Feather vs Heroicons
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A free set of simple, consistent line icons you can drop into websites and apps.
Open source · MIT
Free MIT-licensed SVG icon set for UI work, with React and Vue packages.
The short answer
Choose Feather if you need…
- Web developers who want a clean set of line icons without designing their own
- Designers who want matching icons in a Figma component library
- Developers building a page with plain HTML who can paste a single script tag
- Teams that want icons as SVG strings they can style with CSS
Choose Heroicons if you need…
- Web developers building interfaces who want clean, consistent icons
- Teams already using Tailwind CSS, since icons are styled with utility classes like text-gray-500
- React or Vue developers who want icons as importable components
- Designers who want a simple, consistent icon set to pick from
Side-by-side
| Feather | Heroicons | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 26k | 23.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 20 months ago | 6 months ago |
What each one is
Feather
Feather is a collection of open-source icons, each drawn on a 24x24 grid with a focus on simplicity and consistency. Because every icon is an SVG file, you can use them anywhere SVGs work on the web. The project also offers an npm package with JavaScript helpers for inserting icons into pages or generating SVG markup in Node.
Heroicons
Heroicons is a collection of hand-crafted SVG icons made by the team behind Tailwind CSS. You can copy an icon's SVG code straight into a web page, or install official React or Vue packages that let you import each icon as a component. The icons are free to use under the MIT license.
Best for
Feather
- Web developers who want a clean set of line icons without designing their own
- Designers who want matching icons in a Figma component library
- Developers building a page with plain HTML who can paste a single script tag
- Teams that want icons as SVG strings they can style with CSS
Heroicons
- Web developers building interfaces who want clean, consistent icons
- Teams already using Tailwind CSS, since icons are styled with utility classes like text-gray-500
- React or Vue developers who want icons as importable components
- Designers who want a simple, consistent icon set to pick from
Strengths
Feather
- Simple, consistent 24x24 design that the README describes as a deliberate goal
- Flexible: works as plain SVG, a JavaScript library, or a sprite sheet
- MIT license and available via npm and CDN
Heroicons
- Free and MIT-licensed, so it can be used in commercial projects
- Icons are styled with the CSS color property, which fits well with Tailwind CSS
- Official React and Vue packages offer several sizes and styles (24px outline, 24px solid, 20px solid, 16px solid)
Not ideal for
Feather
- People who need a large icon set with filled or multi-style variants, since the README describes only this one line-style collection
- Anyone expecting a visual icon editor; the README covers usage, not design tools beyond the Figma library
Heroicons
- People who need a very large or specialized icon library, since the README does not describe its icon count and the project is not accepting new icon contributions
- Contributors hoping to add new icons or framework support, because the README says only bug-fix contributions are accepted
- Developers using frameworks other than React or Vue who want a ready-made package, since the README mentions no official package for them
Trade-offs
Feather
- The README is truncated, so the full icon count and list of features are not confirmed here
- Multi-word icon names need bracket notation in JavaScript, which is a small usability trade-off
- The README marks feather.toSvg() as deprecated, so newer code should use the icon-level API
Heroicons
- The README says only bug-fix contributions are accepted, so requests for new icons or new framework support will not be merged
- Only React and Vue packages are provided officially; other frameworks need your own wrapper
Getting started
Feather
Install the npm package
npm install feather-icons --saveHeroicons
Install the React package
npm install @heroicons/reactInstall the Vue package
npm install @heroicons/vueFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Feather and Heroicons?
Feather: A free set of simple, consistent line icons you can drop into websites and apps. Heroicons: Free MIT-licensed SVG icon set for UI work, with React and Vue packages. Feather suits web developers who want a clean set of line icons without designing their own, while Heroicons suits web developers building interfaces who want clean, consistent icons.
Are Feather and Heroicons free?
Feather: Free and open source. Heroicons: Free and open source.
Is Feather or Heroicons more popular?
Feather has more GitHub stars (26k) than Heroicons (23.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Feather and Heroicons?
Other options people compare them with include Tabler Icons, devicon.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.