The Noun Project

The Noun Project is a searchable library of nearly 10 million human-made icons and stock photos, aimed at designers, content creators, and software teams needing visual assets. Its breadth and app connections are real advantages; the key trade-off is that free downloads require attribution and do not carry the paid commercial license.

Overview

Multiple icon styles, PNG and SVG downloads, and access through creative-app plugins make The Noun Project a flexible source for visual work. It is a stronger fit for people who need a broad catalog or want assets inside familiar tools than for teams seeking a tightly scoped, free-only icon set.

Key features

The Figma plugin combines AI-enhanced search with style matching and filters for solid or line icons and line weight. Those controls help users narrow a large collection to a consistent look. Free plugin access includes unlimited PNG icons up to 512 by 512 pixels, but attribution is required; SVG downloads and customization require Pro.

Integrations include PowerPoint and Word, Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign, Google Slides and Docs, and Mac workflows. This range keeps asset access near many common creative tasks. The Office add-in requires Microsoft Office 365 on PC, Mac, or web. The Mac app requires macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or higher and includes 100 starter icons; it also supports PDF export.

Software products can use the Icon API for REST access to the collection, with the service described for growth-stage and enterprise clients. Its trial provides API access for 30 days, but the ongoing API price is custom pricing. Noun Studio supports custom icon edits and generation. Edited or generated images remain private to the account, and creators earn royalties when their icon is used as a reference for a downloaded generated icon.

Pricing

The Free account costs nothing and permits PNG and SVG downloads, but free-use icons require attribution and do not include the paid royalty-free commercial license. That makes it suitable for exploration or work where attribution and licensing terms fit, but less convenient for commercial projects that need the paid license benefit.

The Icon API trial costs nothing for a billed 30-day free trial, with API access to the icon collection. For continued product integration, expect custom pricing beyond the trial.

The Noun Studio credit pack costs $8.99, paid once for 900 credits, described as about 45 edits or generations. It includes custom icon edits and generation with royalty-free commercial licenses. Pro subscribers save 10% and get free SVG conversion, so occasional Studio users can buy credits without a subscription, while recurring users may prefer Pro.

Noun Pro costs $39.96 a year, billed annually at $39.96 per year (= $3.33/month, billed annually). It includes unlimited PNG and SVG icon downloads, royalty-free commercial licenses, no attribution, plugins and editor, and an icon sets and photos add-on. It is the clearest fit for individual creators who download regularly; the free account gives up the paid license and attribution-free use.

Noun Team costs $80.04 a year, billed annually at $80.04 per year (= $6.67/month, billed annually). It includes Pro benefits, consolidated billing, priority support, and discounts for teams of 10 or more; additional seats cost $3.33/mo per seat. Teams needing shared billing and support have a reason to step up, while solo users do not gain those team-specific benefits.

Platforms

The Noun Project supports API, macOS, web, and Windows. Its integrations span several design, office, and document tools, though the Mac and Office requirements may rule out some environments.

Who it's for

Choose it if you need a large, searchable collection across creative applications, or if your software product needs icon access through an API. It is less suited to users who want an attribution-free commercial license without paying, or who only need a small library of fixed symbols.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Nearly 10 million icons and stock photos provide breadth for varied creative needs.
• Pro: Plugins, multiple download formats, and an API support both individual creative workflows and software products.
• Pro: Pro bundles unlimited downloads, commercial licenses, and no attribution for users who rely on icons regularly.
• Con: Free-use icons require attribution and lack the paid commercial-license benefit, adding a meaningful constraint for commercial work.
• Con: Office and Mac integrations have specific platform requirements, which can limit access on older systems or without Office 365.
• Con: API costs after the 30-day trial are custom pricing, so product teams cannot assess ongoing cost from a fixed published rate.

Alternatives

Font Awesome is worth considering when its free tier of 2,163 icons, one kit, and 10,000 pageviews suits the project better than a broader stock-photo-and-icon library.

Eva Icons is a free option for users who want a focused set of 480+ icons under an MIT license across Android, iOS, and web.

Hugeicons may fit teams prioritizing a free set of 6,000+ Stroke Rounded icons with design and development plugins across Android, iOS, and web.

Material Design Icons is a free, open-source choice for Android, web, and Windows projects that can use an Apache 2.0-licensed library without brand and logo icons.

Material Symbols suits projects seeking over 2,500 glyphs in SVG, PNG, and font formats under Apache License 2.0, with Android, API, iOS, self-hosted, and web platforms.

Tabler Icons is an alternative for developers who prefer source code and 6,200+ SVG icons under an MIT license, with free updates and community support.

Boxicons is another option for web projects; its Pro plan costs $39 a year and includes pro icons, web fonts, and personal and commercial projects.

Bootstrap Icons offers a free set of over 2,000 icons in SVG, SVG sprite, or web-font formats, usable with or without Bootstrap.

Browse more options in Icon Libraries.

Verdict

The Noun Project is a strong choice for designers and software teams that value a broad asset collection, in-app access, or an API. Pro is the practical route for regular commercial downloads because it combines unlimited formats with royalty-free commercial licenses and no attribution. Look elsewhere if a smaller open-source set meets your needs, or if you need API pricing that is fixed and public.