36 sets of free icons

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Icons are a critical element of UI design and as important a part of your web project as web fonts, but creating custom icons for each project is rarely practical as it's so time-consuming. On the other hand, finding those hidden treasures in a pool of tens of thousands of free icons also takes time.

That's why we've stepped in to help out – we've picked out a great selection of free icons, and hopefully you'll find at least a few sets that you can put to good use in your own projects, whether personal or commercial.

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01. 30 isometric icons

These isometric beauties aren't just for accountants

This set of 30 isometric icons has been created with the accounting industry in mind, but there are some fab pieces in there that could easily be turned towards more general use if you're so inclined.

02. iconmonstr

You can easily download free icons at iconmonstr

The iconmonstr website is a great place to find black and white vector icons. They’re available in various sizes, and you can download them either in .PNG or .SVG format.

03. Find Icons

Find icons at Find Icons - it doesn't get simpler than that

Find Icons helps you track down everything from flat black and white icons to colourful 3D icons. Uncover what you're looking for by searching by colour, background colour and even style.

04. Icon Archive

Icon Archive's rating system will help you decide which free icons to download

At Icon Archive you'll have to sort the wheat from the chaff to a certain extent, but you are able to sort icons by colour, background colour, size, style and category, and download PNGs in four different sizes.

05. Icon Gallery

Icon Gallery is literally a gallery of great free icons. Hence the name

Icon Gallery offers you with a simpler filter option to help you find the icons you're looking for. Icons are available in several sizes to download in .PNG or .ICO.

06. The Noun Project

The Noun Project offer free icons devoted to a similar aesthetic

Gaining more and more traction and use, the aim of The Noun Project is to provide free icons that all have a similar and consistent aesthetic. It’s like a 'free icon set' that's been juiced up with a search area, a beautiful UI, and some fantastic icon designs.

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07. IconToucan

IconToucan enables you to drag, drop, and download whatever free icons you like

The primary benefit of IconToucan is convenience. The site enables you to quickly view the transparent, PNG icons and then drag and drop them into a drawer on the right side of the page. Appearing underneath is a list of those icons you’ve chosen and with a single click you can download all the free icons you've selected at once in a ZIP archive file.

08. Minicons

Minicons provides 210 free icons for web design and wireframes to choose from

Minicons offers a clean set of 210, vector-based free icons with a few hidden gems. You can download all of them in a single click, and they're are free for both personal and commercial use. If you’re feeling frisky, you can open the wallet and pay $59 for the complete package of 1,500 vector icons.

09. Fontello

Create your own webfonts of icons with this easy composer

This site lets you create your own free webfonts of icons. You basically select the 'glyphs' of icons you want in your font from a few different (really nice) collections. You can change the pixel sizes, customise the file names, and download your webfont bundle. Everything is generated on through the site and ready for publishing on yours.

10. Socialico

Socialico offers a package of 74 free icons for social media use

Social media is everywhere these days, and the number and variety of social-based sites is increasing all the time. Every website designer seems to have the need for some good social media icons, and this collection provides some of the more common ones (Facebook and Twitter) to more niche ones (Dribbble and deviantART). The free icons come as a font, with the icons both in a circle holding shape and without a circle.

Next: 10 more free icon sets

11. Modern Pictograms

Modern Pictograms comes with a selection of free icons

An OpenType font for download, this free offering provides an attractive selection of free icons. The designs were created with simplicity and competence from the folks at The Design Office and is available on the popular free fontssite, Font Squirrel. (The icons apparently look good intermingled with Helvetica.)

12. FlatIcon

FlatIcon has over 184,000 icons on offer

If you need lots and lots of flat icons, then this project by FreePik will sort you right out, featuring 2,979 icon packs for free, adding up to over 184,000 free icons for both personal and commercial use.

13. Free vector icons: Retro Volume 1

Get retro with this icon set, and don't forget to grab Volume 2

This set of 120 vector icons by Vietnamese designer Min Tran presses all the right retro buttons. If you want more you can find Volume 2 right here, and there are plenty more icons to be found on his Dribbble page. 

14. Free UXPin icon set

UXPin's free icon set is ideal for building UI prototypes

UXPin's a collaborative wireframing app that's perfect for building prototypes quickly and easily, and to help out with the process the UXPin team has made this beautiful and diverse suite of over 80 icons, designed for web and mobile UI design, available to use for free.

15. Icons8

Icons8 is a comprehensive collection of 19,700 free flat icons

Promising any icon in any format, size and colour in 20 seconds, Icons8 is a comprehensive collection of 19,700 free flat icons. With categories business, clothing, food and more, Icons8 lets users download icons as both a Mac App or ZIP file.

