feather-icons vs material-icons vs react-icons
Icon Implementation Strategies in Modern Frontend
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Icon Implementation Strategies in Modern Frontend

feather-icons, material-icons, and react-icons represent three distinct approaches to rendering icons in web applications. feather-icons is a JavaScript library that replaces HTML tags with SVGs at runtime, originally designed for vanilla JS environments. material-icons is the official Google web font implementation, using ligatures where text characters render as icons via CSS. react-icons is a collection of SVG icons converted into React components, supporting tree-shaking and native props. Each serves different architectural needs depending on framework choice and design system requirements.

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Icon Implementation Strategies: feather-icons vs material-icons vs react-icons

Choosing the right icon library impacts bundle size, rendering performance, and developer experience. feather-icons, material-icons, and react-icons solve the same problem with fundamentally different technical approaches. Let's compare how they handle integration, customization, and framework compatibility.

🛠️ Integration Method: DOM Replacement vs Font Ligatures vs Components

feather-icons relies on JavaScript to scan the DOM and replace <i> tags with inline SVGs.

  • You must call feather.replace() after the DOM loads.
  • In React, this requires a useEffect hook to trigger after render.
// feather-icons: Manual DOM replacement
import feather from 'feather-icons';

function App() {
  useEffect(() => { feather.replace(); }, []);
  return <i data-feather="home"></i>;
}

material-icons uses a web font and CSS ligatures.

  • You import the CSS file and use specific class names.
  • The icon name is written as text content inside a span.
// material-icons: Font ligatures
import 'material-icons/iconfont/material-icons.css';

function App() {
  return <span className="material-icons">home</span>;
}

react-icons treats icons as native React components.

  • You import the specific icon you need from a sub-path.
  • No CSS or DOM manipulation is required.
// react-icons: Native components
import { FiHome } from 'react-icons/fi';

function App() {
  return <FiHome />;
}

🎨 Customization: Attributes vs CSS vs Props

feather-icons customizes via HTML attributes or JS options.

  • You set width, color, or class on the <i> tag before replacement.
  • Changing dynamic styles requires re-running replace() or manipulating the SVG directly.
// feather-icons: HTML attributes
<i data-feather="home" className="text-blue-500" width="24"></i>

material-icons customizes via CSS properties.

  • Font size controls icon size; color controls icon color.
  • You can use Google's specific classes like material-icons-outlined.
// material-icons: CSS classes
<span className="material-icons" style={{ color: 'blue', fontSize: 24 }}>home</span>

react-icons customizes via standard React props.

  • Pass size, color, className, or onClick directly to the component.
  • Fully supports TypeScript types for props.
// react-icons: Component props
<FiHome size={24} color="blue" onClick={() => console.log('clicked')} />

⚛️ Framework Compatibility: Vanilla vs CSS vs React-Native

feather-icons is framework-neutral but requires extra work in React.

  • It was built for jQuery or vanilla JS contexts.
  • Using it in React introduces unnecessary complexity due to DOM syncing.
// feather-icons: React wrapper needed
useEffect(() => {
  feather.replace(); // Must run after every render involving icons
}, [dependencies]);

material-icons works anywhere CSS works.

  • Compatible with React, Vue, Angular, or plain HTML.
  • Does not require JavaScript to render the icon shape.
// material-icons: Universal CSS
<span className="material-icons">settings</span> // Works in any framework

react-icons is built specifically for component frameworks.

  • Supports React, Preact, Vue, Solid, and Svelte.
  • Icons behave like any other component in your tree.
// react-icons: Framework specific imports
import { FiSettings } from 'react-icons/fi'; // React
// import { FiSettings } from 'vue-icons/fi'; // Vue (via similar libs)

📦 Bundle Impact: Runtime vs Font File vs Tree-Shaking

feather-icons includes the whole set in the JS bundle.

  • Even if you use one icon, the library logic loads all paths.
  • You cannot easily split the icon data without custom configuration.
// feather-icons: Full library import
import feather from 'feather-icons'; // Loads all icon definitions

material-icons loads a font file (woff2/woff).

