Heroicons vs Font Awesome: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Heroicons and Font Awesome 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:
Heroicons
Hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Font Awesome requires payment)
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
| At a Glance | Heroicons | Font Awesome |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free Free plan |
Category | Icon Libraries Developer Tools | Icon Libraries Developer Tools |
Rating | n/a | 3.5/5 G2 4.5 · Trustpilot 2.4 54 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Heroicons or Font Awesome?
Choose Heroicons if
- You want a fully free tool (Font Awesome requires payment)
- You want beautiful icon set
- You want tailwind team made
Choose Font Awesome if
- You want icons scale without loss of quality
- You want easy to customize with CSS
In-Depth Analysis
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
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
Pricing: Heroicons vs Font Awesome
| Plan | Heroicons | Font Awesome |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | N/A |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Heroicons pricing and Font Awesome 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 Heroicons or Font Awesome better in 2026?
Heroicons wins this matchup. Flaticon is our overall Icon Libraries pick. Flaticon is our free Icon Libraries pick. Pick Heroicons for icon libraries workflows (main strength: beautiful icon set). Pick Font Awesome for icon libraries workflows (main strength: icons scale without loss of quality).
What are Heroicons and Font Awesome used for?
Heroicons: Hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators. Font Awesome: The internet's most popular icon toolkit and a powerful CSS framework.
What does Heroicons cost vs Font Awesome?
Heroicons is free. Font Awesome pricing is on their site.
What's the main difference between Heroicons and Font Awesome?
Heroicons's main strength: beautiful icon set. Font Awesome's main strength: icons scale without loss of quality.