Top Icons Libraries

Font Awesome is a popular icon library and toolkit used for web development, offering a vast collection of scalable vector icons that can be customized using CSS.

Code Example

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.4.0/css/all.min.css">
<i class="fas fa-user"></i>

Pros

• Offers one of the largest collections of icons among the compared projects, with over 7,000 icons available.
• Provides excellent documentation and community support, making it easy for developers to integrate and use.
• Includes both free and paid versions, offering flexibility for different project needs and budgets.

Cons

• Some advanced features and icons are only available in the paid Pro version, limiting access for free users.
• The library size can be large compared to more minimal icon sets like Feather or Heroicons, potentially impacting page load times.
• Less customizable than some alternatives like Tailwind Heroicons or CSS.gg, which offer more design flexibility.

Nerd Fonts is a project that patches developer-targeted fonts with a high number of glyphs (icons).

Pros

• Provides a vast collection of patched fonts with thousands of glyphs, offering more options than most icon-only projects.
• Combines multiple icon sets into a single font, reducing the need for multiple icon libraries.
• Offers better integration with terminal applications and text editors compared to web-focused icon libraries.

Cons

• Larger file sizes compared to individual icon sets or minimal icon libraries.
• May require more setup and configuration than simple icon libraries or CSS-based solutions.
• Less suitable for web applications compared to dedicated web icon libraries like Font Awesome or Material Design Icons.

Google's Material Design Icons is a comprehensive set of icons following the Material Design guidelines, offering a wide range of symbols for various UI elements and actions.

Code Example

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons" rel="stylesheet">
<i class="material-icons">favorite</i>

Pros

• Extensive collection of icons designed specifically for Material Design, ensuring consistency with Google's design language.
• Regular updates and maintenance by Google, guaranteeing quality and relevance.
• Available in multiple formats (SVG, PNG, font) for versatile implementation across different platforms.

Cons

• Limited to Material Design style, which may not suit all design preferences or brand identities.
• Less customization options compared to some other icon libraries like Font Awesome or Feather Icons.
• Larger file size compared to minimalist icon sets, potentially impacting load times for web applications.

Feather is a collection of simply beautiful open-source icons designed for use in web projects.

Code Example

<script src="https://unpkg.com/feather-icons"></script>
<i data-feather="circle"></i>
<script>feather.replace()</script>

Pros

• Feather icons are lightweight and have a consistent, minimalist design style.
• The project offers easy integration with popular frameworks and build tools.
• Feather provides a good balance between simplicity and versatility, suitable for many design needs.

Cons

• Feather has a smaller icon set compared to more extensive libraries like Font Awesome or Material Design Icons.
• It lacks some of the advanced features found in projects like Heroicons (e.g., solid and outline variants).
• Feather doesn't offer the same level of customization options as some other icon libraries.

simple-icons/simple-icons is a collection of over 2,000 free SVG icons for popular brands.

Code Example

<svg role="img" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <title>GitHub</title>
  <path d="M12 .297c-6.63 0-12 5.373-12 12 0 5.303 3.438 9.8 8.205 11.385.6.113.82-.258.82-.577 0-.285-.01-1.04-.015-2.04-3.338.724-4.042-1.61-4.042-1.61C4.422 18.07 3.633 17.7 3.633 17.7c-1.087-.744.084-.729.084-.729 1.205.084 1.838 1.236 1.838 1.236 1.07 1.835 2.809 1.305 3.495.998.108-.776.417-1.305.76-1.605-2.665-.3-5.466-1.332-5.466-5.93 0-1.31.465-2.38 1.235-3.22-.135-.303-.54-1.523.105-3.176 0 0 1.005-.322 3.3 1.23.96-.267 1.98-.399 3-.405 1.02.006 2.04.138 3 .405 2.28-1.552 3.285-1.23 3.285-1.23.645 1.653.24 2.873.12 3.176.765.84 1.23 1.91 1.23 3.22 0 4.61-2.805 5.625-5.475 5.92.42.36.81 1.096.81 2.22 0 1.606-.015 2.896-.015 3.286 0 .315.21.69.825.57C20.565 22.092 24 17.592 24 12.297c0-6.627-5.373-12-12-12"/>
</svg>

Pros

1. Focuses exclusively on brand icons, providing a comprehensive collection.
2. Offers SVG format, ensuring scalability and small file sizes.
3. Regularly updated with new brand icons.

Cons

1. Limited to brand icons, lacking general-purpose icons found in other libraries.
2. Doesn't provide additional features like icon customization or animations.
3. May have a steeper learning curve compared to more user-friendly icon libraries.