Free Lorem Picsum Alternative
Lorem Picsum is a free placeholder image service that provides real photographs from Unsplash. You specify dimensions in the URL, and it returns a high-quality, random photograph. It's excellent for realistic mockups where you want actual photographic content. However, if you need simple solid-color placeholders with custom text and colors, Fixie's Placeholder Image Generator is a better fit.
Try Placeholder Image Generator Free →Placeholder Image Generator vs Lorem Picsum
| Feature | Fixie Placeholder Image Generator | Lorem Picsum |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free |
| Signup Required | No | No |
| Image Type | Solid color with text | Real photographs |
| Custom Colors | Yes (full control) | No (random photos) |
| Custom Text | Yes | No |
| Consistency | Deterministic (same inputs = same output) | Random (unless using seed) |
| Ads | None | None |
Why Choose Fixie?
Lorem Picsum serves a different use case than traditional placeholder generators. Instead of generic gray boxes with dimensions, it provides real, high-quality photographs from Unsplash. This makes mockups and prototypes look more realistic, which can be valuable for client presentations or design reviews where you want to approximate final content.
However, real photographs can also be distracting during development. Colors vary, subject matter is unpredictable (unless you use seed values), and you can't add custom labels or adjust background colors. If you need simple, neutral placeholders that clearly show dimensions and stay out of the way, photographs are too visually prominent.
Fixie's Placeholder Image Generator creates classic solid-color placeholders with customizable background, text, and size. Both tools are completely free. Lorem Picsum is ideal for realistic mockups. Fixie is better for minimal, neutral placeholders during development.
How to Use Placeholder Image Generator
Step 1: Go to the Placeholder Generator
Navigate to fixie.tools/placeholder — no account needed.
Step 2: Customize Your Placeholder
Set image dimensions, background color, text color, and custom label text.
Step 3: Preview the Result
See a live preview of your placeholder image with all customizations applied.
Step 4: Download or Use URL
Download the placeholder or copy the URL to use directly in your project.