FAQ

FontAwesome Frequently Asked Questions

Version & Support

v5 entered maintenance mode after releasing the final version v5.15.4 in 2021. The official team no longer adds new features or icons, but will continue to address critical security issues. New projects are recommended to use v6 or v7 directly.

v6 is a comprehensive upgrade from v5, with key differences including: more icons (2000+ vs 30000+), new Sharp Solid style, improved icon design, better SVG framework support, and a new backward compatibility layer.

The final version of FontAwesome v5 is v5.15.4, released in May 2021. This version includes approximately 2,000 free icons and 16,000+ Pro icons.

Public CDNs like cdnjs and jsDelivr typically retain historical versions long-term. However, self-hosting is recommended for production environments to ensure availability.

Installation & Usage

Recommended CDNs are cdnjs or jsDelivr:
https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/5.15.4/css/all.min.css
Or install via npm: npm install @fortawesome/fontawesome-free

  • fas = Solid (filled style)
  • far = Regular (outline/default style)
  • fab = Brands (brand icons like GitHub, Twitter, etc.)

Common causes and solutions:
  • CSS not loaded — check browser DevTools Network panel
  • Using Pro icons without purchase — verify icon is available in Free version
  • Wrong class prefix — check if using correct fas/far/fab prefix
  • Incorrect font file path — check font paths referenced in CSS
  • Browser cache issue — force refresh (Ctrl+F5) or clear cache

Import individual CSS files instead of all.min.css, such as solid.min.css, regular.min.css, brands.min.css. This reduces CSS file size.

Upgrade & Compatibility

Web Font method supports IE10+, SVG framework supports IE11+. For older browsers, the Web Font method is recommended.

Yes. Official component libraries are available: @fortawesome/react-fontawesome, @fortawesome/vue-fontawesome, and @fortawesome/angular-fontawesome.

Key steps:
  1. Update npm package or CDN links
  2. Replace fa class with fas/far/fab
  3. Update icon names (some icons were renamed in v5)
  4. Optional: Import v4-shim compatibility file for transition

Not fully backward compatible. v5 made significant changes to the class name system. Partial compatibility can be achieved by importing the v4-shim stylesheet from the @fortawesome/fontawesome-free package.

License & Commercial

Pro version includes: 16,000+ icons, 7 styles (Solid, Regular, Light, Thin, Duotone, Sharp, Sharp Solid), icon animation, SVG Power Transforms, Masking and Layering features.

Yes. You can use both Free and Pro icons in the same project. Just make sure to import the corresponding CSS files correctly.

Still need help?

If you could not find your answer in the FAQ above, you can get help through these channels:

GitHub IssuesOfficial DocsOfficial Support
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