5 Free Tools to Generate Default Avatars for Your Next Project
Source: Dev.to
Overview
We’ve all been there. You are building a new MVP, a dashboard, or a chat app, and you need some placeholder user avatars. The default gray silhouette is boring, but you don’t have time to design custom assets.
Here is a curated list of 5 free tools to generate default avatars. Whether you need a quick PNG download or a programmatic API, I’ve got you covered.
1. Square Face Generator (Simplest Visual Maker)
If you need high‑quality, flat‑style avatars without messing around with APIs or code, this is the easiest option to start with.
I built/curated this web interface to make generating avatars as frictionless as possible. It’s a purely visual tool—you just mix and match the eyes, mouth, and colors, then download the PNG instantly.
Best for: UI mockups, static websites, or when you want to hand‑pick the “look” of your personas.
Key Features:
- No login
- No watermark
- 100 % free
Link:
2. DiceBear (Best for APIs)
DiceBear is arguably the most popular avatar library for developers. It provides a powerful HTTP API that lets you generate avatars based on a seed (like a username).
Best for: Dynamic apps where avatars are generated programmatically based on user data.
Link:
3. UI Avatars (Best for Initials)
Sometimes you don’t need a face; you just need to identify the user. UI Avatars generates avatars with user initials. It’s incredibly robust and requires no assets.
https://ui-avatars.com/api/?name=Elon+MuskBest for: Professional/business applications, admin dashboards.
Link:
4. Multiavatar (Best for Diversity)
If you are looking for something complex and multicultural, Multiavatar is amazing. It creates avatars representing people from multiple races, cultures, and age groups. The generation algorithm is quite impressive.
Best for: Crypto projects (visualizing wallet hashes) or global communities.
Link:
5. Boring Avatars (Best for React)
Don’t let the name fool you. Boring Avatars is a tiny React library that generates SVG‑based, Bauhaus‑inspired abstract avatars. It allows you to change the colors and styles directly via props.
Best for: React/Next.js developers who want a lightweight dependency.
Link:
Summary
- Need a quick, cute PNG for your design? Go with Square Face Generator.
- Need an API to generate avatars for many users? Choose DiceBear.
- Need initials? Use UI Avatars.
What do you use for placeholders in your projects? Let me know in the comments!