Noun Project offers ~10 million human-designed icons to browse. Iconly generates custom icons from text prompts with AI. Here is how they compare on pricing, customization, and workflow.
A feature-by-feature breakdown of both platforms
| Feature | Iconly | Noun Project |
|---|---|---|
| Icon Source | AI-generated from text prompts | Curated library (~10 million human-designed) |
| Custom Icons | Unlimited unique designs on demand | Limited to existing library |
| Styles | 5 built-in + custom style templates | Varies by designer contribution |
| Editing Tools | 8 tools (recolor, thickness, smoothing, crop, BG removal, eraser, refinement, reference) | Basic color and size changes |
| Free Tier | 300 free tokens + 3-day free trial | Limited downloads, attribution required |
| Paid Plans | $1.25/mo (Mini) to $25/mo (Max) | $39.99/yr Icon Pro (~$3.33/mo) or $9.99/mo Creator Pro |
| Export Formats | PNG, WebP | SVG, PNG |
| CDN Delivery | Built-in CSS class-based system | Not available |
| Integrations | CDN script tag, direct download | Figma, Adobe, Office, Google plugins |
| Attribution | Not required on any plan | Required on free plan |
With Noun Project, you search through millions of existing icons and hope to find one close to what you need. With Iconly, you describe what you want and AI creates it. No compromising on your vision.
Noun Project offers basic color and size changes on downloaded icons. Iconly includes 8 editing tools directly in the generator, so you can recolor, adjust thickness, smooth edges, crop, remove backgrounds, and more without any external software.
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<i class="ci-line ci-rocket ci-lg"></i>Common questions about Iconly vs Noun Project
Iconly uses AI to generate custom icons from text prompts, creating unique designs on demand. Noun Project is a curated library of approximately 10 million human-designed icons that you browse and download. With Iconly you get icons tailored to your exact needs, while Noun Project offers a large selection of pre-made designs.
Iconly starts free with 300 tokens, then offers plans from $1.25/month (Mini) to $25/month (Max). Noun Project's Icon Pro plan costs $39.99/year (about $3.33/month) for icons only, while their Creator Pro plan is $9.99/month for icons and photos. For basic icon needs, both are affordable, but Iconly's free tier and $1.25 Mini plan are the lowest entry points.
Noun Project does not offer AI generation or custom icon creation. You can only browse and download from their existing library of human-designed icons. Basic color and size adjustments are available, but you cannot generate a completely new icon to match a specific concept. Iconly lets you describe any icon in plain text and generates a unique design in seconds.
Iconly offers built-in CDN delivery with a CSS class-based icon system, so you can add icons to your site with a single script tag and HTML classes. Noun Project provides plugins for Figma, Adobe, Office, and Google Workspace but does not have a direct CDN integration for web development. Iconly also exports PNG and WebP formats suitable for web and app projects.
Start with 300 free tokens + a 3-day free trial.
300 free tokens + 3-day free trial.