Here is a list of best free software to change program icon. Basically, these freeware are used to change icon for EXE files. To import an icon, all of these support .ICO files only. In one of these, you can even change icon for executable (EXE) file to the icon of any other EXE file.
Overall, all these EXE icon changer software are pretty easy to use.
My Favorite Software to Change Program Icon:
Resource Hacker is my favorite freeware to change icon for program files. It provides the flexibility to change icon for EXE to ICO file, or even to icon of other EXE, DLL, and RES files.
If you want a dedicated executable icon changer, then SVERDYSH Icon Changer is a good choice to change program icon.
Resource Hacker
Resource Hacker is basically a resource editing tool which can be used as a software to change program icon. To change icon for executable, just follow below steps:
- Go to File menu > Open option, and open an EXE file.
- Now, go to Action menu and click on Replace Icon, or you can simply press hotkey CTRL + R. In the new window, you can select an ICO file to change icon for executable. You can also change icon for EXE file to icon of EXE, DLL, or RES file
- Now, click on Replace button.
- Finally, click on File > Save As option to save new icon. The icon of the opened program file will be changed.
Similarly, you can change icon for DLL, RES, etc. files.
In the icon explorer from the left panel, you can view imported icons in different sizes.
Overall, Resource Hacker is a nice EXE icon changer for Windows. It is primarily a tool to view, compile, decompile, and recompile resources for Windows executables. You can create resources from blank script, add or modify resources within executable files, etc.
SVERDYSH Icon Changer
SVERDYSH Icon Changer is a free software to change program icon. To change icon for executable (.exe) file, simply browse required EXE file and choose an icon in the format of ICO. Now, click on Change Icon button and the icon of the selected executable file will be changed. As simple as that.
SVERDYSH Icon Changer is a dedicated EXE icon changer for Windows, with a simple user interface.
Saint Andrew’s Icon Changer
Saint Andrew’s Icon Changer is another free software to change icon for program. The task to change icon for executable file is just a matter of few clicks. You need to select an EXE file and add an icon (ICO) file to which you want to change icon for EXE with. You will be able to see the preview of the added icon on the interface itself. Finally, click on Change Icon button.
Saint Andrew’s Icon Changer is another good software to change program icon with a straightforward user interface.
Executable Icon Changer
Executable Icon Changer, as the name suggests, is a free software to change icon for program files. Select an EXE file and import an icon. It supports only ICO format for that purpose. Preview can be seen in a small section below. Click on Apply button to change the icon for executable file to imported icon file.
Executable Icon Changer is a portable EXE icon changer. It is another simple program to change icon for executable files.
QIcon Changer
QIcon Changer is a portable software to change icon for program files. It is the simplest EXE icon changer in this list. All you have to do is drag an executable (EXE) file and icon (ICO) file onto APP and ICON field and click on Apply. The icon of the program file will now be changed.
TCIconChanger
TCIconChanger again is a simple EXE icon changer for Windows. It lets you change icon for program files. Add the location of EXE file, import an icon (.ICO), and click on Change Icon button. The icon of selected EXE file will be changed.