16. Freepik

Freepik's shaded vector icons are perfect for businesses and independent projects

This vibrant collection of shaded vector icons from graphic resource Freepik is just one of the many sets they've curated. Perfect for businesses and independent projects, these icons are free for both personal and commercial use. Each set can be downloaded in an .AI, .EPS and .SVG format.

17. Iconfinder

These black and white icons mix functionality with emotive ideas.

Rendered in simple black and white, this set of crisp vector icons mix functionality with emotive ideas. Besides standard icons for security and messaging, such as padlocks and envelopes, this collection from Iconfinder also features hearts and eyes to give your designs that personal touch.

18. Modern UI Icons

Over 1000 handcrafted flat icons for Windows, Android or iOS

Here's another fantastic free resource if you're looking for modern UI style icons for your Windows, Android or iOS app. Download the pack and you'll get over 1000 handcrafted flat icons including app bar icons for Windows phone.

19. 350 pixel perfect icons

These pixel perfect icons are perfect for apps and websites

An awesome set of 350 pixel perfect icons that are perfect for apps and websites. You can use then for both personal and commercial use and scale them to any size you need.

20. 80 mini icons

Need something tiny? These mini icons are small but perfectly formed

Featuring 80 pixel perfect mini icons available in both PSD and Icon Font format. These clean and elegant icons are perfect for any project.

Next: another 10 free icon sets

21. Simple and practical web icon vector graphic

This is a great mix of eye-catching and useful icons

A variety of extremely useful icons that can be used for both personal and commercial projects.

22. Free flat icons

How much more flat could these be? None. None more flat.

Fantastic set of flat designed icons that feature icons for calendars, emails, clocks, maps and more.

23. Mono icons

This minimal set features 108 unique icon designs

A beautiful, minimal set which includes 108 unique icon designs that are available as a PNG at 32x32px that you can customise as you see fit.

24. Metrize icons

Here's a free collection of 300 metro-style icons for apps or web projects

Here's fantastic resource for designers and developers - a free collection of 300 metro-style icons that you could use for your apps or web projects. They're all free to use in both personal and commercial projects and the download includes not only the PSD, SVG, ESP and AI but also the web font.

25. Chunky Pika Icon Set

Go Dutch with these chunky icons

Check out this Pika-style vector icons released by the Dutch designers at Dutch Icon. The set includes 42 chunky pixel-perfect icons that you can use for your next personal or client project.

26. 44 Shades of Free Icons

44 minimal icons, no messing

Need some simple icons for your next client project? Here's a set of 44 icons you can use. They're in a PSD format, enabling you to easily edit and adapt them.

27. Token icon set

These icons come in all the sizes and in light and dark variants

Token includes 128 unique icon designs, available as an ICO bundling of 16x16px, 32x32px and 256x256px icons, or as a PNG at 128x128px. Each icon has both dark and light variants, and comes along with a PSD which includes the layer styles for each resolution.

28. Flat icons (PSD)

Last lot of flat icons not flat enough for you? Try these instead.

Colourful flat icon set that you can download in a PSD format, allowing you to change colours and adapt each icon so it integrates perfectly into your new project. Check them out.

29. Free 32px icons set

This set includes just about every icon you require on your new site

Here's a complete icon set that includes just about every icon you require on your new site. Starting from Skype, Facebook and Twitter icons to RSS, coffee, like/unlike and many more.

30. 48 flat designer icons

Icons don't get any flatter than this

If you're a fan of minimalism then this icon set might be perfect for you. It consists of 48 free icons for office, social and travel, all supplied in AI and PNG formats, fully scalable and in full colour and monochrome coral.

Next: our final six free icon sets

31. Plex icons set

Over 100 icons, covering pretty much all your needs

This set includes over 100 icons for calendars, antivirus, clocks, email, Microsoft Office applications, social media networks and more. Check it out!

32. Vectory mini free

This set of over 1000 icons is great for when you're designing a new site

Vectory is a huge collection of more than 1000 icons created by Icojam, all in PNG format. Great for when you're designing a new site as you can use them freely for both personal and commercial projects.

33. Eldorado mini free

So is this little lot

Yet another large collection of mini icons from Icojam with over 1200 40×40 pixel icons that you can use on your site or on client sites. Free to use for both personal and commercial projects.

34. 2600 Flag Icon Set

Never find yourself stuck for the right flag icon ever again

This epic set contains 2,600 flags in several sizes along with 2 variants – flat and glossy.

35. Social icons

These monochrome social icons are designed with simplicity in mind

Featuring 150 monochrome social icons designed with simplicity in mind, this set consists of a variety of fully scalable icons provided in AI, EPS, PNG and SVG formats. They are completely free to use in both personal and commercial projects.

36. Free Furry Cushions Social Icons Set

Pimp your furry site with these fluffy delights

Got a furry site? Then these furry social media icons will be perfect for your site. Download the six icons for free and use them in your projects without any restrictions.

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