Heroicons vs Ionicons: 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 Heroicons and Ionicons 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:
Heroicons
Hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators
Best for you if:
- • You want beautiful icon set
Ionicons
Hand-crafted, premium open-source icons for web, mobile, and desktop applications.
Best for you if:
- • You want completely free to use
| At a Glance | Heroicons | Ionicons |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free 100% free |
Category | UI/UX Design Icon Libraries | UI/UX Design Icon Libraries |
Rating | n/a | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | Potential for custom icon design costs if specific needs aren't met. |
Choose Heroicons or Ionicons?
Choose Heroicons if
- You want beautiful icon set
- You want tailwind team made
Choose Ionicons if
- You want completely free to use
- You want high-quality, professional design
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
Ionicons
Hand-crafted, premium open-source icons for web, mobile, and desktop applications.
Ionicons offers an incredibly generous pricing model, as its single 'Open Source' tier is completely free.
Watch out
Potential for custom icon design costs if specific needs aren't met.
Strengths
- Pro: Completely free to use
- Pro: High-quality, professional design
- Pro: Versatile for multiple platforms (web, mobile, desktop)
- Pro: Scalable SVG format
- Pro: Backed by Ionic
Weaknesses
- Con: May not have every niche icon requested (though suggestions are welcome)
Key features
Plans and prices: Heroicons vs Ionicons
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heroicons |
| heroicons.com/pricing read Sep 29, 2026 |
| Ionicons |
| ionic.io/ionicons read Sep 30, 2026 |
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 Heroicons pricing and Ionicons pricing.
Key Takeaways
Heroicons
- Choose if you want hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators
Ionicons
- Choose if you want hand-crafted, premium open-source icons for web, mobile, and desktop applications
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.
- 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 Heroicons and Ionicons 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. Both have a free plan.
What are Heroicons and Ionicons used for?
Heroicons: Hand-crafted SVG icons by Tailwind CSS creators. Ionicons: Hand-crafted, premium open-source icons for web, mobile, and desktop applications.
What does Heroicons cost vs Ionicons?
Heroicons is free. Ionicons is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Sep 30, 2026.
What's the main difference between Heroicons and Ionicons?
Heroicons's main strength: beautiful icon set. Ionicons's main strength: completely free to use.