Iconforge and Iconscout solve the same problem from opposite directions: one is source-available software you can own outright for $15, the other is a subscription at $9.99/mo (Unlimited) run entirely on someone else's servers.
Head to head
| Iconforge | Iconscout | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15 once | $9.99/mo ($120/yr, forever) |
| Cost over 3 years | $15 | $360 |
| Your image leaves your machine | Never | Uploaded to their servers |
| PWA manifest generation | Included | Not offered |
| Android adaptive icons | Included | Limited |
| Batch mode | Included | Higher tier |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Source code | MIT, on GitHub | Closed |
What Iconforge does well
- Drop one source image — PNG, JPG or SVG in — every required size and format generated automatically.
- Full favicon set — 16×16, 32×32, 48×48 packed into a proper multi-resolution ICO, plus standalone PNGs.
- Apple touch icons — All iOS home-screen sizes generated with correct naming and padding.
- Android adaptive icons — Foreground/background layer support for Android's adaptive icon format.
What Iconscout still does better
There's a real reason Iconscout costs what it does: a bigger team, broader integrations and dedicated support behind it. If that ecosystem is genuinely what you need, it's worth paying for.
Which one should you pick
If your workflow depends on Iconscout's specific integrations or you'd rather not run anything yourself, stay put — that's a legitimate call. If you're comfortable owning the tool and want to stop paying $9.99/mo (Unlimited) for a job your own hardware can do, Iconforge pays for itself and then some: two months of Iconscout Unlimited costs more than Iconforge does, once, forever.
Try Iconforge — $15, once
Drop one image, get a full favicon + app-icon set (ICO, PNG, Apple touch, Android, PWA manifest) — zero uploads.