  • Browser caches the font, but it is a fixed cost regardless of usage.
  • Unused icons do not add weight, but the full font file does.
// material-icons: Font file load
import 'material-icons/iconfont/material-icons.css'; // Loads full font

react-icons supports tree-shaking out of the box.

  • Only the SVGs you import are included in the final bundle.
  • Ideal for performance-critical applications needing specific icons.
// react-icons: Tree-shakable imports
import { FiHome } from 'react-icons/fi'; // Only Home SVG included

⚠️ Maintenance and Status

feather-icons original repository is archived.

  • The core project is no longer actively adding new icons.
  • Security or bug fixes are rare; consider react-icons Feather set instead.
// feather-icons: Archived status
// Repo: github.com/feathericons/feather (Archived)

material-icons is maintained by Google.

  • Receives updates when new Material Design icons are released.
  • Stable and reliable for long-term projects using Material Design.
// material-icons: Official support
// Maintained by Google Material Design team

react-icons is actively maintained by the community.

  • Regularly adds new icon sets and updates existing ones.
  • Aggregates many sets, including Feather and Material, into one package.
// react-icons: Active community
// Updates frequently with new icon sets and framework support

📊 Summary: Key Differences

Featurefeather-iconsmaterial-iconsreact-icons
TypeJS DOM ReplacementWeb Font LigaturesSVG Components
React SupportRequires useEffectCSS Class NamesNative Components
StylingHTML AttributesCSS PropertiesReact Props
BundleFull JS LibraryFont FileTree-Shakable SVGs
StatusArchived (Original)Official (Google)Active (Community)

💡 The Big Picture

feather-icons is a legacy solution for vanilla JS projects — it works but feels out of place in modern component frameworks. Use it only if you are maintaining an older codebase or need simple stroke icons without a build process.

material-icons is the standard for Material Design systems — it is fast to implement and relies on browser font caching. Choose this if you are already using Material UI or need a font-based approach for server-side rendering simplicity.

react-icons is the modern standard for React applications — it offers the best developer experience with type safety and tree-shaking. It allows you to use Feather, Material, and hundreds of other sets with a single consistent API.

Final Thought: For new React projects, react-icons is usually the superior choice due to its component model and maintenance status. Reserve material-icons for strict Material Design compliance, and avoid feather-icons in favor of the Feather set within react-icons.

How to Choose: feather-icons vs material-icons vs react-icons

  • feather-icons:

    Choose feather-icons if you are working in a vanilla JavaScript project or a legacy environment where direct DOM manipulation is acceptable. It is suitable for simple sites that need consistent stroke-based icons without a build step for SVGs. Avoid this in modern React applications unless you wrap it carefully, as it requires manual DOM updates.

  • material-icons:

    Choose material-icons if your application strictly follows the Material Design system and you want minimal setup for icon fonts. It is ideal for projects where loading a font file is preferable to managing hundreds of individual SVG files. This works well for server-rendered pages where CSS class names are easier to manage than component imports.

  • react-icons:

    Choose react-icons if you are building a React, Vue, or Solid application and want type-safe, tree-shakable icon components. It is the best fit for modern component-driven architectures where icons need to accept props like color, size, and click handlers directly. This package aggregates multiple icon sets, including Feather and Material, into a unified API.

Similar Npm Packages to feather-icons

feather-icons is a collection of open-source icons that are designed to be simple, beautiful, and customizable. Each icon is crafted with a minimalistic approach, making them ideal for modern web applications. Feather icons are vector-based, which means they can be scaled to any size without losing quality, and they can easily be styled with CSS. This makes them a popular choice among developers looking for a clean and elegant icon set for their projects.

While feather-icons provides a great selection of icons, there are other libraries that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few alternatives:

  • material-icons is a set of icons designed by Google that follows the Material Design guidelines. This library includes a wide variety of icons that are perfect for web and mobile applications. Material icons are also vector-based and can be easily customized with CSS. If you are building an application that adheres to Material Design principles, using material-icons will ensure consistency and a polished look throughout your user interface.
  • react-icons is a popular library that provides a comprehensive collection of icons from various icon sets, including Font Awesome, Material Icons, and many others. This library is specifically designed for React applications, allowing developers to easily import and use icons as React components. If you need a diverse range of icons and want the flexibility to choose from multiple icon sets, react-icons is an excellent choice.

