Skip to content

Top 10 Free Icon Sets in 2026

The best free icon sets in 2026 combine open-source licensing, professional design, and easy integration. Our top picks—Heroicons, Google Fonts, 3dicons, Streamline, Font Awesome, Flaticon, Icons8, Icon Buddy, NucleoApp, and IconScout—each offer a genuinely free plan or tier that lets designers and developers access quality icons without upfront costs. Whether you need hand-crafted SVGs, 3D renders, or a comprehensive design resource, these sets provide the visual foundation for your projects.

This list is for anyone building websites, apps, or presentations who wants reliable icons without a price tag. Use the short descriptions and best-for recommendations below to find the set that matches your workflow. Each entry notes what the free plan includes and where paid upgrades begin, so you can make an informed choice.

How we picked these icon sets

We evaluated each candidate based on the depth of its free offering, the clarity of its pricing, and its fit for common design and development use cases. Only products with a verifiable free plan or free tier—whether open-source, free downloads, or a limited free access—were considered. We prioritized sets with consistent styling, multiple export formats, and active maintenance. No product was excluded for having paid upgrades as long as the free tier remained genuinely useful.

Also worth a look: Top 5 Free Design Mockups in 2026 and 5 Best Free Design Resources in 2026.

Tool Best for Key features Pricing Free trial
Heroicons developers building Tailwind CSS projects who need consistent, customizable SVG icons Hand-crafted SVG icons in outline and solid styles, Copy SVG code or install as an npm package, React and Vue component packages available Free — open-source icon set —
Google Fonts designers and developers who need free, commercial-use typefaces and variable font support Free, open-source font library for web and print, Simple embed code for fast-loading web fonts, Licensed for commercial use with no fees Free — $0, all fonts free for commercial use —
3dicons creators who want high-quality 3D icons without 3D modeling skills, free for commercial use 1,440+ open-source 3D icon renders, CC0 license, free for personal and commercial use, Icons can be remixed and recolored Free — CC0 licensed, free for personal and commercial use Free to use
Streamline teams that need a consistent icon style across a product with a free PNG download option Tens of thousands of icons across many categories, Multiple styles: outline, filled, and 3D, Free PNG downloads alongside a premium vector set Pricing on request Free plan available
Font Awesome developers who want a reliable, widely-supported icon webfont with CSS styling Large, widely-used icon set delivered as webfont or SVG, Style icons with CSS like regular text, Works across virtually any web framework or stack Pricing on request —
Flaticon designers who need quick access to themed vector icon packs in multiple formats Downloadable vector icons and stickers, Multiple formats: PNG, SVG, EPS, and PSD, Searchable by style, pack, and author Pricing on request —
Icons8 creators who want an all-in-one design resource platform with icons, illustrations, and photos Icons, illustrations, photos, and music in one library, Multiple icon styles, from outline to 3D, Plugins for Figma, Adobe XD, and other design tools Pricing on request —
Icon buddy developers who need a single searchable library of open-source SVG icons with export options 100,000+ open-source SVG icons in one search, Export as SVG, PNG, or ICO, Customizable colors and sizing before download Monthly — $6.99/month —
NucleoApp designers who want to organize and export icons from a desktop app with multiple families 20,000+ vector icons across 30 categories, Desktop app for organizing and exporting icons, Export as SVG, icon fonts, or JSON All Icons Bundle — one-time $299 (lifetime updates) —
IconScout designers seeking a diverse marketplace for icons, illustrations, and Lottie animations Icons, illustrations, 3D assets, and Lottie animations, Marketplace built on a community of independent designers, Searchable across multiple asset types at once Pricing on request —

The best icon sets in 2026

Each of the ten icon sets below earns its place by providing a high-quality free option. From the developer-friendly Heroicons to the vast marketplace IconScout, these sets cover every style and platform.

1. Heroicons

Heroicons — grid of SVG icons in outline style

Heroicons is best for: developers building Tailwind CSS projects who need consistent, customizable SVG icons

Heroicons provides hand-crafted SVG icons in outline and solid styles, designed by the Tailwind CSS team. It is fully open-source under the MIT license and can be used as SVG code or installed as React/Vue components. Perfect for developers who want a cohesive icon set that integrates seamlessly with modern web frameworks.

Key Heroicons features

  • Hand-crafted SVG icons in outline and solid styles
  • Copy SVG code or install as an npm package
  • React and Vue component packages available
  • Free and open-source under the MIT license
  • Consistent sizing across the full icon set

Heroicons pricing

  • Free — open-source icon set

Visit Heroicons

2. Google Fonts

Google Fonts — typeface browsing grid with preview text

Google Fonts is best for: designers and developers who need free, commercial-use typefaces and variable font support

Google Fonts is a free, open-source library of typefaces licensed for commercial use, offering simple embed code and variable font support. While primarily a font set, it is included here for its complementary role in icon-driven design. It pairs well with icon sets to create a complete visual language.

