Icons are essential in modern web and app design, providing a visual shorthand for functionality and content. Whether you’re building websites, mobile apps, or software interfaces, icons help enhance usability, improve visual appeal, and streamline the user experience. Designers and developers often seek high-quality icon libraries that are both cost-effective and versatile. Fortunately, there are many free and open-source icon libraries available that provide professional-grade icons without the cost.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into some of the best free and open-source icon libraries, covering their key features, usage instructions, and how many icons they offer for free and premium plans (if any). Each icon library is unique, making it suitable for different use cases, whether you’re looking for minimalistic icons, a large variety of icons, or ones that integrate seamlessly with specific frameworks.
1. Font Awesome
Overview:
Font Awesome is one of the most well-known icon libraries, boasting one of the largest collections of icons on the web. It provides both free and premium icons, covering a vast range of categories including business, social media, user interfaces, and more. Font Awesome’s flexibility and ease of integration have made it a favorite for developers and designers worldwide.
Key Statistics:
- Total Icons: Over 22,000 icons.
- Free Icons: 2,121 free icons.
- Premium Icons: 20,000+ premium icons (available through a paid Pro plan).
Key Features:
- Extensive Icon Set: Font Awesome includes an impressive number of icons, making it easy to find icons for almost any use case.
- Customizable: Icons are easy to customize with CSS, allowing you to adjust their size, color, and style.
- Support for Both SVG and Fonts: Whether you prefer icon fonts or SVGs, Font Awesome has you covered.
- Regular Updates: Font Awesome frequently releases updates with new icons, ensuring the library stays up-to-date with modern trends.
How to Use:
Font Awesome can be added to your project via CDN, npm, or by downloading the icon files. Here’s a basic example of how to use Font Awesome via CDN:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.0.0-beta3/css/all.min.css">To add an icon to your project, use the following code:
<i class="fas fa-home"></i>Best For:
Developers looking for an extensive, regularly updated library with strong community support and flexible usage options, especially if willing to upgrade to the Pro plan for access to additional icons.
2. Material Icons by Google
Overview:
Material Icons is part of Google’s Material Design system, offering a clean and modern icon set that fits seamlessly into Material Design-based web and mobile apps. These icons follow the guidelines of Material Design, which emphasize simplicity, clarity, and usability.
Key Statistics:
- Total Icons: Over 2,000 icons.
- Free Icons: All icons are free.
- Premium Icons: None.
Key Features:
- Multiple Styles: Material Icons are available in various styles like outlined, rounded, sharp, and two-tone, allowing designers to match the specific look of their projects.
- Designed for Accessibility: Material Icons are scalable and optimized for a wide range of resolutions and device types, ensuring that your design remains accessible.
- Consistent Design: All icons are built following Material Design principles, ensuring consistency in both function and form.
How to Use:
Material Icons can be integrated into your project via Google Fonts. Add the following line to your HTML to include the library:
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons" rel="stylesheet">Once you’ve done that, you can add an icon like this:
<i class="material-icons">home</i>Best For:
Designers and developers building Material Design-based web and mobile apps, or anyone seeking a clean and minimalistic icon set.
3. Heroicons
Overview:
Heroicons is a set of open-source icons developed by the creators of Tailwind CSS. It includes both outline and solid icons, making it ideal for modern user interfaces. The icons are simple and well-designed, and they integrate seamlessly with Tailwind CSS projects.
Key Statistics:
- Total Icons: 230 icons.
- Free Icons: All icons are free.
- Premium Icons: None.
Key Features:
- Two Icon Styles: Every icon is available in both outline and solid styles, giving you flexibility in how you apply them.
- Optimized for Modern UIs: These icons are built with modern user interfaces in mind, making them a perfect fit for dashboards, web apps, and other digital products.
- SVG and React Support: Heroicons are available as SVGs and as React components, making it easy to integrate into a wide variety of projects.
How to Use:
You can directly download the SVGs from the website or install the React version via npm. For React projects, use the following command:
npm install @heroicons/reactThen, you can use an icon like this:
import { HomeIcon } from '@heroicons/react/solid'
function MyComponent() {
return <HomeIcon className="h-5 w-5 text-blue-500" />
}Best For:
Developers building applications using Tailwind CSS or those looking for a simple, modern icon set for UIs.
4. Feather Icons
Overview:
Feather Icons is an open-source collection of minimalistic icons designed to be lightweight, customizable, and easily integrable into web projects. Feather Icons are known for their simplicity and are a great choice for performance-focused projects where clean and simple icons are needed.
Key Statistics:
- Total Icons: 287 icons.
- Free Icons: All icons are free.
- Premium Icons: None.
Key Features:
- Minimalistic and Lightweight: Feather Icons are simple, with a consistent stroke width and minimal details, which makes them load quickly and render clearly at any size.
