React Icons vs Material Icons (2026)

React Icons uses the MIT License — one of the most permissive open-source licenses. You can use it in any commercial project, modify the icons, and redistribute them freely. The only requirement is preserving the copyright notice in copies of the software.

Material Icons uses the MIT License — one of the most permissive open-source licenses. You can use it in any commercial project, modify the icons, and redistribute them freely. The only requirement is preserving the copyright notice in copies of the software.

import { FaHome } from 'react-icons/fa'
import { MdSettings } from 'react-icons/md'
import { HiUser } from 'react-icons/hi'

export default function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <FaHome size={24} />
      <MdSettings size={24} />
      <HiUser size={24} />
    </div>
  )
}

import HomeIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Home'
import HomeOutlinedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/HomeOutlined'
import SearchIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Search'
import DeleteIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Delete'

// ✅ Path imports — up to 6x faster in dev than barrel imports
// ❌ Avoid: import { HomeIcon } from '@mui/icons-material'

export default function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      {/* Filled — bold, solid, for primary actions */}
      <HomeIcon />

      {/* Outlined — minimal stroke-style, for supporting UI */}
      <HomeOutlinedIcon />

      {/* Sizing via fontSize prop */}
      <SearchIcon fontSize="small" />   {/* 20px */}
      <SearchIcon fontSize="medium" />  {/* 24px default */}
      <SearchIcon fontSize="large" />   {/* 35px */}
      <SearchIcon sx={{ fontSize: 48 }} />

      {/* Color via MUI theme tokens or custom hex */}
      <DeleteIcon color="error" />
      <DeleteIcon sx={{ color: '#6366f1' }} />
    </div>
  )
}

Which is better: React Icons or Material Icons?

Choosing between React Icons and Material Icons depends entirely on your project's technical requirements and design aesthetic. React Icons provides 52,000 icons and is notable for one package replaces 25+ separate installs, while Material Icons offers 2,100 icons and is best known for 5 style variants per icon — filled, outlined, rounded, sharp, twotone from one package.

Are React Icons and Material Icons completely free to use?

Yes. Both libraries are highly permissive open-source projects. React Icons is licensed under MIT, and Material Icons is licensed under MIT. Both licenses permit free commercial usage, modification, and redistribution in both personal and enterprise projects.

Do these libraries support TypeScript natively?

Yes, React Icons includes excellent built-in TypeScript definitions. Similarly, Material Icons offers robust native TypeScript support for an improved developer experience.

npm install react-icons

npm install @mui/icons-material @mui/material @emotion/styled @emotion/react