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Fira Code VS Input Mono

Compare Fira Code VS Input Mono and see what are their differences

Fira Code logo Fira Code

A font derived from Fira Mono with added ligatures.

Input Mono logo Input Mono

Multiform monospace font.
  • Fira Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-23
  • Input Mono Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-23

Fira Code features and specs

  • Ligatures
    Fira Code includes programming ligatures, which combine multiple characters into a single, visually distinct symbol, making code more readable and aesthetically pleasing.
  • Readability
    The font is designed specifically for coding and enhances readability, with a high distinction between similar-looking characters.
  • Open Source
    It is open-source, allowing for community contributions and modifications, which can lead to rapid improvements and updates.
  • Wide Language Support
    Fira Code supports a wide range of characters and symbols, making it suitable for use with many different programming languages.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize the font to fit their personal preferences and needs, including turning ligatures on or off.

Possible disadvantages of Fira Code

  • Performance Issues
    The complexity of ligatures can sometimes lead to performance issues in editors, making typing feel sluggish.
  • Compatibility
    Some older editors and IDEs may not fully support ligatures or the font itself, leading to display issues.
  • Personal Preference
    Not all developers prefer ligatures; some may find them distracting or harder to read compared to traditional monospaced fonts.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers new to ligatures might need some time to get used to the combined symbols, which could initially slow down their coding speed.
  • File Size
    The font file size is larger compared to some other coding fonts, which might be a consideration for environments with constrained resources.

Input Mono features and specs

  • Legibility
    Input Mono is designed with a focus on clear distinguishability of characters, which enhances reading comfort, especially for coding where character misidentification can lead to errors.
  • Customization
    The font offers extensive customization options, allowing users to adjust weight, width, and line height among other features, to suit personal preferences or specific requirements.
  • Open-source Availability
    Input Mono is available under an open-source license, making it freely accessible for modification and integration into various projects without licensing issues.
  • Technical Design
    It has been designed specifically for users working in technical environments, with glyphs that support programming and eliminate common confusion with similar-looking characters.

Possible disadvantages of Input Mono

  • Complexity of Choices
    The many customization options can be overwhelming, especially for users who prefer a simple, ready-to-use font, or those who find the selection process tedious.
  • Aesthetic Preference
    While the font is technically optimized, its aesthetic might not appeal to everyone, especially those who prioritize style or visual design over practicality in their font choice.
  • Web font Support
    Some users may experience challenges when integrating Input Mono as a web font, potentially requiring additional steps to ensure full compatibility across different browsers.

Analysis of Fira Code

Overall verdict

  • Fira Code is generally considered a good choice for developers who appreciate the added readability provided by ligatures and a modern, clean visual style. It is widely adopted in the coding community, which speaks to its effectiveness and popularity.

Why this product is good

  • Fira Code is a popular monospaced font that includes programming ligatures, which improves code readability by visually representing common multi-character combinations as single, more aesthetically pleasing symbols. This can make coding more accessible and reduce visual clutter, particularly for those who spend long hours looking at code. Its open-source nature also allows it to be freely used and modified, fostering a community of contributors who continually optimize and enhance its features.

Recommended for

  • Developers who spend significant time coding and want to improve their code readability.
  • Programmers who appreciate aesthetic components and clarity in code design.
  • Users who utilize text editors and IDEs that support ligatures, such as Visual Studio Code or IntelliJ IDEA.

Fira Code videos

Fira Code - Programming Font Review

More videos:

  • Review - A Better Font For Web Development - Fira Code
  • Review - Fira Code in VS Code

Input Mono videos

Exploring Monospaced Fonts: A Fontribute of Input Mono

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Fira Code and Input Mono)
Typography
50 50%
50% 50
Design
50 50%
50% 50
Tool
62 62%
38% 38
OSX
26 26%
74% 74

User comments

Share your experience with using Fira Code and Input Mono. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Input Mono seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 36 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Fira Code mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Fira Code yet. Tracking of Fira Code recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Input Mono mentions (36)

  • Font Comparison: Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono vs. JetBrains Mono and Fira Code
    Why don't we embrace proportional (i.e. Not monospace) fonts more for coding? IMHO, they are a big step up when it comes to legibility. I personally switched after I noticed reading stuff in the sidebar (which is usually in a proportional font) felt more comfortable than reading code. You can't use it for a terminal of course, and occasionally I find comments relying on monospace alignment. Other than that I see... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Coding Font Selection 'Tournament'
    DejaVu is one of my favorites, and it is odd to not see it included. Input Mono [1] by David Jonathan Ross is what I use these days. It's very similar to DejaVu, but I like it better because its geometry is a little rounder. DejaVu's "m" is very narrow, and it has fewer serifs (l, i, etc.), but it also has a serif version for those who want that (it's still very "sans"). It comes in many weights and has a... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Monaspace
    Seems like in modern times, on modern systems, we can move beyond monospaced fonts for code. I have recommended this many times here, but I use a proportional coding font: Input Sans https://input.djr.com. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • B612 Font Family
    Yes I ran into problem with distinguishing between ; and : as well on this monospace font. I'll say it was fun to try it and I used it for awhile but it isnt suitable for coding purposes. Im much more happy now with a highly customizable font like Input[0] where I can make it as wide or as narrow as I like it to be and also customize the various characters [0]: https://input.djr.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Bad Apple Font
    Does your browser have a "Reader" mode? There are font systems that target code and aren't monospace. An example is Input: https://input.djr.com/ - https://input.djr.com/preview/ The niche seems to be people who like to code without monospace, or who present code without monospace, e.g. In slides or in blog posts. Or if you want typographical consistency between non-code and code, as I understand you are suggesting. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Fira Code and Input Mono, you can also consider the following products

Operator - Looking for something? Make a request and we'll find it.

M+ 1m - Download and install the M+ 1m free font family by M+ Fonts as well as test-drive and see a complete character set.

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Bitstream Vera Sans Mono - Bitstream Vera Sans Mono Font | dafont.com

Noto Mono - OSX, Typography, Fonts, Design, and powerline

Ubuntu Mono - Ubuntu brand, app and web guidelines that help you create professional materials, software, sites, apps that build the Ubuntu brand.