Ionic vs Ionicons
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 UI toolkit for building iOS, Android, and web apps from one JavaScript and web codebase.
Open source · MIT
A free, MIT-licensed set of 1,300 icons for web and mobile apps, built for Ionic.
The short answer
Choose Ionic if you need…
- Web developers who want to build mobile apps using existing web skills
- Teams that already use Angular, React, or Vue and want a shared UI toolkit
- Projects that need one codebase for iOS, Android, and Progressive Web Apps
- Developers who want a well-documented, MIT-licensed framework
Choose Ionicons if you need…
- Developers building apps with Ionic Framework, where icons are already packaged
- Web developers who want a free icon set without installing a package
- Projects that need separate iOS and Material Design icon styles
- Teams that want MIT-licensed icons usable in commercial work
Side-by-side
| Ionic | Ionicons | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 52.7k | 18.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Use it in the browser (or self-host) |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 3 months ago |
What each one is
Ionic
Ionic is an open source toolkit of user interface components for building apps that run on iPhone, Android, and the web from a single codebase. It is built on Web Components and works with popular frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue. Developers use it to make cross-platform apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript instead of writing separate native apps.
Ionicons
Ionicons is an open-source icon set with about 1,300 icons, made for web, iOS, Android, and desktop apps. It was built for Ionic Framework, so most icons come in Material Design and iOS versions. You use it by placing an ion-icon element in your page and setting its name, and the icon's SVG is loaded on demand.
Best for
Ionic
- Web developers who want to build mobile apps using existing web skills
- Teams that already use Angular, React, or Vue and want a shared UI toolkit
- Projects that need one codebase for iOS, Android, and Progressive Web Apps
- Developers who want a well-documented, MIT-licensed framework
Ionicons
- Developers building apps with Ionic Framework, where icons are already packaged
- Web developers who want a free icon set without installing a package
- Projects that need separate iOS and Material Design icon styles
- Teams that want MIT-licensed icons usable in commercial work
Strengths
Ionic
- Single codebase for iOS, Android, and web, based on standard web technologies
- Works with Angular, React, and Vue, according to the README
- Open source under the MIT license with active documentation and community channels
Ionicons
- Free and MIT-licensed, including for commercial use according to the README
- Each icon has filled, outline, and sharp variants in most cases
- Icons are loaded only when visible, which the README says keeps requests down
Not ideal for
Ionic
- Projects that need full access to the newest platform-specific native APIs without a bridge, since the README does not detail this and it relies on web-based packaging
- Developers who want a framework without any dependency on a specific frontend framework, since the README highlights integrations with Angular, React, and Vue
- Developers maintaining Ionic 1, 2, or 3 apps, since those versions were moved to separate repositories and this repo covers current versions
Ionicons
- People who need a very specific brand or illustration style not covered by the set, since the README only describes this one icon pack
- Projects that need icons to load instantly offline, because the component fetches each SVG when it becomes visible
- Anyone who needs brand logos cleared for endorsement, since the README notes brand icons are trademarks of their owners
Trade-offs
Ionic
- The README is truncated and does not describe the full feature set or performance details, so claims beyond the summary are unverified
- Mobile apps rely on web technologies, so behavior and performance depend on the chosen platform layer and setup
- Migration is needed between major versions, as shown by the existence of several migration guides
Ionicons
- The README is short on details about the full icon list and browser support
- Logo icons lack outline and sharp variants
- Using it outside Ionic requires loading scripts from a CDN, which adds an external dependency
Getting started
Ionicons
Load Ionicons without Ionic Framework (CDN script, module version)
<script type="module" src="https://esm.sh/ionicons@latest/loader"></script>Load Ionicons without Ionic Framework (CDN script, nomodule fallback)
<script nomodule src="https://esm.sh/ionicons@latest/loader"></script>Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ionic and Ionicons?
Ionic: A UI toolkit for building iOS, Android, and web apps from one JavaScript and web codebase. Ionicons: A free, MIT-licensed set of 1,300 icons for web and mobile apps, built for Ionic. Ionic suits web developers who want to build mobile apps using existing web skills, while Ionicons suits developers building apps with ionic framework, where icons are already packaged.
Are Ionic and Ionicons free?
Ionic: Free and open source. Ionicons: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Ionic or Ionicons?
Ionicons is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Ionic is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Ionic or Ionicons more popular?
Ionic has more GitHub stars (52.7k) than Ionicons (18.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Ionic and Ionicons?
Other options people compare them with include React Native, Framework7, GetX, Tabler Icons, Wired Elements.
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.