Key Google Fonts features

  • Free, open-source font library for web and print
  • Simple embed code for fast-loading web fonts
  • Licensed for commercial use with no fees
  • Variable font support for flexible weight and style
  • Pairs fonts and preview text directly in the browser

Google Fonts pricing

  • Free — $0, all fonts free for commercial use

Visit Google Fonts

3. 3dicons

3dicons — grid of rendered 3D icon graphics

3dicons is best for: creators who want high-quality 3D icons without 3D modeling skills, free for commercial use

3dicons is an open-source library of over 1,440 3D icon renders released under a CC0 license, free for personal and commercial use without attribution. Icons can be remixed and recolored, and a Pro tier (early access) adds online editing. Ideal for adding consistent 3D visuals to websites and apps.

Key 3dicons features

  • 1,440+ open-source 3D icon renders
  • CC0 license, free for personal and commercial use
  • Icons can be remixed and recolored
  • Pro tier (early access) adds online color and angle editing
  • No attribution required

3dicons pricing

  • Free — CC0 licensed, free for personal and commercial use
  • Pro — early access, pricing not yet disclosed
  • Free trial: Free to use

Visit 3dicons

4. Streamline

Streamline — icon library browsing grid with style variations

Streamline is best for: teams that need a consistent icon style across a product with a free PNG download option

Streamline offers tens of thousands of icons across outline, filled, and 3D styles, with free PNG downloads available. The full vector set requires a paid plan, but the free tier allows exploration and basic use. It suits product teams wanting a unified icon style.

Key Streamline features

  • Tens of thousands of icons across many categories
  • Multiple styles: outline, filled, and 3D
  • Free PNG downloads alongside a premium vector set
  • Consistent style families for a cohesive product UI
  • 53 categories spanning common UI and brand needs

Streamline pricing

  • Pricing on request
  • Free trial: Free plan available

Visit Streamline

5. Font Awesome

Font Awesome — icon grid shown in the browsing interface

Font Awesome is best for: developers who want a reliable, widely-supported icon webfont with CSS styling

Font Awesome is a popular icon toolkit delivered as a webfont or SVG, allowing developers to style icons with CSS like text. It includes multiple icon families (solid, regular, light, brand) and works across virtually any web framework. Free version available with solid and regular styles.

Key Font Awesome features

  • Large, widely-used icon set delivered as webfont or SVG
  • Style icons with CSS like regular text
  • Works across virtually any web framework or stack
  • Icon families include solid, regular, light, and brand styles
  • Used broadly across production websites

Font Awesome pricing

  • Pricing on request

Visit Font Awesome

6. Flaticon

Flaticon — logo of the vector icon and sticker library

Flaticon is best for: designers who need quick access to themed vector icon packs in multiple formats

Flaticon is a library of downloadable vector icons and stickers in PNG, SVG, EPS, and PSD formats, organized by theme and author. It offers a large catalog with search by style, making it easy to find a consistent look. Free downloads available with attribution.

Key Flaticon features

  • Downloadable vector icons and stickers
  • Multiple formats: PNG, SVG, EPS, and PSD
  • Searchable by style, pack, and author
  • Large catalog organized into themed packs
  • Used widely by designers and developers

Flaticon pricing

  • Pricing on request

Visit Flaticon

7. Icons8

Icons8 — icon and illustration library browsing grid

Icons8 is best for: creators who want an all-in-one design resource platform with icons, illustrations, and photos

Icons8 provides a wide range of design assets including icons, illustrations, stock photos, and music in one platform. Multiple icon styles from outline to 3D are available, with plugins for Figma and Adobe XD. Free tier includes limited access to assets.

Key Icons8 features

  • Icons, illustrations, photos, and music in one library
  • Multiple icon styles, from outline to 3D
  • Plugins for Figma, Adobe XD, and other design tools
  • Wide catalog spanning several asset types
  • Searchable by style and category

Icons8 pricing

  • Pricing on request

Visit Icons8

8. Icon buddy

Icon buddy — searchable grid of SVG icons

Icon buddy is best for: developers who need a single searchable library of open-source SVG icons with export options

Icon Buddy aggregates over 100,000 open-source SVG icons in one searchable place, allowing customization and export as SVG, PNG, or ICO. Plugins for Figma, VS Code, Framer, and Chrome integrate directly into workflows. Unlimited saved icons require a paid plan.

