--- title: "256x256 Icons - Windows ICO Files and Desktop Apps" product: "Streamline Icons, Illustrations and Elements" url: /256x256-icons canonical_url: "https://design.streamlinehq.com/256x256-icons" summary: "256x256 icons for Windows .ico files and desktop applications. 109,582 free Streamline icons, no sign up required, sharp at full size." --- # Download free 256x256 icons for Windows and Mac > 256x256 icons for Windows .ico files and desktop applications. 109,582 free Streamline icons, no sign up required, sharp at full size. - **URL**: https://design.streamlinehq.com/256x256-icons --- * The only icon system: massive, consistent sets * Drawn in-house by one team of 8 icon designers * One SVG covers every size a platform asks for [Access Pro Icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/premium), [Start With Free Icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/free) ## Export a 256px icon in three steps ### Find the icon you need Real-time search shows results as you type, across every family. Every family shares the same categories. ### Export SVG, or PNG at 256px SVG scales to any size and stays sharp. For PNG, export well above the final size and scale down rather than exporting at it directly. ### Drop it where it belongs Works in Figma, VS Code, React, or any tool that accepts SVG. Stroke thickness is adjustable on every Line style. ## Ultimate at 256px The encyclopedia. Free and pro counts per style. ### Ultimate 1,000 free icons per set across 5 styles. Encyclopedic coverage, from common to rare icons. A neutral style that fits most use cases. * **Ultimate Light**: [1,000 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/ultimate-light-free), [17,683 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/streamline-light) * **Ultimate Regular**: [1,000 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/ultimate-regular-free), [16,751 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/streamline-regular) * **Ultimate Bold**: [1,000 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/ultimate-bold-free), [18,541 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/streamline-bold) * **Ultimate Colors**: [1,000 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/ultimate-colors-free), [10,456 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/streamline-colors) * **Ultimate Duotone**: [1,000 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/ultimate-duotone-free), [10,935 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/streamline-duotone) ## Where Ultimate gets used ### Where it is the wrong choice Ultimate is rounded, which reads as approachable rather than precise. Medical devices, aerospace and audit software usually want sharp geometry, because austerity is the trust signal there. Below 14px it also gives way to a family drawn on a smaller grid. ### One system across every product surface Ultimate is the safest default when a single icon set has to cover navigation, settings, onboarding and empty states without imposing a personality. Over 16,500 icons means coverage stops being the thing that blocks a release. ### Design systems serving several teams Where a component library is used by more than one product team, mixing sources is the failure mode. Ultimate is built to be the one place everybody pulls from, so the icons still match two years and four teams later. ## Plump at 256px Chunky and cartoon-inspired, on a 48px grid. Free and pro counts per style. ### Plump Plump is 100% cute, inspired by animated cartoons with subtle curves and chunky shapes. 500 free icons across 8 styles. * **Plump Line**: [500 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-line-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-line-style) * **Plump Solid**: [500 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-solid-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-solid-style) * **Plump Flat**: [500 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-flat-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-flat-style) * **Plump Gradient**: [500 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-gradient-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-gradient-style) * **Plump Duo**: [500 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-duo-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-duo-style) * **Plump Neon**: [500 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-neon-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-neon-style) * **Plump Pop**: [500 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-pop-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-pop-style) * **Plump Remix**: [505 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-remix-free), [5,369 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/plump-remix-style) ## Where Plump gets used ### Brands that want to feel welcoming Plump is 100% cute, inspired by animated cartoons, with subtle curves and chunky shapes. It suits consumer apps, children's education and any product whose brief is warmth rather than authority. ### Display sizes and onboarding Plump Flat works from roughly 40px upward, in product tours, feature explainers and empty states, where an icon is doing the job of a small illustration. ## Kameleon at 256px Flat, colorful icons. 