Iconify vs Material Symbols:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Iconify had more branded searches than Material Symbols among icon libraries worldwide. Iconify had about 40,500 branded searches, while Material Symbols had 14,800. Iconify made up 2.3% of all icon library searches we track, and Material Symbols accounted for 0.85%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about icon libraries, Material Symbols appeared in four of the five answers and Iconify in one. Material Symbols was mentioned before Iconify in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Iconify, about 3 searches for every 1 for Material Symbols
Who does AI mention more?
Material Symbols, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Iconify in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Material Symbols, named ahead of Iconify in 4 of 4 answers
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Top icon libraries in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Material Symbols was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Iconify was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Material Symbols was listed before Iconify in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Lucide1st
Phosphor Icons2nd
Heroicons3rd
Material Symbols4th
Tabler Icons5th
Font Awesome6th
Flaticon7th
Iconoir8th
Noun Project9th
Iconify10th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Lucide4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Phosphor Icons4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Heroicons4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Material Symbols4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Font Awesome3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Iconoir3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Tabler Icons2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Flaticon1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Noun Project1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Iconify1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about icon libraries
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which icon library should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best icon libraries?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best icon library for app design?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“icon libraries”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“free icon set”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Iconify or Material Symbols more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Iconify and Material Symbols by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten icon libraries we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Iconify, Material Symbols. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Flaticon | Font Awesome | Noun Project | Lucide | Iconify | Phosphor Icons | Tabler Icons | Heroicons | Material Symbols | Iconoir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 59.4% | 17.8% | 11.9% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 2% | 0.72% | 0.26% |
| Nov 2025 | 59.6% | 17.9% | 12% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 2% | 0.59% | 0.21% |
| Dec 2025 | 59.7% | 18% | 9.8% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 2% | 0.72% | 0.22% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.8% | 17.4% | 11.6% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 0.86% | 0.21% |
| Feb 2026 | 58.2% | 17.5% | 11.7% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.21% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.4% | 16.7% | 13.7% | 5% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 0.82% | 0.24% |
| Apr 2026 | 57% | 17.2% | 11.5% | 5.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 0.85% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 59.3% | 14.6% | 12% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.88% | 0.21% |
| Jun 2026 | 59.3% | 14.6% | 12% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.88% | 0.21% |
| Jul 2026 | 55.5% | 16.7% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1% | 0.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 58.2% | 14.3% | 11.7% | 6.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 0.86% | 0.31% |
| Sep 2026 | 57.7% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.25% |
How has the Iconify and Material Symbols comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Iconify was ahead of Material Symbols in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Iconify’s share of searches among icon libraries worldwide moved from 2% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 40.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Material Symbols’ share of searches among icon libraries worldwide moved from 0.72% to 0.85%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.1K to 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for icon libraries worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

Estimated monthly branded searches for Material Symbols worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 18.1K to 14.8K in September 2026.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Iconify worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 49.5K to 40.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Iconify’s and Material Symbols’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Iconify
1 branded search term
- iconify
Material Symbols
1 branded search term
- material symbols
Other head-to-heads among icon libraries

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