20 Free Social Media Icon Sets for Web Designers
It is believed there will be nearly three billion people using social media by 2020. To put this into perspective, that’s nearly one-third of the entire population of Earth. It’s a platform that is in constant growth and development thanks to technology and engagement. As a result, web hosting accounts need to have social media icons readily available for sharing.
These icons are used to bolster support of an author’s own profile or to help others share content with friends and family. So, where does one go to grab these universal images that act like buttons to social engagement?
Below are 20 social media icon sets web designers can use for free. The hardest part is picking which ones fit the website’s graphic design scheme.
1. YooTheme
Although YooTheme does offer a variety of premium material, the site does have a “Freebies” section where developers can find various social media icons. While it may not have a vast collection to choose from, the site does provide some of the most well-known elements in social networking.
2. FreeVector
FreeVector offers a big selection of social media icons, many of which are in thought-bubble format. The download comes with vectors, JPG and SVG files as well as several PDFs regarding how to use them. All of the most popular brands are represented whether a button is needed for a profile or simply adding a graphic to an image.
3. Tonicons Social Media Icons
Tonicons has a vast collection of icons for a wide range of brands in its collection. There are seven different styles to choose from and they come in PSD and SVG file format. However, there is a trick to getting these graphics. Users need to tweet, share on Facebook, follow on Twitter or post to Google+ to unlock the download.
4. Dreamstale Vector Icons
Dreamstale has a vast collection of vector images for social media in a giant pack of graphics. Sizes range from 48 to 384 pixels and come with PNG, SVG and CSS-ready file types. There are 90 icons available while including nine different sets of each kind such as rounded corners, polygons and leaf-style borders.
5. Pixaden Flat Icons
Pixaden Flat Social Icons comes with 16 graphics that make use of long shadowing in a flat dynamic. All files are stored on a single PSD file and the ZIP comes with a preview JPG. This is a great collection for those who handle Photoshop and other related software.
6. Design Deck Flat Icons
In this collection, users will have access to 20 free Design Deck flat social icons covering some of the biggest brands on the Internet. 10 square and 10 circular images are available in JPG and PNG file types. More are included should someone pay for the premium version of the set.
7. Vecteezy Social Media Long Shadow Icon Set
Vecteezy has an amazing array of icons available including some of the most popular websites on the Internet. Users can find Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox and more all available as a free download. What sets this collection apart is the long shadowing that is used on each of the images.
8. Fribly Hand-Drawn Social Media Icons
The hand-drawn element of these icons available at Fribly gives a more artistic appearance to social engagement. There are 120 images in this file spanning through a wide selection of online brands. While some of them are simply variations of each other, they may be a good choice for adding that “personal touch” to website hosting design.
9. DesignBolts Vector Icons
DesignBolts Social Vector Icons list is one of the largest on the Internet. It comes with more than 230 images for social engagement in sizes ranging from 36 to 512 pixels. The graphics themselves are available in PSD format, which means developers will need Photoshop or the equivalent to appreciate them fully.
10. Design Instruct Vintage Stamp Icons
While there are only 15 graphics available in this download from Design Instruct, they have certain appeal for those who enjoy a vintage design. Each social brand appears as though it was used as a stamp complete with a “postal mark” in the top left corner. While this may not be attractive in some niche websites, it does give the sense of a retro feel and may in as such designs.
11. Designmodo Flat Icons
The flat social graphics from Designmodo comes with 35 images in both PNG and PSD formats. They are square while making slight use of shadowing on the bottom of each, which makes it feel more like a button. In order to download these for free, developers need to register on the site. This registration is free as well.
12. Blogtacular Geometric Buttons
There are only nine social sites represented in the Blogtacular Geomoetric Social Media Buttons collection. However, the files include sizes ranging from 32 to 128 pixels. All of the top brands are represented including an icon for email.
13. Joshua Sortino Publicons
Although the list of icons located at Joshua Sortino Publicons is quite short in comparison to others, it does provide options and ideas for how to create similar pieces. The file is available as a ZIP download or can be accessed by using the development website, Github.
14. Nucleo – Free Social Icons
Sebastiano Guerriero for Nucleo hosts a collection of 40 social media icons. The pack comes in three different styles and includes a wide range of the most popular platforms on the Internet. From Buffer to Pinterest, it’s a great collection to have for designs.
15. FreeVectors.net Vector Icon Set
The social media icons in this download are vector graphics. The Sketch Vector Stamp Icons Set from FreeVectors is designed to look as those they were created with an ink “stamp” for graphics in the digital world. It has 20 of the most popular social hubs including Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
16. Media Loot Ultra-Thin Social Media Icons
For those who like simplicity, Media Loot offers a collection of ultra-thin icons to use on the website. These graphics are simplistic in nature while using the image representation universally recognizable for respective brands. The only problem is that users need to become members or offer attribution when using the icons.
17. Vecteezy Social Media Icon Stickers
Another collection from Vecteezy, the Social Media Icon Stickers are reminiscent to just that. Each looks as though it’s being peeled off the page. Many of these graphics are designed using signature colors that are eye catching. Unfortunately, there are only 12 icons available.
18. Vector4Free
For developers who love the idea of vector images, the triangle set of icons at Vector4Free gives a bit of a unique appearance to social engagement. These graphics use the traditional logo with a corresponding colored triangle behind it. There are only 20 images available, but all of the big names are covered.
19. GraphicsFuel
GraphicsFuel has a small collection of images for free including the most popular of social formats. Users can download the file is PSD and PNG format which makes them ready for use in Photoshop or the web. The graphics are 114 pixel squares on a single sheet and can be easily separated out as needed.
20. Free Social Media Icons by Daniel Oppel
The designer Daniel Oppel hosts a collection of social media icons available for free download. The images are contained within a zip file with eight different design sets to choose from. This is a vector file, which means developers will need appropriate image editors.
Finding the Right Sets for the Site
Whether it’s a generic black design or a blast of color, finding the right social icons to fit the site’s aesthetics gives web hosting an amazing appeal for all. Just bear in mind that these above examples can easily be edited in the right graphic design software to create the perfect look for the site. When it comes to imagery, there is almost nothing that cannot be accomplished.
