Icons are a big part of web design. A sleek set of cohesive icons can really pull a web page together, and a bad choice can make your site look amateur. If you’re really creative, you might prefer to craft your own icons to get the perfect look. But odds are, you’re short on time and creating from scratch is not the most efficient choice for your project.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of 10 sources you can reference when you’re in need of icons. All of these sites have options for commercially licensed icons (though some require a link in your footer, so check each site’s license before you use any icons).
1. Icon Finder
While many of Icon Finder’s offerings are only available through their paid subscription, there are a ton of great icons available for commercial use (both with link necessary and no link back) for you to try. After searching for the type of icon you need, filter the results by “Free” and “no link back” in the search bar.
They have icons ranging from upside down cats to batteries, and every niche in between. Some of our favorite collections include these flat colored circle icons.
And these curved line icons.
Tip: You can download many of these icons as SVGs or PNGs. If you’re reading this and you aren’t a web developer or pro graphic designer, you might be using Canva with these graphics. Depending on the type of SVG, you can upload these icons into Canva and change their colors in the Canva interface. It makes creating blog graphics or simple header images a breeze.
2. Frexy Retro Icons
If your graphics style is a little more retro, these icons from Frexy on Dribbble are the perfect fit. Ranging from popsicles to pushpins, this collection brings a unique look to any page. In a world of clean lines and monochrome, these retro icons have a lot of charm.
3. Tab Bar iOS Icons
Inspired by iOS 7, these linear icons are simplistic in the best way. If your web page or design needs a minimal look, these will fit your style perfectly. They’re available in 30 and 60 pixels, and in PSD, AI, and EPS formats.
4. Freepik
So Freepik isn’t 100% free if you don’t want to give attribution. While the majority of their icon collections are available for commercial use, a linkback to their site is required – unless you want to pay the $9.99/month membership fee. That small charge gives you access to a much wider variety of icons, and allows you to use all of these icons with no attribution required.
This set of colorful web and technology icons (complete with a fish, tooth, and ice cream cone?) will bring a cheery touch to your web page. But no matter what style you’re going for, you’re likely to find the right set here.
5. FontAwesome
FontAwesome has taken over as the go-to option for CSS web icons. You’ll see their icons everywhere on the web, because it’s open source, scalable at any size, and requires zero JavaScript. Each icon is easy to place once you have FontAwesome installed.
With over 675 icons to choose from, you'll likely be able to find the perfect shape to signify any action. While FontAwesome is simple, aesthetically, their symbols are clear and diverse.
6. Icons8
Icons8 is home to social media icons, arrows galore, and so much more. You can even browse by system style, like iOS 10 and Android 4. Their free plan is limited to PNG only downloads and require a link back, but a monthly subscription includes EPS and SVG formats, and doesn’t require a link.
7. Fontello
Fontello pulls from a handful of different icon libraries into one searchable icon database. Beyond being a source for icon libraries, though, Fontello is also a tool for compiling vector images into web fonts. You can find out more about its capabilities over on the Fontello Github.
8. Icon Shop
Icon Shop is one of the few on this list that does not require a link back for any of their icons. They're all 100% free for commercial use. Their library is not as broad as other options, but most shapes have a few color options (black and white, flat, or full color) and are available in SVG, PNG, AI, and PSD. Each icon is downloaded as ZIP file with all of those options included.
9. FlatIcon
Flat Icon offers both free and premium web icons grouped into collections by style and theme. Most of the collections are available in PNG, SVG, EPS, and PSD so you can freely edit for whatever project you need. If you're in the technology space, this collection of SEO and marketing icons might be particularly useful for your project.
10. GraphicLoads Freebies
GraphicLoads freebies section is a hit or miss library with tons of different graphic design resources. You'll find icon libraries mixed in with Christmas card templates. But there are a few gems to be found for free on this site. Icons are grouped by style and category into collections, so you can download a large set at once to use throughout your website or document. This stroke icon collection pictured below is just one example of the type of icons you'll find.
I hope these collection of icon resources will make your next hunt for the perfect icon a little bit shorter. Do you have any favorite sources for web icons? Leave a comment below and let us know.