200 free per style. ### Kameleon Flat, colorful icons from the Streamline Vault, built for vibrant and playful brand experiences. 200 free icons per style. * **Kameleon Colors**: [200 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/kameleon-colors-free), [1,379 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/kameleon-colors) * **Kameleon Duo**: [200 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/kameleon-duo-free), [1,378 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/kameleon-duo) * **Kameleon Pop**: [200 free icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/kameleon-pop-free), [1,378 pro icons](https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/kameleon-pop) ## Where Kameleon gets used ### Consumer marketing and onboarding Kameleon is flat illustration inside a solid circle, built for landing page feature sections and onboarding flows that need warmth and colour rather than interface neutrality. ### Where it is the wrong choice The flat illustration aesthetic peaked between 2014 and 2018 and reads as slightly dated to a design-literate audience. It holds up best in marketing and presentation contexts, where conventions shift more slowly than in product UI. ## Works in your tools * [Mac App](https://home.streamlinehq.com/plugins/download): Drag and drop icons directly into any app * [Figma](https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/852192486284901337): Browse and insert icons without leaving Figma * [Framer](https://www.framer.com/marketplace/plugins/core-icons-by-streamline/): Use icons natively in Framer projects * [Webflow](https://webflow.com/apps/detail/streamline-icons): Add icons directly to Webflow sites * [VS Code](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=streamline.streamline-icons): Insert icons as SVG or JSX in editors * [Lucid](https://lucid.co/marketplace/01f05f6d/streamline-icons-illustrations-emojis-and-elements): Add icons to your Lucidchart diagrams * [Miro](https://miro.com/marketplace/streamline/): Drop icons into your Miro boards * [Adobe Express](https://adobesparkpost.app.link/TR9Mb7TXFLb?addOnId=w165n33k3): Use icons in Adobe Express projects ## Get every size with Pro Free sets cover thousands of icons. Pro unlocks the full library across every family. ### Free: $0 * 109,582 icons * Mandatory attribution * All plugins, web app, MCP and API (limited) * Adjust size, color and format [Get started](https://www.streamlinehq.com/free) ### Pro subscription: $19 per month * 333,032 pro icons on top * Full resolution PNG exports * 58 pro sets in 11 families * All plugins, web app, MCP and API * Pay monthly or yearly [Get Pro](https://www.streamlinehq.com/pricing) ### One-time purchase: Lifetime * Buy once, own forever * Future assets included * All source files as a ZIP * All plugins, web app, MCP and API * No renewal fees [Get Lifetime](https://www.streamlinehq.com/lifetime) ## What 256px is actually for 256 is the largest entry in a modern Windows .ico file, the size Explorer shows at its biggest thumbnail setting, and the working size for a desktop application icon. At 256 pixels an icon is a piece of artwork rather than a symbol. Detail that would be noise at 32 becomes the thing that makes it feel finished, which is why desktop icons are usually drawn at this size first and simplified downwards. ## Export once, from vector Each icon, free or premium, is optimized for large-size exports, ensuring visual clarity and sharpness. So, you can avoid pixelation or blur. An SVG covers every size a platform asks for without a second trip to the library. No sign up required. Free downloads ask for attribution, a credit link wherever the icons appear, which Pro and Lifetime plans remove. That covers 109,582 free icons across 34 families, with 333,032 more on Pro. ## Frequently asked questions Quick answers about 256px icons. ### What is a 256x256 icon used for? The largest image inside a Windows .ico file, desktop application icons, and extra-large thumbnails in Explorer. macOS .icns files carry an equivalent entry alongside larger sizes up to 1024. ### How many sizes go in an .ico file? A modern Windows .ico usually carries 16, 32, 48 and 256 pixel versions in one file, so the operating system can pick per context. Export each from the same vector rather than resampling the largest one down inside the icon editor. ### Should I export a 256px PNG or an SVG? SVG wherever the destination accepts it, since one file covers every size and stays editable. Where only a raster file will do, export several times larger and scale down: exporting directly at the target size gives a softer result. See [SVG icons](/svg-icons.md) and [PNG icons](/png-icons.md) for the formats themselves. ### Are 256px icons free to download? Yes. 109,582 icons across 34 families are free, at any size, with no sign up required. Free downloads ask for attribution, a credit link wherever the icons appear, which [Pro and Lifetime](https://www.streamlinehq.com/pricing) plans remove.