Font Awesome vs Material Icons: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Font Awesome and Material Icons side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
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
Material Icons
Access a vast library of customizable icons for your digital products, powered by Google.
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Font Awesome requires payment)
| At a Glance | Font Awesome | Material Icons |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $4/mo, billed monthly Starter Cloud plan | Free 100% free |
Category | UI/UX Design Icon Libraries | UI/UX Design Icon Libraries |
Rating | 3.5/5 G2 4.5 · Trustpilot 2.4 54 reviews | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Starter Cloud includes only 1 seat and 50K pageviews | n/a |
Choose Font Awesome or Material Icons?
Choose Font Awesome if
- You want icons scale without loss of quality
- You want easy to customize with CSS
Choose Material Icons if
- You want a fully free tool (Font Awesome requires payment)
- You want completely free to use
- You want high-quality and visually consistent icons
In-Depth Analysis
Font Awesome
The internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework.
Font Awesome is priced generously for what it bundles: $4/mo ($48/year) gets all Pro icons via CDN, and $8/mo ($96/year) adds Pro+ icons, npm and Figma downloads, 200 custom icons, and a perpetual license, which is rare at this price.
Watch out
Starter Cloud includes only 1 seat and 50K pageviews
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
Material Icons
Access a vast library of customizable icons for your digital products, powered by Google.
Strengths
- Pro: Completely free to use
- Pro: High-quality and visually consistent icons
- Pro: Wide range of customization options
- Pro: Easy to integrate into projects
- Pro: Regularly updated with new icons
Weaknesses
- Con: Primarily follows Material Design guidelines, which might not suit all brand aesthetics
- Con: Requires some technical knowledge for advanced customization and integration
Key features
Plans and prices: Font Awesome vs Material Icons
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Font Awesome |
| fontawesome.com/plans read Nov 2, 2026 |
| Material Icons | No plan prices on file | fonts.google.com/icons |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Font Awesome pricing and Material Icons pricing.
Key Takeaways
Font Awesome
- Choose if you want the internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework
Material Icons
- Choose if you want access a vast library of customizable icons for your digital products, powered by Google
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Font Awesome has a published user rating (3.5/5 from 54 reviews); Material Icons has none we can show.
- Font Awesome starts at $4/mo, billed monthly; Material Icons has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Font Awesome and Material Icons compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Font Awesome has a published user rating (3.5/5 from 54 reviews); Material Icons has none we can show. Font Awesome starts at $4/mo, billed monthly; Material Icons has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Font Awesome and Material Icons used for?
Font Awesome: The internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework. Material Icons: Access a vast library of customizable icons for your digital products, powered by Google.
What does Font Awesome cost vs Material Icons?
Font Awesome's cheapest paid plan is Starter Cloud at $4/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Material Icons is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 2, 2026.
What's the main difference between Font Awesome and Material Icons?
Font Awesome's main strength: icons scale without loss of quality. Material Icons's main strength: completely free to use.