Heroicons vs Phosphor Icons
Quick verdict
Heroicons and Phosphor Icons are both excellent icon tools, and the right pick depends on what you need. Heroicons is hand-crafted SVG icons by the makers of Tailwind CSS, while Phosphor Icons is a flexible icon family with 9000+ icons across six weights. For most people, Phosphor Icons is the safer default thanks to its wider adoption — but Heroicons can be the better fit for the right workflow.
Picking between Heroicons and Phosphor Icons can feel like a coin toss — they cover similar ground and both do it well. The real differences live in the details.
We track hundreds of icon tools on DesignBookmark, so we've put them side by side below: what each one is, where they overlap, how they differ, and a clear answer to which you should choose.
No fluff and no fabricated benchmarks — just an honest, practical comparison to help you decide fast.
At a glance
| Heroicons | Phosphor Icons | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Icons | Icons |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| On DesignBookmark | Listed | Featured pick |
| Categories | 1 | 1 |
Pricing is a general guide and changes often — always confirm current plans on each tool's site.
What they have in common
At a high level, Heroicons and Phosphor Icons are after the same thing. Both sit in our icons category, both are aimed at designers, developers and creators, and both are built to make that job faster and more enjoyable.
So if you're only going to use one, you won't be missing out on the fundamentals either way — the question is which one's particular take on icon tool suits you best. That's what the rest of this comparison digs into.
Heroicons
Heroicons is hand-crafted SVG icons by the makers of Tailwind CSS. What stands out is how focused and dependable it feels: it does what it promises, release after release.
Compared with Phosphor Icons, it's the one to reach for when reliability beats raw feature count. On the pricing side, Heroicons is generally free — always click through to confirm current plans, since they change often.
Phosphor Icons
Phosphor Icons is a flexible icon family with 9000+ icons across six weights. Its biggest strength is the everyday experience — the small details are thought through, so it gets out of your way and lets you work.
Against Heroicons, it tends to win people over when a clean, familiar workflow is the priority. On the pricing side, Phosphor Icons is generally free — always click through to confirm current plans, since they change often.
How to choose between Heroicons and Phosphor Icons
Pick Heroicons
Choose Heroicons if its approach to icon tools matches the way you already like to work.
Pick Phosphor Icons
Choose Phosphor Icons if you want the more established, widely-adopted pick that most people reach for first.
Pricing & how you'll pay
Heroicons and Phosphor Icons use broadly similar pricing models, so cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor. Focus instead on which one fits your workflow — and always confirm the latest plans on each site, since pricing changes often.
Workflow & learning curve
The best icon tool is the one that disappears into your routine. Think about which interface feels more natural to you, which integrates with the apps you already use, and which you'd actually open every day. A short free trial of each tells you more than any feature chart.
Scope — all-rounder or specialist
Both cover similar ground here, so neither is obviously the "bigger" tool. Judge them on how well they do the specific job you care about most, rather than the length of their feature lists.
Momentum & community
A tool is only as good as the team and community behind it. Both Heroicons and Phosphor Icons are actively maintained and listed on DesignBookmark for that reason — but it's worth a quick look at each one's changelog and community to see which is moving in a direction you like.
Frequently asked questions
Is Heroicons better than Phosphor Icons?+
Neither is universally "better" — they're both strong icon tools, which is why people compare them. Heroicons suits you if you want hand-crafted SVG icons by the makers of Tailwind CSS; Phosphor Icons suits you if you want a flexible icon family with 9000+ icons across six weights. The best way to decide is to try both on a real project.
What's the difference between Heroicons and Phosphor Icons?+
They overlap a lot — both are icon tools aimed at the same audience. The practical difference is emphasis: Heroicons is hand-crafted SVG icons by the makers of Tailwind CSS, whereas Phosphor Icons is a flexible icon family with 9000+ icons across six weights. That shapes which workflows each one feels best for.
Is Heroicons or Phosphor Icons cheaper?+
Their pricing models are broadly similar (Heroicons is free, Phosphor Icons is free), so cost isn't the deciding factor for most people. Check each site for the current plans, since they change regularly.
Can I use Heroicons and Phosphor Icons together?+
Often, yes. Plenty of people use more than one icon tool side by side — one as their main driver and another for the things it does best. There's no rule that says you must pick only one, though most settle on a primary tool over time.
Is there a free version of Heroicons or Phosphor Icons?+
Both generally offer a free or freemium way in, so you can try Heroicons and Phosphor Icons before paying for either.
The bottom line
The bottom line: Phosphor Icons is the easier one to recommend as a default, but there's no wrong answer between Heroicons and Phosphor Icons — they're both genuinely good icon tools. Re-read the "how to choose" points above, take whichever one speaks to you for a quick spin, and keep the one that earns a permanent place in your workflow.