A lot of people think logos and icons are the same thing but they aren't. You would think that having just one symbol to use in everything is ideal but that isn't the case. To understand what the difference is between the two let's look at the definition of each one and how they can be used.
Logos
A logo is a symbol used to represent a business or a bran. It representation maybe a direct translation of the name or the nature of the organisation's business or it could be obscure or be abstract. A logo should've instantly identifiable with the company or business and ideally, it should communicate the values of the company.
Icons
Icons are designed to show an idea, concept or action. Icons can be graphical representations of what
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Shape
Icons and logos can take any shape however if an icon is to be used in applications it is ideal that they be quadratic or fit into a square. Logos on the other hand do jot have shape restrictions but they can be quadratic too if it fits with the design concept or what you want your company logo to look like. The one thing that is important when it come to the shape of either one is the dimensions, in the case of icons it is important to consider the proportions and how the icons will sit in context with other elements.
2. Styles
When it comes to styles, logos allow more creativity unlike icons that are more literal and need to be translatable in any language. A good example would be the Facebook Like icon. It works as an icon but it is rather bland for a logo.
3. Size
Every graphic designer worth his salt know that designs need to translate well on different computer screens. This means that as dazzling as they can be in terms of color, size can mess things up. When it comes to icons, it is best to use vector based programs like Adobe Illustrator so that when they are blown up, they don't get blurry.
A vector image gives you more freedom to change the size of the icon so that it can be legible over multiple viewports. However, there is a catch. You will need to save a copy of a non-vector