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Icons8 alternatives for Startups
Tools a startup can adopt fast without blowing the budget. Every pick has a free tier or an entry price small enough to survive a seed-stage burn.
What is the best startups alternative to Icons8?
Figma is the startups Icons8 alternative we recommend first. Figma starts at $12/mo, undercutting Icons8's $13/mo while covering the same core ground. It scores 4.8 in our testing, and at $12/mo it keeps the monthly bill reasonable. See the full ranked list below to compare every pick.
5 startups alternatives worth your time
Figma
4.8 out of 54.8The collaborative interface design standard.
Figma starts at $12/mo, undercutting Icons8's $13/mo while covering the same core ground.
- Real-time collaboration with multi-player editing, the gold standard for design teamwork
- Dev Mode bridges the gap between designers and developers with inspect, code export, and section linking
Canva
4.7 out of 54.7Drag-and-drop design for everyone.
Canva starts at $12.99/mo, undercutting Icons8's $13/mo while covering the same core ground.
- Massive template library covering social posts, presentations, documents, video, and print
- Magic Studio AI tools (Magic Write, Magic Design, Background Remover) save hours per project
remove.bg
4.3 out of 54.3Remove image backgrounds in one click.
remove.bg starts at $0.20/img, undercutting Icons8's $13/mo while covering the same core ground.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
Sketch
4.2 out of 54.2The original Mac-native design tool.
Sketch starts at $10/mo, undercutting Icons8's $13/mo while covering the same core ground.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
Penpot
4.1 out of 54.1Open-source, self-hostable design and prototyping.
Penpot is the pick when you want open-source, self-hostable design and prototyping., and it leads on ease of use.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
Icons8 vs the startups alternatives
| Tool | Our score | From | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icons8 | 4.2 | $13/mo | Yes | Icons, illustrations, photos, and music for design. |
| Figma | 4.8 | $12/mo | Yes | Product designers, UI/UX teams, and design-forward organizations that need a real-time collaborative design system with prototyping, Dev Mode handoff, and whiteboarding in one browser-based workspace. |
| Canva | 4.7 | $12.99/mo | Yes | Non-designers, small businesses, content creators, and social media managers who need fast, template-driven visual content without learning complex design software. |
| remove.bg | 4.3 | $0.20/img | Yes | Remove image backgrounds in one click. |
| Sketch | 4.2 | $10/mo | No | The original Mac-native design tool. |
| Penpot | 4.1 | Free | Yes | Open-source, self-hostable design and prototyping. |
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