Summary
- Automatic color generator creating harmonious palettes in one click
- Free version with up to 5-color palettes and Pro version at $3/month for advanced features
- Image color extraction to create palettes from your photos
- Accessibility tools with WCAG-compliant contrast checker
- Mobile apps iOS and Android + browser extensions and Figma/Adobe plugins
- Community of over 2 million users and thousands of shared palettes
What is Coolors?
Coolors is a color palette generation platform that has become the go-to tool for designers, web developers, and creatives. Developed by Fabrizio Bianchi, this solution enables users to create, customize, and share harmonious color combinations in just seconds.
The tool attracts over 2 million active users thanks to its intuitive interface and ability to instantly generate cohesive palettes. Whether you're a professional graphic designer, web developer, or entrepreneur looking to define your brand's visual identity, Coolors significantly streamlines the color selection process. The platform offers a flexible approach combining automatic generation, manual customization, and community inspiration to meet all creative needs.
How does Coolors work?
The automatic generator forms the core of Coolors. By simply pressing the spacebar, the tool instantly generates a palette of 5 harmonious colors based on color theory algorithms. This revolutionary feature allows users to explore thousands of combinations effortlessly. Users can "lock" colors they like by clicking the padlock icon, then regenerate only the unlocked colors.
The image color extractor represents a particularly appreciated feature. Simply import any photo for Coolors to automatically analyze the dominant hues and suggest a corresponding palette. This approach enables creating harmonies based on concrete visual references, like an inspiring landscape or artwork.
The integrated contrast checker automatically verifies color combination accessibility according to WCAG standards. This tool calculates contrast ratios between text and background colors, ensuring optimal readability for all users, including those with visual impairments.
The Artwork Recolor tool allows instant recoloring of SVG illustrations with created palettes. This revolutionary feature saves designers considerable time by applying their colors to complex visuals with a single click.
Our opinion on Coolors
Coolors stands out for its exceptional ease of use and the quality of its generation algorithms. The clean interface makes the tool accessible even to non-designers, while advanced features satisfy the most demanding professionals. The generation speed and ability to lock certain colors offer remarkable flexibility.
Coolors' active community is a major asset. With thousands of palettes shared daily, the platform becomes an endless source of inspiration. Current color trends are easily identifiable through the most popular palettes.
However, the free version has limitations that can frustrate intensive users. Upgrading to Pro quickly becomes necessary to fully exploit the tool's potential, especially for unlimited saving and custom export.
Advantages and disadvantages of Coolors
Strengths:
- Ultra-intuitive interface: instant generation with simple spacebar press
- Built-in accessibility features with WCAG contrast checker
- Multi-platform: web, iOS/Android mobile, Chrome extensions and Adobe/Figma plugins
- Active community with over 10,000 ready-to-use palettes
Weaknesses:
- Free version limitations: maximum 5 colors per palette and 10 saved palettes
- No color code search to find specific palettes
- Paid Pro features necessary for intensive professional use
Results and performance with Coolors
Coolors' usage metrics are impressive: the platform generates over 50,000 palettes daily and relies on a user base of 2+ million active creatives. The site shows excellent SimilarWeb ranking, positioning at rank #23 in the "Graphics and Web Design" category with +10.36% traffic growth over the last three months.
In terms of operational efficiency, professional users report a 60% time savings in their palette creation processes compared to traditional methods. The image color extraction feature notably reduces manual research from 30 minutes to less than 2 minutes of automated processing.
The productivity impact is also measured in massive adoption by creative teams: over 15,000 companies regularly use Coolors in their design workflows. Integrations with Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and web browsers facilitate this adoption by naturally fitting into professionals' existing tools.
Satisfaction rates remain high with an average rating of 4.5/5 on mobile app stores and consistent positive feedback from the designer community on professional social networks.
Frequently asked questions about Coolors
Is Coolors really free?
Yes, Coolors offers a permanent free version with no time limitations. You can create palettes with up to 5 colors and save up to 10. The Pro version at $3/month unlocks advanced features and removes limitations.
How do I extract colors from an image?
Use the "Image Picker" feature by uploading your photo (max 10 MB). Coolors automatically analyzes the dominant colors and generates a corresponding palette. You can then fine-tune each color individually.
Does Coolors work offline?
No, Coolors requires an internet connection to function. However, mobile apps allow you to view previously saved palettes even without connection.
Can I cancel the Pro subscription anytime?
Absolutely. The Coolors Pro subscription can be canceled anytime from your account. You retain access to premium features until the end of the paid period, then your account automatically reverts to the free version.
Alternatives to Coolors
Adobe Color represents the most credible professional alternative with its advanced color theory tools and native Creative Suite integration. Free but requiring an Adobe account, it particularly suits users already in the Adobe ecosystem.
Color Hunt positions itself as a community gallery of palettes with a more modern and clean design. The focus on current trends and visual inspiration makes it an interesting complement to Coolors for creative idea research.
Paletton offers a more technical approach with its interactive color wheel and in-depth color theory tools. Particularly appreciated by experienced designers, it allows fine control over color harmonies but requires more technical knowledge.
To discover other complementary tools, check out our Figma review which also offers color management features for your designs, or explore Adobe Creative Suite for a more comprehensive approach to graphic creation.
Optimize your creative workflow with Coolors
Coolors proves particularly suited to web designers, front-end developers, and creatives working on projects requiring strong chromatic consistency. Branding teams find it a valuable tool for quickly defining new brands' visual identity, while developers appreciate direct color code export in all standard formats.
To maximize Coolors' efficiency, always start by defining a base color representative of your project, then use the automatic generator to explore possible harmonies. Don't hesitate to combine image extraction with automatic generation to create unique and personalized palettes.
Sources and resources
Sources: Official Coolors Website - Coolors Documentation
