Selecting Icon Libraries for Modern Frontend Architectures
This comparison evaluates seven popular icon solutions for web development, ranging from classic webfonts to modern SVG components. bootstrap-icons, font-awesome, material-icons, and ionicons traditionally rely on CSS classes or web components, while heroicons and react-icons focus on inline SVG components for React. feather-icons offers a lightweight JavaScript replacement model. Understanding the trade-offs between bundle size, styling flexibility, and maintenance status is critical for long-term project health.
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Icon Libraries Compared: Implementation, Styling, and Maintenance
Selecting the right icon library impacts bundle size, rendering performance, and long-term maintainability. While all seven packages solve the same problem, they use different technical approaches — from legacy webfonts to modern SVG components. Let's break down how they handle implementation, styling, and maintenance.
🛠️ Implementation Model: Classes vs Components vs JS
The way you insert an icon into your DOM varies significantly between these packages. Some rely on CSS classes, others on React components, and some on JavaScript replacement.
bootstrap-icons uses standard HTML elements with CSS classes.
- Requires the Bootstrap CSS file to be loaded.
- No JavaScript needed for rendering.
<!-- bootstrap-icons -->
<i class="bi bi-alarm"></i>
feather-icons uses data attributes and a JavaScript initializer.
- You must run
feather.replace()after DOM load. - Converts
<i>tags into inline SVGs automatically.
<!-- feather-icons -->
<i data-feather="alarm"></i>
<script>feather.replace()</script>
font-awesome (legacy) uses CSS classes on <i> or <span> tags.
- Requires loading the webfont CSS file.
- Modern versions use SVG components instead.
<!-- font-awesome (v4 legacy) -->
<i class="fa fa-alarm"></i>
heroicons imports icons as React components.
- Renders inline SVGs directly in the JSX.
- No external CSS or font files required.
// heroicons
import { BellIcon } from '@heroicons/react/24/outline';
<BellIcon className="w-6 h-6" />
ionicons uses custom Web Components.
- Works in any framework supporting custom elements.
- Loads icons asynchronously via CDN or npm.
<!-- ionicons -->
<ion-icon name="alarm-outline"></ion-icon>
material-icons uses ligatures inside text spans.
- Requires the Material Icons font to be loaded.
- Text content determines which icon shows.
<!-- material-icons -->
<span class="material-icons">alarm</span>
react-icons wraps other sets as React components.
- Allows importing specific icons from many libraries.
- Renders inline SVGs like
heroicons.
// react-icons
import { BiAlarm } from 'react-icons/bi';
<BiAlarm className="text-xl" />
🎨 Styling & Customization: CSS vs Props
Controlling color, size, and stroke width is a common requirement. Some libraries make this easy with CSS, while others require props.
bootstrap-icons relies on CSS utility classes.
- Change color with
text-dangeror custom CSS. - Size is controlled via
font-size.
/* bootstrap-icons */
.bi-alarm { color: red; font-size: 2rem; }
feather-icons allows attributes on the tag before replacement.
- You can set
strokeorwidthin HTML. - JavaScript preserves these attributes during replacement.
<!-- feather-icons -->
<i data-feather="alarm" stroke="red" width="48"></i>
font-awesome uses CSS classes for size and color.
- Classes like
fa-2xortext-primaryapply styles. - Custom CSS works on the
<i>element.
/* font-awesome */
.fa-alarm { color: blue; font-size: 2em; }
heroicons passes styles via standard React props.
- Use
classNamefor Tailwind or standard CSS. - SVG attributes like
strokecan be passed directly.
// heroicons
<BellIcon className="text-red-500 w-8 h-8" />
ionicons uses CSS variables or component props.
- Set
--colorand--sizeon the element. - Works seamlessly with Shadow DOM styling.
/* ionicons */
ion-icon { --color: green; --size: 32px; }
material-icons uses CSS classes or inline styles.