- Fully Customizable: Since Feather Icons are available as SVGs, they are highly customizable using CSS.
- Developer-Friendly: Feather Icons are easy to integrate into any project, and there are no dependencies or complex setups required.
How to Use:
Feather Icons can be used via CDN or by downloading the files. To include the CDN, use this script:
<script src="https://unpkg.com/feather-icons"></script>Then, you can render an icon using this markup:
<i data-feather="camera"></i>
<script>
feather.replace()
</script>Best For:
Developers and designers seeking lightweight, minimalist icons for web projects, especially those prioritizing performance and clean design.
5. Bootstrap Icons
Overview:
Bootstrap Icons is the official icon set of Bootstrap, but the icons can also be used outside of Bootstrap projects. It provides sharp and versatile icons that work well in a variety of design contexts.
Key Statistics:
- Total Icons: Over 1,800 icons.
- Free Icons: All icons are free.
- Premium Icons: None.
Key Features:
- Designed for Bootstrap: The icons are optimized for use in Bootstrap-based projects, making them a natural fit for anyone already using the framework.
- Easy to Use: You can use Bootstrap Icons in any project by simply adding a single line of code to your HTML.
- Varied Collection: Bootstrap Icons cover a wide range of categories, from interface elements to media icons.
How to Use:
Bootstrap Icons can be integrated into your project via CDN. Here’s the link you need to add:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap-icons/font/bootstrap-icons.css">To use an icon, simply add this code to your HTML:
<i class="bi bi-alarm"></i>Best For:
Bootstrap users and developers looking for clean and reliable icons for any web or app project.
6. Ionicons
Overview:
Ionicons is a beautifully designed open-source icon set created by the team behind the Ionic Framework. It’s designed primarily for use in web, mobile, and desktop apps, especially in hybrid or cross-platform development environments.
Key Statistics:
- Total Icons: Over 1,200 icons.
- Free Icons: All icons are free.
- Premium Icons: None.
Key Features:
- Cross-Platform Design: Ionicons are crafted for use in both web and mobile apps, making them versatile for developers who need consistency across platforms.
- Modern and Sharp: The icons are designed to look sharp and clean on all device sizes and resolutions.
- Variety of Styles: Each icon comes in different styles (outline, filled, and sharp), offering flexibility in design.
How to Use:
You can use Ionicons via CDN or npm. Here’s how to include it in your HTML:
<script type="module" src="https://unpkg.com/ionicons@5.5.2/dist/ionicons/ionicons.esm.js"></script>To use an icon, include this tag in your HTML:
<ion-icon name="home-outline"></ion-icon>Best For:
Developers building cross-platform apps, especially with the Ionic Framework, or anyone looking for modern and flexible icons.
7. Tabler Icons
Overview:
Tabler Icons is an open-source icon set designed with simplicity and functionality in mind. Tabler Icons is known for its lightweight and consistent design, making it a great choice for dashboards, admin panels, and minimalist user interfaces.
Key Statistics:
- Total Icons: Over 1,250 icons.
- Free Icons: All icons are free.
- Premium Icons: None.
Key Features:
- Simple and Consistent: Each icon follows a uniform design language, ensuring that all icons fit well together when used in an interface.
- Lightweight: The SVG icons are lightweight, ensuring that they load quickly on web pages.
- Customizable: The icons are available as SVG files, which can be easily customized using CSS for color, size, and stroke width.
How to Use:
You can download Tabler Icons as SVG files or use them via CDN. To include them via CDN, use this script:
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/tabler-icons@latest/dist/tabler-icons.min.js"></script>To render an icon:
<i class="tabler tabler-home"></i>Best For:
Designers and developers looking for lightweight, scalable icons that work well in dashboards, admin panels, and minimalist design interfaces.
Conclusion
Choosing the right icon library depends on your project’s requirements, design style, and budget. Libraries like Font Awesome and Bootstrap Icons provide extensive collections for versatile use, while Heroicons and Feather Icons are perfect for minimalist, modern designs. Regardless of which you choose, these free and open-source libraries ensure that high-quality icons are accessible to everyone without the need for expensive subscriptions or licenses.
Here’s a quick comparison of the libraries covered:
| Icon Library | Total Icons | Free Icons | Premium Icons | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Font Awesome | 22,000+ | 2,121 | 20,000+ | General use, large projects |
| Material Icons | 2,000+ | All | None | Material Design projects |
| Heroicons | 230 | All | None | Tailwind CSS, modern UIs |
| Feather Icons | 287 | All | None | Minimalist designs |
| Bootstrap Icons | 1,800+ | All | None | Bootstrap projects |
| Ionicons | 1,200+ | All | None | Web and mobile apps |
| Tabler Icons | 1,250+ | All | None | Dashboards, lightweight use |
All of these libraries provide excellent free options that you can use across a variety of projects, ensuring your designs are both professional and budget-friendly.
