diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api.proto b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
index d202486cfa..a4c2557ffe 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api.proto
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ message ListEntitiesFanResponse {
   bool disabled_by_default = 9;
   string icon = 10 [(field_ifdef) = "USE_ENTITY_ICON"];
   EntityCategory entity_category = 11;
-  repeated string supported_preset_modes = 12 [(container_pointer) = "std::set"];
+  repeated string supported_preset_modes = 12 [(container_pointer) = "std::vector"];
   uint32 device_id = 13 [(field_ifdef) = "USE_DEVICES"];
 }
 // Deprecated in API version 1.6 - only used in deprecated fields
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
index ed49498176..e71ad2c64e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ class ListEntitiesFanResponse final : public InfoResponseProtoMessage {
   bool supports_speed{false};
   bool supports_direction{false};
   int32_t supported_speed_count{0};
-  const std::set<std::string> *supported_preset_modes{};
+  const std::vector<std::string> *supported_preset_modes{};
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const override;
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
diff --git a/esphome/components/fan/fan.cpp b/esphome/components/fan/fan.cpp
index 26065ed644..cf1ec3d6ae 100644
--- a/esphome/components/fan/fan.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/fan/fan.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,14 @@ void FanCall::validate_() {
 
   if (!this->preset_mode_.empty()) {
     const auto &preset_modes = traits.supported_preset_modes();
-    if (preset_modes.find(this->preset_mode_) == preset_modes.end()) {
+    bool found = false;
+    for (const auto &mode : preset_modes) {
+      if (mode == this->preset_mode_) {
+        found = true;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (!found) {
       ESP_LOGW(TAG, "%s: Preset mode '%s' not supported", this->parent_.get_name().c_str(), this->preset_mode_.c_str());
       this->preset_mode_.clear();
     }
@@ -191,9 +198,14 @@ void Fan::save_state_() {
   if (this->get_traits().supports_preset_modes() && !this->preset_mode.empty()) {
     const auto &preset_modes = this->get_traits().supported_preset_modes();
     // Store index of current preset mode
-    auto preset_iterator = preset_modes.find(this->preset_mode);
-    if (preset_iterator != preset_modes.end())
-      state.preset_mode = std::distance(preset_modes.begin(), preset_iterator);
+    size_t i = 0;
+    for (const auto &mode : preset_modes) {
+      if (mode == this->preset_mode) {
+        state.preset_mode = i;
+        break;
+      }
+      i++;
+    }
   }
 
   this->rtc_.save(&state);
diff --git a/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h b/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h
index 48509e5705..15c951b045 100644
--- a/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h
+++ b/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
-#include <set>
-#include <utility>
-
 #pragma once
 
+#include <vector>
+
 namespace esphome {
 
 #ifdef USE_API
@@ -36,9 +35,9 @@ class FanTraits {
   /// Set whether this fan supports changing direction
   void set_direction(bool direction) { this->direction_ = direction; }
   /// Return the preset modes supported by the fan.
-  std::set<std::string> supported_preset_modes() const { return this->preset_modes_; }
+  const std::vector<std::string> &supported_preset_modes() const { return this->preset_modes_; }
   /// Set the preset modes supported by the fan.
-  void set_supported_preset_modes(const std::set<std::string> &preset_modes) { this->preset_modes_ = preset_modes; }
+  void set_supported_preset_modes(const std::vector<std::string> &preset_modes) { this->preset_modes_ = preset_modes; }
   /// Return if preset modes are supported
   bool supports_preset_modes() const { return !this->preset_modes_.empty(); }
 
@@ -46,17 +45,17 @@ class FanTraits {
 #ifdef USE_API
   // The API connection is a friend class to access internal methods
   friend class api::APIConnection;
-  // This method returns a reference to the internal preset modes set.
+  // This method returns a reference to the internal preset modes.
   // It is used by the API to avoid copying data when encoding messages.
   // Warning: Do not use this method outside of the API connection code.
   // It returns a reference to internal data that can be invalidated.
-  const std::set<std::string> &supported_preset_modes_for_api_() const { return this->preset_modes_; }
+  const std::vector<std::string> &supported_preset_modes_for_api_() const { return this->preset_modes_; }
 #endif
   bool oscillation_{false};
   bool speed_{false};
   bool direction_{false};
   int speed_count_{};
-  std::set<std::string> preset_modes_{};
+  std::vector<std::string> preset_modes_{};
 };
 