- Google provides utility classes like
material-icons-outlined. - Font-size controls the icon size.
/* material-icons */
.material-icons { color: purple; font-size: 48px; }
react-icons treats icons as standard React components.
- Pass
className,style, orsizeprops. - Consistent API across different icon sets.
// react-icons
<BiAlarm style={{ color: 'orange', fontSize: '2rem' }} />
📦 Bundle Strategy: Fonts vs Tree-Shaking
How the icons are loaded affects your application's performance. Webfonts load everything at once, while SVG components allow tree-shaking.
bootstrap-icons can be loaded as a full font or individual SVGs.
- Full font is heavy if you only use a few icons.
- Individual SVGs require manual import or bundler setup.
/* bootstrap-icons (Font) */
@import 'bootstrap-icons/font/bootstrap-icons.css';
feather-icons loads the entire set via JavaScript.
- You cannot easily tree-shake individual icons.
- The whole library is executed to replace tags.
// feather-icons
import feather from 'feather-icons';
feather.replace(); // Loads all
font-awesome (legacy) loads a full webfont file.
- Modern versions support SVG core for tree-shaking.
- Legacy package forces full font download.
/* font-awesome (Legacy) */
@import 'font-awesome/css/font-awesome.css';
heroicons supports full tree-shaking out of the box.
- You only bundle the icons you import.
- No unused code ends up in production.
// heroicons
import { BellIcon } from '@heroicons/react/24/outline';
// Only BellIcon is bundled
ionicons loads icons on demand via CDN or bundle.
- Web components fetch SVGs as needed.
- Reduces initial bundle size significantly.
// ionicons
import { addIcons } from 'ionicons';
import { alarmOutline } from 'ionicons/icons';
addIcons(alarmOutline);
material-icons typically loads a full font file.
- SVG versions exist but require more setup.
- Font approach is simpler but less performant.
/* material-icons */
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons');
react-icons enables tree-shaking for many sets.
- Imports are specific to the icon component.
- Bundlers remove unused icons automatically.
// react-icons
import { BiAlarm } from 'react-icons/bi';
// Only BiAlarm is bundled
⚠️ Maintenance & Longevity
Using a library that is no longer updated poses security and compatibility risks. Some packages here are archived or legacy.
bootstrap-icons is actively maintained by the Bootstrap team.
- Regular updates align with Bootstrap releases.
- Safe for long-term enterprise use.
// bootstrap-icons
npm install bootstrap-icons // Active
feather-icons is archived and no longer maintained.
- The original repository is read-only.
- Use with caution in new projects.
// feather-icons
npm install feather-icons // Archived
font-awesome (unscoped) is legacy version 4.
- Version 6 uses
@fortawesomescoped packages. - Legacy package receives no new features.
// font-awesome
npm install font-awesome // Legacy v4
heroicons is actively maintained by Tailwind Labs.
- Updates follow Tailwind CSS releases.
- Strong community support and documentation.
// heroicons
npm install @heroicons/react // Active
ionicons is actively maintained by the Ionic team.
- Frequent updates for new icons and fixes.
- Stable API for web components.
// ionicons
npm install ionicons // Active
material-icons is maintained by Google.
- Updates reflect Material Design changes.
- Stable and reliable for Android web apps.
// material-icons
npm install material-icons // Active
react-icons is actively maintained by the community.
- Updates include new icon sets and versions.
- Depends on the maintenance of underlying sets.
// react-icons
npm install react-icons // Active
📊 Summary Table
| Package | Type | Tree-Shaking | Maintenance | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
bootstrap-icons | CSS/SVG | Partial | ✅ Active | Bootstrap Projects |
feather-icons | JS/SVG | ❌ No | ❌ Archived | Simple Static Sites |
font-awesome | CSS/SVG | ❌ Legacy | ⚠️ Legacy (v4) | Legacy Apps |
heroicons | React Component | ✅ Yes | ✅ Active | Tailwind/React |
ionicons | Web Component | ✅ Yes | ✅ Active | Mobile/Hybrid |
material-icons | Font/SVG | Partial | ✅ Active | Material Design |
react-icons | React Component | ✅ Yes | ✅ Active | Multi-Set React |
💡 Final Recommendation
For new React projects, heroicons or react-icons offer the best developer experience with full tree-shaking and type safety. heroicons is ideal for Tailwind users, while react-icons provides access to multiple sets without extra dependencies.
