Back in 2019, I stumbled upon Icons8 while desperately searching for consistent UI icons for a client project that was due in 48 hours. Little did I know that this discovery would completely transform my design workflow for years to come. After spending five years relying on this platform for countless projects, I figured it’s about time I shared my unfiltered thoughts on what makes this resource so damn valuable.
More Than Just Another Pretty Icon Site
Let’s face it – the name “Icons8” doesn’t exactly scream “comprehensive design ecosystem.” Yet that’s precisely what it’s become. What started as a humble icon repository has evolved into a powerhouse of visual assets that I’ve come to depend on daily.
My first impression wasn’t particularly remarkable – another icon site, big deal. But after digging deeper, I noticed something different about their approach. Unlike the mishmash of styles you find on other platforms, there was a coherent vision here. You could tell actual designers with standards were creating these assets, not just uploading whatever looked decent enough.
Why I Keep Coming Back to Icons8
An Icon Collection That Actually Makes Sense
The core of Icons8 remains its massive icon library – over 1.4 million icons across 47 distinct UI design styles. But impressive numbers don’t mean squat if the quality isn’t there.
What differentiates Icons8’s collection is how thoughtfully organized it is. Need iOS-style icons? Material Design? Windows? Animated icons? Emojis? Specialized sets like Glyph Neue or Line Awesome? They’re all there, and more importantly, they all look like they belong together within each style family.
This pixel-perfect approach means I’m not stuck desperately trying to resize or rework icons that should theoretically be the same size but mysteriously aren’t (we’ve all been there, right?).
File Formats That Don’t Make Me Want to Scream
One of my biggest pet peeves with most icon sites is getting the perfect icon… in exactly the wrong format. Icons8 sidesteps this frustration by offering multiple format options:
- SVG for when I need to animate or resize without quality loss
- PNG with transparency for quick implementation
- PDF for those annoying print projects clients spring on you last-minute
- HTML/CSS snippets that save precious development time
- Even EPS and AI formats for when I need to make serious modifications
This flexibility means I’m not wasting billable hours converting files or, worse, recreating icons from scratch because the available format doesn’t work for my needs.
Style Consistency That Makes Clients Think I’m a Genius
We’ve all experienced the nightmare of cobbling together assets from different sources – that moment when you step back and realize nothing quite matches, and the whole design looks like a visual ransom note.
Icons8 solves this problem brilliantly by ensuring style consistency across their entire ecosystem. When I select a particular icon style, I can find illustrations, photos, and other elements that perfectly complement it.
This consistency has saved my butt more times than I can count, especially when clients come back with “small” changes that would normally require rethinking entire design systems.
Tools That Make My Life Easier
Customization Without the Headaches
The interactive editor is perhaps the most underrated feature of Icons8. Need to tweak colors to match brand guidelines? Change sizes? Add backgrounds or overlays? It’s all doable without opening Illustrator or Figma.
Their Iconizer tool deserves special praise – it lets even my most technically-challenged clients edit SVG icons without calling me in a panic. The variety of size options (from tiny 25×25 pixels up to large 512×512 pixels) means I can grab exactly what’s needed for different contexts.
I once had to create 43 custom-colored icons for a client’s dashboard – a task that would have taken hours in traditional design software. With Icons8’s editor, I knocked it out during a single episode of The Office.
Icon Fonts That Actually Work
For web projects where performance matters, icon fonts often beat individual image files. Icons8’s font generation tool has saved me countless headaches by creating browser-compatible icon fonts from selected icons.
What makes this better than alternatives? The implementation process doesn’t make me want to throw my laptop out the window. You add the generated font to your CSS, and you’re done. No weird rendering issues, no cross-browser compatibility nightmares.
SVG Sets for Modern Development Needs
My developer friends won’t stop raving about Icons8’s SVG set generation. This feature exports collections of related icons as unified SVG sets, streamlining implementation in modern frameworks.