To see how feather-icons compares with material-icons and react-icons, check out the comparison: Comparing feather-icons vs material-icons vs react-icons.

Similar Npm Packages to material-icons

material-icons is a popular icon library that provides a comprehensive set of Material Design icons for web and mobile applications. Developed by Google, these icons are designed to be simple, clean, and easily recognizable, making them a great choice for modern user interfaces. While material-icons is widely used, there are several alternatives that also offer icon sets suitable for various projects. Here are a few notable options:

  • @material-ui/icons is a package that provides Material Design icons specifically for use with Material-UI, a popular React UI framework. This package allows developers to easily integrate Material Design icons into their React applications while maintaining consistency with the Material-UI design system. If you are already using Material-UI for your project, this package is an excellent choice for adding icons seamlessly.
  • @mui/icons-material is the successor to @material-ui/icons, designed for the latest version of Material-UI (MUI). It offers a wide range of Material Design icons optimized for use with the MUI framework. This package is ideal for developers looking to leverage the latest features and improvements in MUI while incorporating Material Design icons into their applications.
  • font-awesome is one of the most popular icon libraries available, offering a vast collection of icons that can be easily customized and styled. Font Awesome provides both free and premium icons, making it a versatile choice for developers who need a wide variety of icons for their projects. Its extensive documentation and community support make it a reliable option for any web application.
  • material-design-icons is another implementation of Google's Material Design icons. This library provides a comprehensive set of icons that adhere to the Material Design guidelines. While it may not be as widely used as material-icons, it offers a similar aesthetic and can be a suitable alternative for developers looking for Material Design icons.
  • react-icons is a versatile library that provides a collection of popular icon sets as React components. It includes icons from various libraries, including Font Awesome, Material Design, and others. This flexibility allows developers to choose from multiple icon sets while maintaining a consistent API for usage in their React applications. If you want a single library that aggregates icons from different sources, react-icons is an excellent choice.

To see how these icon libraries compare, check out the comparison: Comparing @material-ui/icons vs @mui/icons-material vs font-awesome vs material-design-icons vs material-icons vs react-icons.

Similar Npm Packages to react-icons

react-icons is a popular library that provides a comprehensive collection of customizable icons for React applications. It allows developers to easily integrate icons from various icon sets, such as Font Awesome, Material Design, and more, into their projects. With a simple and intuitive API, react-icons makes it easy to import and use icons as React components, enabling seamless styling and customization. This library is particularly useful for developers looking to enhance their user interfaces with visually appealing icons without the hassle of managing multiple icon libraries.

An alternative to react-icons is react-feather. This library offers a collection of open-source icons that are designed with a minimalistic approach. Each icon in react-feather is built using SVG, ensuring that they are lightweight and easily scalable. The icons are designed to be simple and clean, making them a great choice for applications that prioritize a modern aesthetic. react-feather provides a straightforward API for integrating icons into your React components, allowing for easy customization and styling.

For a detailed comparison of these two libraries, check out the following link: Comparing react-feather vs react-icons.

README for feather-icons

Feather

Coverage npm downloads npm version CDNJS version

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.

https://feathericons.com

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.js and feather.min.js are located in the dist directory 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] > circle in 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] > x in 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']).

View Source

feather.icons[name].toSvg([attrs])

Returns an SVG string.

Parameters

NameTypeDescription
attrs (optional)ObjectKey-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>'

View Source

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

NameTypeDescription
attrs (optional)ObjectKey-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>

View Source

feather.toSvg(name, [attrs]) (DEPRECATED)

[!WARNING] > feather.toSvg() is deprecated. Please use feather.icons[name].toSvg() instead.

Returns an SVG string.

Parameters

NameTypeDescription
namestringIcon name
attrs (optional)ObjectKey-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>'

View Source

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

License

Feather is licensed under the MIT License.

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