For traditional server-rendered sites or Bootstrap projects, bootstrap-icons remains a solid, stable choice with minimal setup. Avoid feather-icons and the legacy font-awesome package in new work due to maintenance risks — choose active alternatives instead.
Final Thought: Prioritize SVG components for performance and flexibility. Only use webfonts if you need to support very old browsers or require a specific design system like Material.
How to Choose: feather-icons vs bootstrap-icons vs font-awesome vs heroicons vs ionicons vs material-icons vs react-icons
- feather-icons:
Choose
feather-iconsonly for small, static projects where simplicity is key and you accept the risk of using an archived library. The original repository is no longer actively maintained, so critical security or feature updates are unlikely. Consider active forks or alternative SVG libraries for new production applications. - bootstrap-icons:
Choose
bootstrap-iconsif your project already uses the Bootstrap CSS framework. It integrates seamlessly with existing Bootstrap utility classes and requires no JavaScript for basic usage. It is ideal for admin dashboards or legacy projects where consistency with Bootstrap components is a priority. - font-awesome:
Choose
font-awesome(legacy package) only for maintaining older applications built on version 4. For new projects, use the modern scoped packages like@fortawesome/react-fontawesomeinstead. It remains a strong choice if you need the largest ecosystem of available icons and brand logos. - heroicons:
Choose
heroiconsif you are building with Tailwind CSS or prefer hand-crafted SVG components. It offers excellent tree-shaking capabilities and integrates naturally into React or Vue workflows without external dependencies. It is best for custom designs where you want full control over SVG attributes. - ionicons:
Choose
ioniconsif you are building mobile hybrid apps with Ionic or need a massive set of platform-specific icons. It supports web components natively, making it framework-agnostic for Angular, React, or Vue. It is suitable for applications requiring distinct iOS and Material Design styles. - material-icons:
Choose
material-iconsif your design system follows Google's Material Design guidelines. It offers both webfont and SVG implementations, providing flexibility for different performance needs. It is the standard choice for Android web views or projects mimicking native Android experiences. - react-icons:
Choose
react-iconsif you want a unified import experience for multiple icon sets within a React project. It allows you to tree-shake individual icons from libraries like FontAwesome, Material, and Bootstrap without installing each separately. It is ideal for teams that need variety without managing multiple dependencies.
Popular Comparisons
README for feather-icons
Feather
What is Feather?
Feather is a collection of simply beautiful open-source icons. Each icon is designed on a 24x24 grid with an emphasis on simplicity, consistency, and flexibility.
npm install feather-icons
Table of contents
Quick start
Start with this CodePen Template to begin prototyping with Feather in the browser.
Or copy and paste the following code snippet into a blank html file.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<title></title>
<script src="https://unpkg.com/feather-icons"></script>
<body>
<!-- example icon -->
<i data-feather="circle"></i>
<script>
feather.replace();
</script>
</body>
</html>
Usage
At its core, Feather is a collection of SVG files. This means that you can use Feather icons in all the same ways you can use SVGs (e.g. img, background-image, inline, object, embed, iframe). Here's a helpful article detailing the many ways SVGs can be used on the web: SVG on the Web – Implementation Options
The following are additional ways you can use Feather.
Client-side JavaScript
1. Install
[!NOTE] If you intend to use Feather with a CDN, you can skip this installation step.
Install with npm.
npm install feather-icons --save
Or just copy feather.js or feather.min.js into your project directory. You don't need both feather.js and feather.min.js.
