Unicorn Icons vs Lordicon
Both libraries ship consistent, polished animated icons. The differences come down to pricing model, Rive support, platform coverage, and vendor lock-in.
TL;DR
Lordicon annual plan = $96/year. Unicorn Icons = $99 once. After 10 months, Unicorn wins on cost — permanently. Add native Rive support, mobile platform coverage, and no proprietary player, and it's not close for most developers.
The pricing math
Lordicon individual PRO: $8/mo billed annually ($96/yr) or $16/mo monthly. Unicorn Icons: $99 one-time, every future icon included.
| Lordicon (monthly) | Lordicon (annual) | Unicorn Icons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| After 1 month | $16 | $8* | $99 |
| After 6 months | $96 | $48* | $99 |
Unicorn cheaper from here — permanently | |||
| After 10 months | $160 | $80* | $99 |
| After 1 year | $192 | $96 | $99 |
| After 2 years | $384 | $192 | $99 |
| After 3 years | $576 | $288 | $99 |
* Annual plan billed upfront at $96. Prorated monthly equivalent shown.
Full feature comparison
| Feature | Unicorn Icons | Lordicon |
|---|---|---|
Pricing model | One-time, $99 | Subscription, $8/mo annual |
Own icons permanently Lordicon access ends when subscription ends | ||
Rive format (.riv) | Native — every icon | |
Lottie JSON format | ||
Export formats | 6 (JSON, Rive, SVG, GIF, WebM, PNG) | JSON, GIF, SVG, EPS, PNG, MP4 |
Browser color editor | Works on every icon | Via Lordicon player only |
Proprietary player required | Yes — @lordicon/element | |
iOS / Swift support | Rive + Lottie native | GIF / PNG only |
Android native | Rive + Lottie native | GIF / PNG only |
Flutter native | Rive + Lottie native | GIF / PNG only |
Commercial license | All paid plans | Individual PRO plan |
Free tier | 100 icons, no card | ~50 icons, attribution |
Future icons included | All new icons, forever | While subscribed only |
Key differences in depth
Rive support
Lordicon is Lottie-only. Every icon is baked as a Lottie JSON animation — no state machine, no native interactive behavior beyond what their player handles. Unicorn Icons ships every icon as a native .riv file alongside Lottie JSON. Rive state machines let icons respond to hover, click, and scroll events through a lightweight runtime — without pre-baked keyframes. If Rive is part of your stack now or might be, Lordicon has no answer.
Vendor lock-in: the player problem
Lordicon's color customization and interaction states depend on their proprietary @lordicon/element web component. You're embedding a Lordicon dependency in your production code. Switching later means replacing every icon usage site. Unicorn Icons exports standard files — use lottie-react, lottie-web, or the official Rive runtime. No proprietary dependency. Swap or update any time.
Mobile platform coverage
Lordicon is web-first. For iOS, Android, or Flutter you can export GIF or PNG — but these are raster fallbacks, not true animated formats. They don't scale, don't loop cleanly, and add file size. Unicorn Icons ships native Rive and Lottie files that run through official runtimes on every platform: Swift (iOS), Kotlin (Android), Flutter, React Native. One download covers web and mobile.
Which should you choose?
Choose Unicorn Icons if:
- You need Rive state machines for interactive icons
- You're building for iOS, Android, or Flutter
- You want standard files, no proprietary player
- You want to stop paying every year
- You need 6 export formats in one download
- Color matching to your brand matters
Lordicon may still be better if:
- —Lordicon's visual style matches your brand exactly
- —You're already deeply embedded in their web component
- —You only need web — no mobile platform required
- —You need their specific icon set not available elsewhere
Frequently asked questions
Is Unicorn Icons cheaper than Lordicon?
Yes, long-term. Lordicon's annual plan is $96/year ($8/mo billed annually). Unicorn Icons is a one-time purchase. After 10 months of Lordicon's annual plan, Unicorn Icons is already cheaper — and the gap grows every year. After 3 years, Lordicon costs $288 vs Unicorn's one-time price.
Does Unicorn Icons support Rive like Lordicon doesn't?
Unicorn Icons ships every icon as both a native Rive (.riv) file and Lottie JSON. Lordicon is Lottie-only — no Rive support. Rive enables interactive state machines (hover, click, scroll) with a lightweight runtime, which Lottie can't match.
Does Unicorn Icons require a proprietary player like Lordicon?
No. Unicorn Icons exports standard Lottie JSON and Rive files. Use lottie-react, lottie-web, or the official Rive runtime — no proprietary dependency, no vendor lock-in.
Can I use Unicorn Icons on iOS, Android, and Flutter?
Yes. Unicorn Icons ships native Rive and Lottie files that work with official runtimes on iOS (Swift), Android, Flutter, React Native, and all major web frameworks. Lordicon is primarily web-focused — mobile use requires GIF or PNG fallbacks.
Try 100 icons free. $99 one-time if you upgrade.
Native Rive + Lottie. No proprietary player. Works on iOS, Android, Flutter, and web.
7-day money-back guarantee · Pay once, own forever
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