One buddy who works primarily in React told me this feature alone saved his team about 20 hours on a recent project, as it eliminated the need to manually standardize dozens of icons from different sources.
Integrations That Actually Make Sense
Desktop Apps That Don’t Suck
I’m generally skeptical of web services that offer desktop apps – they’re usually afterthoughts with half the functionality of the web version. Icons8’s native applications for Mac and Windows are glorious exceptions.
These apps provide offline access to the entire library (a godsend when working from spotty coffee shop Wi-Fi) and let me drag icons directly into design software like Sketch, Photoshop, and Xcode.
During a three-day power outage last winter, these offline apps quite literally saved a project deadline.
Plugins That Respect My Workflow
The plugins for Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and other design tools show that Icons8 actually understands how designers work. Rather than forcing me to interrupt my creative flow by switching applications, these integrations bring assets directly into my workspace.
The Figma plugin has become so essential to my workflow that I genuinely feel lost when working on platforms without it.
An API That Developers Don’t Hate
For larger projects, programmatic access to design resources is crucial. Icons8’s API feels like it was built by people who actually write code for a living, not just marketing folks who thought an API sounded good on paper.
It’s well-documented, reliable (handling over 500,000 calls daily), and integrates smoothly with various tech stacks. When my team needed to dynamically generate content based on user selections for an enterprise client, this API performed flawlessly even under stress testing.
They Actually Give a Damn About Users
An Icon Request System That Delivers
Most platforms have some form of “request” feature that feels like shouting into the void. Icons8’s request system is different – they actually listen and respond.
What impresses me most is that they often create requested icons for free. This isn’t just marketing fluff; I’ve personally requested specialized icons for client projects and received them within days. Once, I needed a very specific medical device icon for a healthcare app, and they delivered a perfect asset within 48 hours – no extra charge.
Educational Content Worth Your Time
Beyond just providing assets, Icons8 offers tutorials and design tips that have genuinely improved my skills. Their blog isn’t filled with the usual SEO-driven fluff; it contains actionable advice from people who clearly know what they’re talking about.
A tutorial on icon consistency fundamentally changed how I approach design systems, resulting in more cohesive projects and happier clients.
Real Benefits for Different Types of Users
For Fellow Designers Like Me
As someone who’s been designing professionally for over a decade, I value Icons8 primarily as a time-saver. The comprehensive library lets me focus on strategic design challenges rather than recreating basic elements.
The consistency across assets means I can maintain high standards even when facing ridiculous deadlines. When a client suddenly decides their entire app needs a style overhaul two days before launch, these resources become priceless.
For Developers Who Can’t Design Their Way Out of a Paper Bag
Let’s be honest – many brilliant developers struggle with visual design (no offense, dev friends). Icons8 provides them with pre-made visual components that instantly enhance the appeal of their applications.
The variety of implementation methods accommodates different development approaches, making the platform useful regardless of tech stack preferences. The API and integrations further reduce friction between design and development – always a win in my book.
For Marketing Teams on Impossible Deadlines
Marketing folks constantly need visual assets for campaigns, social posts, and presentations, often with insane turnaround times. Icons8’s diverse library and customization options let them create professional content without bothering the design team for every single graphic.
My friend Sarah, who leads marketing for a SaaS startup, credits Icons8 with helping her team maintain visual consistency across channels despite having no dedicated designer on staff.
For Bootstrapped Startups and Non-Profits
For organizations with limited budgets, Icons8’s free tier (with attribution) provides access to a substantial portion of their library. I’ve recommended this option to several non-profit clients who needed professional-looking materials despite minimal design budgets.
This accessibility democratizes good design in a way few other platforms manage without severely limiting their offerings or quality.
Meeting Modern Communication Needs
In today’s fragmented digital landscape, maintaining consistent branding across platforms is a constant challenge. Icons8 excels at providing resources that work across various environments.
For instance, when implementing contact sections, you’ll often need the WhatsApp logo alongside other messaging platforms. Icons8 offers multiple variations that match different design aesthetics while maintaining brand recognition. This attention to detail extends to other communication platforms as well.
