brand's own use guidelines.
What are the license terms of popular mockup sources?
They vary widely. We re-checked each site's own pages on 7 November 2026, and terms can change, so treat this as a snapshot and open the linked page before you rely on it.
- Mockup World is a directory of free mockups from independent creators. Its FAQ says it selects mockups that creators describe as free for personal and commercial projects, and it advises checking the creator's license on the original download page before client or commercial use.
- Unblast says resources made by its own designers are free for personal and commercial use. For resources from other authors it shows the license each author specified, and says to check the author's website if none is given. You cannot host its download files on your own site without permission.
- Mockups Design allows any purpose, including commercial and client work, with no attribution. You may not distribute the open PSD or TIF files, or sell them on stock sites, but you may share the flattened picture you export.
- Mockuuups Studio has a personal license for free exports: non-commercial, with visible attribution, and no client work. Commercial use needs a paid plan or a single export purchase.
- Artboard Studio says free users get a personal license, and that only its paid plans grant a commercial license.
For a wider look at where each site fits, see our comparison of the best mockup websites.
Are ls.graphics free mockups free for commercial use?
Yes. The free mockups cost nothing to download or edit online, and you can use them in personal and commercial projects, including client work. You may change them to fit your project. You may not resell or redistribute them, or share the source files.
The wording comes from the license section of our terms of service, which also forbids sub-licensing, bundling a mockup as a gift in resold templates and passing off a modified mockup as your own product. Rights stay with ls.graphics. You sign in to download a free mockup or open it in the editor, and the rest of the catalog comes with a plan.
In practice, this means you can put a free scene in a client presentation or a store listing, and you cannot upload the same PSD to a marketplace or hand it to another person as a file. Exporting a PNG of your own design on the scene and sharing that is normal use.
Free mockup examples you can use commercially
These six free scenes from the ls.graphics library fall under the terms above. Each page has the download and, on many, an online editor.
- Free HomeView mockup, a smart display lit from the side
- Free tin can mockup, held in two hands on a pink background
- Free tote bag mockup, on a concrete court
- Free shopping bag mockup, in bright orange
- Round sticker mockup, held between two fingers
- Free iPhone Air mockup, in a hand
FAQ
Are mockups free to use?
Many are free to download, but the right to use them depends on the license. Check whether it allows commercial use, client work and what you may do with the source file.
Can I use a free mockup for a client?
Only if the license says so. Mockups Design and the free section of ls.graphics allow it; Mockuuups Studio and Artboard Studio limit free exports to personal use.
Do I need to credit the mockup creator?
Sometimes. Mockuuups Studio requires visible attribution on free exports, while Mockups Design asks for none for commercial use. The license of the file tells you.
Can I sell a mockup I edited?
Usually not. Most free licenses forbid reselling or redistributing the mockup, edited or not, and the ls.graphics terms say so too. You can sell your own design shown on a mockup, if the license allows commercial use.