Key Icon buddy features

  • 100,000+ open-source SVG icons in one search
  • Export as SVG, PNG, or ICO
  • Customizable colors and sizing before download
  • Plugins for Figma, VS Code, Framer, and Chrome
  • Unlimited saved icons on paid plans

Icon buddy pricing

  • Monthly — $6.99/month
  • Yearly — $49.99/year (save 40%)
  • Lifetime — one-time $120
  • Team — $39/year per seat (3-seat minimum)

Visit Icon buddy

9. NucleoApp

NucleoApp — desktop icon library and organizer window

NucleoApp is best for: designers who want to organize and export icons from a desktop app with multiple families

NucleoApp is a desktop icon manager with over 20,000 vector icons across 30 categories, plus tools to collect icons from other sources. Export as SVG, icon fonts, or JSON. Individual families or the full bundle are available for purchase.

Key NucleoApp features

  • 20,000+ vector icons across 30 categories
  • Desktop app for organizing and exporting icons
  • Export as SVG, icon fonts, or JSON
  • Collects and organizes icons from other sources too
  • Icon families sold individually or as a full bundle

NucleoApp pricing

  • All Icons Bundle — one-time $299 (lifetime updates)
  • Individual icon families — $99/year each ($69/year for Micro Bold Icons)
  • Team — billed yearly, custom per-seat pricing

Visit NucleoApp

10. IconScout

IconScout — marketplace grid of icons and 3D illustrations

IconScout is best for: designers seeking a diverse marketplace for icons, illustrations, and Lottie animations

IconScout is a design marketplace with icons, illustrations, 3D assets, and Lottie animations from independent creators. It allows searching across multiple asset types at once and offers plugins for Figma and Adobe. Free assets are available, with premium options for full access.

Key IconScout features

  • Icons, illustrations, 3D assets, and Lottie animations
  • Marketplace built on a community of independent designers
  • Searchable across multiple asset types at once
  • Creators can list and sell their own assets
  • Plugins for Figma, Adobe, and other design tools

IconScout pricing

  • Pricing on request

Visit IconScout

Which icon sets should you choose?

For developers who want a consistent, modern look with zero licensing hassle, Heroicons is the clear first choice. Its open-source nature and seamless integration with Tailwind CSS make it a go-to for web projects. If you need high-quality 3D icons without modeling them yourself, 3dicons offers an extensive library under a CC0 license. Teams that require a unified icon style across an entire product should start with Streamline, whose free PNG downloads provide a taste of its vast collection.

Designers looking for a one-stop resource for icons, illustrations, and photos will appreciate Icons8, while those who prefer to organize icons locally can turn to NucleoApp. For sheer variety and quick theming, Flaticon and IconScout offer expansive marketplaces. Finally, Icon Buddy acts as a universal search engine for open-source icons, making it easy to find exactly what you need without visiting multiple sites.

Frequently asked questions

Heroicons, Google Fonts, 3dicons, and Streamline's free PNGs all allow commercial use without attribution. Always check each set's license for specifics.

Yes. Heroicons, 3dicons, Streamline, Flaticon, Icon Buddy, and others provide SVG files. Some also offer PNG, EPS, or icon fonts.

Yes. 3dicons offers over 1,440 free 3D icons under a CC0 license. Streamline also includes 3D styles in its free PNG tier.

Heroicons provides React and Vue component packages. Other sets like Font Awesome and Icon Buddy can be used with frameworks via SVG or packages.

A free icon set is entirely free to use (like Heroicons). A free plan (like Streamline) offers limited access for free, with paid upgrades for full features.

Consider your design style (outline, solid, 3D), whether you need SVG or PNG, and if commercial use requires attribution. Start with Heroicons for a modern, consistent look.

NucleoApp is a desktop app that works offline. Most others are web-based but allow downloads for offline use.

Topics: Design & CreativeFree iconsIcon setsSVG iconsVector icons

David Hall

About the author

David Hall

Senior Editor at ShortlistMag

David Hall is the Senior Editor at ShortlistMag, where he researches, compares and ranks the software and products that make our shortlists. He spent more than a decade covering technology and consumer products for trade and business publications before moving into product research full-time, and has evaluated hundreds of SaaS tools, apps and gadgets along the way. His method is simple: start with what a category is actually for, check every feature and price on the maker’s own site, and keep only the picks he would recommend to a friend. Nothing on his lists is paid for, and every shortlist is revisited as products change. Away from the desk he is usually trialling a new note-taking app he will probably abandon, cycling, or hunting for the perfect flat white.

All shortlists by David Hall