2. Include
Include feather.js or feather.min.js with a <script> tag:
<script src="path/to/dist/feather.js"></script>
[!NOTE] >
feather.jsandfeather.min.jsare located in thedistdirectory of the npm package.
Or load the script from a CDN provider:
<!-- choose one -->
<script src="https://unpkg.com/feather-icons"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/feather-icons/dist/feather.min.js"></script>
After including the script, feather will be available as a global variable.
3. Use
To use an icon on your page, add a data-feather attribute with the icon name to an element:
<i data-feather="circle"></i>
See the complete list of icons at feathericons.com.
4. Replace
Call the feather.replace() method:
<script>
feather.replace();
</script>
All elements that have a data-feather attribute will be replaced with SVG markup corresponding to their data-feather attribute value. See the API Reference for more information about feather.replace().
Node
1. Install
Install with npm:
npm install feather-icons --save
2. Require
const feather = require('feather-icons');
3. Use
feather.icons.x;
// {
// name: 'x',
// contents: '<line ... /><line ... />`,
// tags: ['cancel', 'close', 'delete', 'remove'],
// attrs: {
// class: 'feather feather-x',
// xmlns: 'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg',
// width: 24,
// height: 24,
// viewBox: '0 0 24 24',
// fill: 'none',
// stroke: 'currentColor',
// 'stroke-width': 2,
// 'stroke-linecap': 'round',
// 'stroke-linejoin': 'round',
// },
// toSvg: [Function],
// }
feather.icons.x.toSvg();
// <svg class="feather feather-x" ...><line ... /><line ... /></svg>
feather.icons.x.toSvg({ class: 'foo bar', 'stroke-width': 1, color: 'red' });
// <svg class="feather feather-x foo bar" stroke-width="1" color="red" ...><line ... /><line ... /></svg>
See the API Reference for more information about the available properties and methods of the feather object.
SVG sprite
1. Install
[!NOTE] If you intend to use Feather with a CDN, you can skip this installation step.
Install with npm.
npm install feather-icons --save
Or just copy feather-sprite.svg into your project directory.
2. Use
Include an icon on your page with the following markup:
<svg
width="24"
height="24"
fill="none"
stroke="currentColor"
stroke-width="2"
stroke-linecap="round"
stroke-linejoin="round"
>
<use href="path/to/feather-sprite.svg#circle" />
</svg>
[!NOTE] >
circlein the above example can be replaced with any valid icon name. See the complete list of icon names at feathericons.com.
However, this markup can be simplified using a simple CSS class to avoid repetition of SVG attributes between icons:
.feather {
width: 24px;
height: 24px;
stroke: currentColor;
stroke-width: 2;
stroke-linecap: round;
stroke-linejoin: round;
fill: none;
}
<svg class="feather">
<use href="path/to/dist/feather-sprite.svg#circle" />
</svg>
Figma
Feather is available as a Figma component library. To use the components, log in to your Figma account and duplicate the file to your drafts.
API reference
feather.icons
An object with data about every icon.
Usage
feather.icons.x;
// {
// name: 'x',
// contents: '<line ... /><line ... />',
// tags: ['cancel', 'close', 'delete', 'remove'],
// attrs: {
// class: 'feather feather-x',
// xmlns: 'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg',
// width: 24,
// height: 24,
// viewBox: '0 0 24 24',
// fill: 'none',
// stroke: 'currentColor',
// 'stroke-width': 2,
// 'stroke-linecap': 'round',
// 'stroke-linejoin': 'round',
// },
// toSvg: [Function],
// }
feather.icons.x.toString();
// '<line ... /><line ... />'
[!NOTE] >
xin the above example can be replaced with any valid icon name. See the complete list of icon names at feathericons.com. Icons with multi-word names (e.g.arrow-right) cannot be accessed using dot notation (e.g.feather.icons.x). Instead, use bracket notation (e.g.feather.icons['arrow-right']).
