> brandicons_

// comparison

BrandIcons vs Brandfetch

Brandfetch is a full brand-asset platform. BrandIcons is purpose-built for one job: serve a clean domain icon, fast. Both are real products with free tiers; the right pick depends on what you actually need.

TL;DR

Both APIs serve the icon. Brandfetch wins on no-attribution free tier and broader entity lookups (ticker, ISIN, crypto). BrandIcons wins on AI fallback for domains without live sites, built-in placeholders, and a published $9/month plan to remove attribution.

Side-by-side

Sourced from the published docs and pricing pages of each provider. Free tiers and prices change — verify before committing.

Status

BrandIcons

Live, generally available

Brandfetch

Live, generally available

URL pattern

BrandIcons

cdn.brandicons.dev/icons/{domain}/{size}?key={KEY}

Brandfetch

cdn.brandfetch.io/{domain}?c={CLIENT_ID}

Authentication

BrandIcons

Public API key, locked to your domains via Referer check

Brandfetch

Public client ID, registered via Developer Portal

Sizes

BrandIcons

small (32px), medium (64px), large (128px), ico (32×32)

Brandfetch

Custom width/height via w and h query params

Output formats

BrandIcons

PNG

Brandfetch

WebP by default; PNG/JPG via extension; SVG for logo/symbol variants

Missing-logo fallback

BrandIcons

AI worker discovers from brand info; 12 built-in placeholders; you can upload your own

Brandfetch

Lettermark and other built-in fallbacks

Free tier quota

BrandIcons

500,000 requests/month (Community)

Brandfetch

500,000 requests/month (described as a soft limit with advance notice before blocking)

Free tier attribution

BrandIcons

Required on Community; removed on any paid plan from $9/mo

Brandfetch

Not required

Lowest paid plan

BrandIcons

$9/month (Hobby — 100K req, no attribution)

Brandfetch

Logo API has no separate paid tier on the public docs; Brand API (a different product) is $99/month

Throughput limits

BrandIcons

Bursts absorbed by the CDN; no published per-second cap

Brandfetch

1,000 requests / 5 min per IP; 2,400 / 5 min per customer; HTTP 429 on excess

Extra lookup types

BrandIcons

Domain only

Brandfetch

Domain, stock ticker, ISIN, crypto symbol

Migrating from Brandfetch

The URL is the API. Swap the host, add your key, you're done.

Brandfetchbefore
https://cdn.brandfetch.io/stripe.com?c=BRANDFETCH_CLIENT_ID
BrandIconsafter
https://cdn.brandicons.dev/icons/stripe.com/medium?key=YOUR_BRANDICONS_KEY

Default sizes differ — Brandfetch returns the upload at original size unless you set w/h, BrandIcons returns 64×64 on /medium. Pick the size suffix that matches your slot.

Which one to pick

No single API wins for every team. Here's an honest read.

Pick BrandIcons if

  • You serve icons for long-tail domains where a live site might be missing — our AI worker picks a logo when scraping turns up nothing.
  • You want built-in loading and not-found placeholders bundled with the API.
  • You're already using domain-locked public keys elsewhere and want a familiar safety model.

Stick with Brandfetch if

  • You need the free tier to be attribution-free on day one and can't switch to a $9/mo plan.
  • You need to resolve stock tickers, ISINs, or crypto symbols to a logo — BrandIcons is domain-only.

Common questions

Why does BrandIcons require attribution on the free tier?
Attribution is how the Community plan stays free forever. Side projects link back and pay nothing. If attribution doesn't fit your product, the Hobby plan removes it for $9/month.
Can I drop in BrandIcons without changing my HTML?
Yes. Both APIs are single image URLs — replace the host and the auth param, keep the <img> tag and CSS. No SDK, no JavaScript runtime difference.
What about brands without a live website?
BrandIcons runs an AI worker that picks an icon when there's nothing to scrape — useful for parked domains, email-only senders, or companies whose marketing site isn't where the brand lives. You configure a placeholder; the real icon swaps in when discovery completes.
Do BrandIcons keys leak my quota if someone copies them?
No — keys are domain-locked. You register the domains the key can serve from in the dashboard; the edge rejects any request with a Referer that isn't on that list. Quota stays yours even though the key is public.

// ready to ship?

Ship Icons Today

Get your API key in 30 seconds. Make your first request in 60 seconds. The Community plan ships with 500,000 free requests a month.