Glyphs vs FontForge

Struggling to choose between Glyphs and FontForge? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Glyphs is a Design & Publishing solution with tags like vector, font-creation, typography, gui.

It boasts features such as Vector-based glyph editing, Font generation, Editing font metadata, Interpolation and multiple master fonts, Glyph naming and Unicode mapping, Kerning and metrics editing, OpenType features support, Variable fonts support, Python scripting and pros including Intuitive and easy to use interface, Powerful tools for designing and editing fonts, Great for beginners and professionals alike, Active user community and developer support.

On the other hand, FontForge is a Photos & Graphics product tagged with font, editor, opensource, typography, glyphs, kerning, hinting.

Its standout features include Vector drawing tools for designing glyphs, Importing and exporting various font formats, Editing typographic features like kerning, ligatures, etc, Font hinting and optimization for screen and print, Scripting and automation via Python, Cross-platform - works on Linux, Mac, Windows, Command line and GUI versions available, and it shines with pros like Powerful feature set for free software, Open source with an active developer community, Cross-platform and widely compatible, Scripting allows advanced automation, Supports many font formats and professional features.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Glyphs

Glyphs

Glyphs is a popular font editing and font creation software for macOS. It allows designers to draw vector-based glyphs, generate fonts, and edit all aspects of a font with a user-friendly GUI and tools.

Categories:
vector font-creation typography gui

Glyphs Features

  1. Vector-based glyph editing
  2. Font generation
  3. Editing font metadata
  4. Interpolation and multiple master fonts
  5. Glyph naming and Unicode mapping
  6. Kerning and metrics editing
  7. OpenType features support
  8. Variable fonts support
  9. Python scripting

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based
  • Custom Pricing

Pros

Intuitive and easy to use interface

Powerful tools for designing and editing fonts

Great for beginners and professionals alike

Active user community and developer support

Cons

Only available for macOS

Can be expensive compared to other font editors

Less customizable than some other font editors


FontForge

FontForge

FontForge is an open-source font editor that allows users to create and edit various types of fonts. It has robust tools for editing glyph shapes, kerning, hinting, and other typographic features.

Categories:
font editor opensource typography glyphs kerning hinting

FontForge Features

  1. Vector drawing tools for designing glyphs
  2. Importing and exporting various font formats
  3. Editing typographic features like kerning, ligatures, etc
  4. Font hinting and optimization for screen and print
  5. Scripting and automation via Python
  6. Cross-platform - works on Linux, Mac, Windows
  7. Command line and GUI versions available

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Powerful feature set for free software

Open source with an active developer community

Cross-platform and widely compatible

Scripting allows advanced automation

Supports many font formats and professional features

Cons

User interface can be complex for beginners

Limited native support for variable fonts

Not as full-featured as paid font editors

Documentation and learning resources could be better