Feather
Simply beautiful open source icons.
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Feather Icons (feathericons.com) by Cole Bemis was the icon library that defined the clean-line-icon aesthetic that dominated SaaS UI design from 2017 to 2022 — 280+ simple line icons at 24x24px with 2px stroke + rounded line caps, open-source MIT license, free for any use, SVG + React + Vue + Angular + Web Component packages. The aesthetic became so foundational that it shaped how millions of SaaS UIs look — clean, minimal, instantly readable line icons became the de facto SaaS look largely because of Feather + its descendants. By 2023 Cole Bemis stopped actively maintaining Feather, leading to the community fork Lucide (lucide.dev) which has continued growing with 1000+ icons + active development + the same aesthetic + same MIT license. Lucide is now the default icon library in shadcn/ui (the dominant React component library in 2024-2026), making it the de facto modern equivalent of Feather. Distinguished from Lucide (the actively-maintained community fork with 1000+ icons + regular updates + broader code package support across React + Vue + Svelte + Solid + Angular) by being the original mostly-retired project, distinguished from Heroicons (Tailwind team's simpler set integrated with Tailwind) by larger library + framework-agnostic packages, distinguished from Phosphor (huge library with multiple weights — outline, filled, duotone — and free + paid Pro tier) by single-weight clean-line aesthetic, distinguished from Tabler Icons (largest free icon library) by smaller curated set with cohesive aesthetic, distinguished from Untitled UI Icons + Iconoir + various premium icon libraries by free + MIT licensed positioning. Free MIT-licensed for personal + commercial use with no attribution required. Best for designers studying the historical influence of clean-line icon aesthetic on modern SaaS UI design (Feather's influence is foundational), and for any new icon work in 2026 use Lucide (lucide.dev) as Feather's actively-maintained successor with the same aesthetic + 1000+ icons + same free MIT license + active community + default in shadcn/ui. Skip Feather original specifically for new work in 2026 (the project is retired — use Lucide instead which carries forward the same aesthetic with active maintenance), skip if you want multiple icon weights (use Phosphor for outline/filled/duotone variants), skip if you want the largest possible icon library (use Tabler), skip if you want Tailwind-team-integrated simpler set (use Heroicons), or skip if you want a different aesthetic personality than clean-line minimal (browse Untitled UI Icons + Iconoir + Phosphor for alternatives). Historically important + practically retired in 2026 — Cole Bemis deserves recognition as one of the influential indie design + dev tool creators of the past decade for the aesthetic legacy Feather created.
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About
Simply beautiful open source icons.
How indie founders use Feather
Clean SaaS UI icons (use Lucide)
Designers building SaaS UIs with the clean-line aesthetic — use Lucide (Feather's actively-maintained successor) for 1000+ icons in the same aesthetic.
Historical reference
Designers + students studying the evolution of SaaS UI design aesthetic — Feather's influence on 2017-2022 SaaS visual language is foundational.
Quick prototypes + indie projects
Indie makers needing simple clean icons fast — Lucide (Feather's successor) works in any framework with free MIT licensing.
Design system foundation
Teams building design systems with the clean-line icon aesthetic as foundation — use Lucide as the modern equivalent of Feather.
Feather Icons by Cole Bemis was the icon library that defined the clean-line-icon aesthetic that dominated SaaS UI design from 2017 to 2022. Open-source, simple, beautiful, free — Feather's 280+ icons influenced an entire generation of design tools. The aesthetic was so foundational that Lucide (the open-source fork of Feather that's now dominant) carries it forward into 2026 as the icon library shadcn/ui defaults to. If you're choosing icons today, you're almost certainly choosing some descendant of Feather. What you got from original Feather: 280+ simple line icons (24x24 px, 2px stroke, rounded line caps), open-source MIT license, SVG + React + Vue + Angular + Web Component packages, super clean + recognizable aesthetic, free for any use. By 2023 Cole Bemis stopped actively maintaining Feather, which led to the community fork Lucide (lucide.dev) which has continued growing — now with 1000+ icons + active development + the same aesthetic. Where Feather stands now: 'Feather' as the original project is mostly historical — the community has migrated to Lucide which is the actively-maintained continuation. If you see 'Feather' referenced in 2026 design tool directories, the practical equivalent is Lucide. The original Feather repo (feathericons.com) still exists + the icons still work but newer icons + updates live in Lucide. Where Feather (or Lucide as its successor) isn't for you: if you want maximum icon variety with multiple weights, Phosphor (huge library + multiple weights + free + paid Pro) is more comprehensive. If you want the largest possible free library, Tabler has more icons. If you want Heroicons' simpler set integrated with Tailwind, that's the Tailwind team's choice. Feather/Lucide's aesthetic is one specific design opinion — clean line icons with rounded caps + minimal detail. Pricing: free, open-source MIT license. No paid tier. Cole Bemis built Feather as a gift to the community; Lucide continues that ethos. Honest take: Feather is one of the most influential design tools of the past decade despite being technically retired. The aesthetic shaped how millions of SaaS UIs look — clean, minimal, instantly readable line icons became the de facto SaaS look largely because of Feather + its descendants. If you're starting fresh today, use Lucide (the maintained successor). If you're using Feather, switch to Lucide for the active updates + larger icon set + same aesthetic. Cole Bemis deserves a place in indie design + dev tool hall of fame for what Feather meant.
Pricing
Free + Open Source
- ✓280+ line icons (original Feather)
- ✓MIT license for any use
- ✓SVG + React + Vue + Angular packages
- ✓Use Lucide (lucide.dev) for actively-maintained successor with 1000+ icons
Frequently asked questions
Is Feather still maintained?
Feather original by Cole Bemis is mostly retired since ~2022-2023. The community fork Lucide (lucide.dev) is the actively-maintained successor with the same aesthetic + 1000+ icons + same MIT license. For new work in 2026, use Lucide rather than Feather original.
Feather vs Lucide?
Same project, same aesthetic — Lucide is the community fork that took over active development when Cole Bemis stepped back. Lucide has more icons (1000+ vs Feather's 280+), regular updates, broader code package support (React, Vue, Svelte, Solid, Angular, etc.), and is the default in shadcn/ui. Use Lucide; treat Feather references as historical.
Feather vs Phosphor or Heroicons?
Phosphor has multiple weights + huge library + free + paid Pro — better when you need icon weight variants. Heroicons (Tailwind team) is similar simple aesthetic but more limited library — pairs naturally with Tailwind. Feather/Lucide is the clean-line de facto SaaS aesthetic. Pick on aesthetic + library size needs.
Can I use Feather icons commercially?
Yes — MIT licensed, free for any use including commercial + client + product work, no attribution required. Same with Lucide. The MIT license is one of the most permissive open-source licenses.
Who built Feather?
Cole Bemis — indie designer + developer who released Feather as a gift to the open-source community in 2017. The aesthetic became foundational to modern SaaS UI design. Cole Bemis deserves recognition as one of the influential indie design + dev tool creators of the past decade.
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