The multi-format availability makes implementation straightforward across contexts – from mobile apps to websites to printed materials – without compromise.
Real Solutions to Everyday Design Problems
Creating Visual Harmony Without Losing Your Mind
One of the most persistent challenges in design is creating harmony across different elements. Icons8 addresses this through style-matched assets across categories – icons, illustrations, and photos that share visual characteristics.
This capability has transformed how I build design systems. Instead of piecing together a Frankenstein’s monster of mismatched assets, I can now offer clients comprehensive visual languages that extend across all touchpoints.
Keeping Up With Ever-Changing Design Trends
Remember when skeuomorphic design was all the rage, then flat design killed it, then dimensional design made a comeback? Keeping up with these shifts typically requires rebuilding asset libraries from scratch.
Icons8 regularly adds new styles reflecting emerging design paradigms, allowing me to implement contemporary aesthetics without starting over. Their recent additions of 3D icons and neuomorphic styles kept my work looking current without massive overhauls.
Balancing Uniqueness With Usability
Great design walks a tightrope between standing out and remaining intuitive. Icons8’s customization options provide the perfect foundation – recognizable base elements that can be modified to achieve distinctiveness without sacrificing usability.
For interfaces where cognitive load must be minimized, this balance is crucial. I’ve used their customization tools to create unique-looking icons that still follow established visual conventions, keeping users from getting confused.
How It Compares to Other Options I’ve Tried
After trying most major icon and asset libraries over the years, I’ve found Icons8 distinguishes itself in several key ways:
- It’s a Complete Ecosystem: Unlike specialized libraries focusing on a single asset type, Icons8 provides a comprehensive range in one place. This reduces subscription fatigue and the need to learn multiple interfaces.
- Consistent Quality Control: Their in-house design team ensures style adherence and quality standards. This contrasts sharply with marketplaces where quality varies wildly between contributors.
- Workflow-Focused Tools: Beyond static assets, Icons8 offers tools that streamline implementation. This focus on practical workflows shows they understand what users actually need.
- They Evolve Based on User Needs: Their request system and regular updates ensure the platform evolves with user requirements rather than arbitrary internal decisions.
Future-Focused Innovation
Icons8’s integration of AI technologies demonstrates a forward-thinking approach that promises continued relevance as design needs evolve.
Their AI-powered tools like Background Remover, Smart Upscaler, Face Generator, Human Generator, AI Anonymizer, and Illustration Generator have already simplified tasks that previously required specialized skills.
I’ve used several of these tools with impressive results – generating fictional faces for user personas, creating custom illustrations in specific styles, and removing backgrounds from product photos in seconds rather than minutes.
These capabilities democratize design processes that were once accessible only to those with advanced technical skills or expensive software.
Bottom Line: It Just Works
After five years of daily use across countless projects, Icons8 has earned its place as my go-to design resource. It’s evolved from a simple icon library to an essential part of my professional toolkit.
What impresses me most is how it scales with varying needs. When I was starting out, the free tier with attribution requirements was perfect. As my career advanced and client demands grew more complex, the premium features continued to provide value that justified the investment.
In an industry where visual communication grows increasingly important, platforms like Icons8 play a vital role in enabling effective design at every level – from solo freelancers to enterprise teams.
Whether you’re a veteran designer, a developer trying to make your UI less ugly, a marketer creating campaign assets, or an educator with minimal resources, Icons8 offers solutions that adapt to your specific needs without compromising quality.
After all these years, it remains one of the few design resources I wholeheartedly recommend to colleagues. In a field full of overhyped tools that promise the world and deliver disappointment, Icons8 is refreshingly straightforward – it simply delivers what it promises, consistently and reliably.
With over a decade in the tech field, Bogdan blends technical expertise with insights on business innovation in technology.
A regular contributor to TMS Outsource's blog, where you'll find sharp analyses on software development, tech business strategies, and global tech dynamics.
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