Font Awesome vs Heroicons: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Font Awesome and Heroicons comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: Heroicons wins this matchup. Flaticon is our overall Icon Libraries pick. Flaticon is our free Icon Libraries pick. Pick Font Awesome if you need a free tier to start with.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Font Awesome
The internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework.
Best for you if:
- • You want icons scale without loss of quality
Heroicons
Hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Font Awesome requires payment)
| At a Glance | Font Awesome | Heroicons |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free Free plan | Free 100% free |
Category | Icon Libraries Developer Tools | Icon Libraries Developer Tools |
Rating | 3.5/5 G2 4.5 · Trustpilot 2.4 54 reviews | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Font Awesome or Heroicons?
Choose Font Awesome if
- You want icons scale without loss of quality
- You want easy to customize with CSS
Choose Heroicons if
- You want a fully free tool (Font Awesome requires payment)
- You want beautiful icon set
- You want tailwind team made
In-Depth Analysis
Font Awesome
The internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework.
Strengths
- Pro: Icons scale without loss of quality
- Pro: Easy to customize with CSS
- Pro: Reduces HTTP requests compared to image files
- Pro: Wide range of icons available
- Pro: Good community support and documentation
Weaknesses
- Con: Free tier has a limited icon set compared to Pro
- Con: Can add a slight overhead to page load if not optimized
- Con: Requires some basic CSS knowledge for advanced customization
Key features
Heroicons
Hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators
Heroicons offers an incredibly generous pricing model, as all 315+ SVG icons are available completely free under an MIT license.
Strengths
- Pro: Beautiful icon set
- Pro: Tailwind team made
- Pro: Free and MIT
- Pro: React/Vue components
- Pro: Well designed
Weaknesses
- Con: Limited icon count
- Con: Tailwind style only
- Con: No variations
- Con: Updates infrequent
- Con: May need more icons
Key features
Pricing: Font Awesome vs Heroicons
| Plan | Font Awesome | Heroicons |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | N/A | Free Free |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Font Awesome pricing and Heroicons pricing.
Key Takeaways
Heroicons
- Completely free
- Our pick for this comparison
Font Awesome
- Choose if you want the internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework
The Bottom Line
Heroicons wins this matchup. Flaticon is our overall Icon Libraries pick. Flaticon is our free Icon Libraries pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Font Awesome or Heroicons better in 2026?
Heroicons wins this matchup. Flaticon is our overall Icon Libraries pick. Flaticon is our free Icon Libraries pick. Pick Font Awesome for icon libraries workflows (main strength: icons scale without loss of quality). Pick Heroicons for icon libraries workflows (main strength: beautiful icon set).
What are Font Awesome and Heroicons used for?
Font Awesome: The internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework. Heroicons: Hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators.
What does Font Awesome cost vs Heroicons?
Font Awesome pricing is on their site. Heroicons is free.
What's the main difference between Font Awesome and Heroicons?
Font Awesome's main strength: icons scale without loss of quality. Heroicons's main strength: beautiful icon set.