feather.icons[name].toSvg([attrs])
Returns an SVG string.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
attrs (optional) | Object | Key-value pairs in the attrs object will be mapped to HTML attributes on the <svg> tag (e.g. { foo: 'bar' } maps to foo="bar"). All default attributes on the <svg> tag can be overridden with the attrs object. |
[!NOTE] You might find these SVG attributes helpful for manipulating icons:
Usage
feather.icons.circle.toSvg();
// '<svg class="feather feather-circle" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>'
feather.icons.circle.toSvg({ 'stroke-width': 1 });
// '<svg class="feather feather-circle" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>'
feather.icons.circle.toSvg({ class: 'foo bar' });
// '<svg class="feather feather-circle foo bar" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>'
feather.replace([attrs])
Replaces all elements that have a data-feather attribute with SVG markup corresponding to the element's data-feather attribute value.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
attrs (optional) | Object | Key-value pairs in the attrs object will be mapped to HTML attributes on the <svg> tag (e.g. { foo: 'bar' } maps to foo="bar"). All default attributes on the <svg> tag can be overridden with the attrs object. |
Usage
[!IMPORTANT] >
feather.replace()only works in a browser environment.
Simple usage:
<i data-feather="circle"></i>
<!--
<i> will be replaced with:
<svg class="feather feather-circle" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>
-->
<script>
feather.replace();
</script>
You can pass feather.replace() an attrs object:
<i data-feather="circle"></i>
<!--
<i> will be replaced with:
<svg class="feather feather-circle foo bar" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>
-->
<script>
feather.replace({ class: 'foo bar', 'stroke-width': 1 });
</script>
All attributes on the placeholder element (i.e. <i>) will be copied to the <svg> tag:
<i data-feather="circle" id="my-circle" class="foo bar" stroke-width="1"></i>
<!--
<i> will be replaced with:
<svg id="my-circle" class="feather feather-circle foo bar" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>
-->
<script>
feather.replace();
</script>
feather.toSvg(name, [attrs]) (DEPRECATED)
[!WARNING] >
feather.toSvg()is deprecated. Please usefeather.icons[name].toSvg()instead.
Returns an SVG string.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | string | Icon name |
attrs (optional) | Object | Key-value pairs in the attrs object will be mapped to HTML attributes on the <svg> tag (e.g. { foo: 'bar' } maps to foo="bar"). All default attributes on the <svg> tag can be overridden with the attrs object. |
Usage
feather.toSvg('circle');
// '<svg class="feather feather-circle" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>'
feather.toSvg('circle', { 'stroke-width': 1 });
// '<svg class="feather feather-circle" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>'
feather.toSvg('circle', { class: 'foo bar' });
// '<svg class="feather feather-circle foo bar" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"></circle></svg>'
Contributing
For more info on how to contribute please see the contribution guidelines.
Caught a mistake or want to contribute to the documentation? Edit this page on Github
Related projects
- feathericons.dev - Feather viewer featuring 30+ brand icons and 40+ payment services icons
- angular-feather - Feather icons for Angular applications
- elm-feather - Feather icons for Elm applications
- react-feather - Feather icons as React components
- sketch-feather - Feather icons as a Sketch library
- vue-feather-icons - Feather icons as Vue components
- php-feather - Feather icons as a PHP Library
- wp-php-feather - Feather icons as a WordPress template tag
- django-feather - Feather icons as Django Template Tag
- svelte-feather-icons - Feather icons as Svelte components
- gulp-feather - Feather icons rendering using gulp
- astro-feather - Feather icons as Astro components
- qwik-feather-icons - Feather icons for Qwik, the Resumable Framework
- figma-feather – Feather icons as a Figma component
- delphi-feather-icons - Feather icons as a Delphi Library
- eleventy-plugin-feathericons - Feather icons as a plugin for 11ty
License
Feather is licensed under the MIT License.