 }  // namespace fan
diff --git a/esphome/components/hbridge/fan/hbridge_fan.h b/esphome/components/hbridge/fan/hbridge_fan.h
index 4234fccae3..b5fb7f5daa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/hbridge/fan/hbridge_fan.h
+++ b/esphome/components/hbridge/fan/hbridge_fan.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class HBridgeFan : public Component, public fan::Fan {
   void set_pin_a(output::FloatOutput *pin_a) { pin_a_ = pin_a; }
   void set_pin_b(output::FloatOutput *pin_b) { pin_b_ = pin_b; }
   void set_enable_pin(output::FloatOutput *enable) { enable_ = enable; }
-  void set_preset_modes(const std::set<std::string> &presets) { preset_modes_ = presets; }
+  void set_preset_modes(const std::vector<std::string> &presets) { preset_modes_ = presets; }
 
   void setup() override;
   void dump_config() override;
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class HBridgeFan : public Component, public fan::Fan {
   int speed_count_{};
   DecayMode decay_mode_{DECAY_MODE_SLOW};
   fan::FanTraits traits_;
-  std::set<std::string> preset_modes_{};
+  std::vector<std::string> preset_modes_{};
 
   void control(const fan::FanCall &call) override;
   void write_state_();
diff --git a/esphome/components/speed/fan/speed_fan.h b/esphome/components/speed/fan/speed_fan.h
index 6537bce3f6..454b7fc136 100644
--- a/esphome/components/speed/fan/speed_fan.h
+++ b/esphome/components/speed/fan/speed_fan.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class SpeedFan : public Component, public fan::Fan {
   void set_output(output::FloatOutput *output) { this->output_ = output; }
   void set_oscillating(output::BinaryOutput *oscillating) { this->oscillating_ = oscillating; }
   void set_direction(output::BinaryOutput *direction) { this->direction_ = direction; }
-  void set_preset_modes(const std::set<std::string> &presets) { this->preset_modes_ = presets; }
+  void set_preset_modes(const std::vector<std::string> &presets) { this->preset_modes_ = presets; }
   fan::FanTraits get_traits() override { return this->traits_; }
 
  protected:
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class SpeedFan : public Component, public fan::Fan {
   output::BinaryOutput *direction_{nullptr};
   int speed_count_{};
   fan::FanTraits traits_;
-  std::set<std::string> preset_modes_{};
+  std::vector<std::string> preset_modes_{};
 };
 
 }  // namespace speed
diff --git a/esphome/components/template/fan/template_fan.h b/esphome/components/template/fan/template_fan.h
index 7f5305ca48..5d780f61f0 100644
--- a/esphome/components/template/fan/template_fan.h
+++ b/esphome/components/template/fan/template_fan.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include <set>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "esphome/core/component.h"
 #include "esphome/components/fan/fan.h"
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class TemplateFan : public Component, public fan::Fan {
   void set_has_direction(bool has_direction) { this->has_direction_ = has_direction; }
   void set_has_oscillating(bool has_oscillating) { this->has_oscillating_ = has_oscillating; }
   void set_speed_count(int count) { this->speed_count_ = count; }
-  void set_preset_modes(const std::set<std::string> &presets) { this->preset_modes_ = presets; }
+  void set_preset_modes(const std::initializer_list<std::string> &presets) { this->preset_modes_ = presets; }
   fan::FanTraits get_traits() override { return this->traits_; }
 
  protected:
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class TemplateFan : public Component, public fan::Fan {
   bool has_direction_{false};
   int speed_count_{0};
   fan::FanTraits traits_;
-  std::set<std::string> preset_modes_{};
+  std::vector<std::string> preset_modes_{};
 };
 
 }  // namespace template_