Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FontLab VI VS FontStruct

Compare FontLab VI VS FontStruct and see what are their differences

FontLab VI logo FontLab VI

font creation and editing, including variable fonts and color fonts

FontStruct logo FontStruct

FontStruct. Build, Share, Download Fonts
  • FontLab VI Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-03
  • FontStruct Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-28

FontLab VI features and specs

  • Comprehensive Toolset
    FontLab VI offers a wide range of tools and features for professional type design, including support for multiple masters, interpolation, and extensive drawing tools.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Available for both macOS and Windows, allowing designers to work on their preferred operating system without compromise.
  • Integrated Workflow
    Features like real-time previews and integrated editing workflows help streamline the font creation process, making it more efficient.
  • Script and Automation Support
    Supports Python scripting, facilitating complex automation tasks and custom workflows for advanced users.
  • Broad Format Support
    Supports a wide array of font formats including OpenType, TrueType, and SVG, ensuring compatibility with various devices and platforms.

Possible disadvantages of FontLab VI

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The wide range of features can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring significant time to learn and master.
  • High Cost
    FontLab VI is relatively expensive compared to other font editors, which may be prohibitive for hobbyists or small studios.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Users have reported occasional bugs and stability issues, which can disrupt the design process.
  • Resource Intensive
    The software can be resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer to run smoothly, especially when working with complex fonts or large projects.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there are tutorials and community support, some users find the official documentation lacking in comprehensiveness, making troubleshooting difficult.

FontStruct features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    FontStruct offers a highly intuitive, browser-based interface that makes creating custom fonts accessible even for beginners.
  • Free to Use
    The platform is completely free, providing a cost-effective way to design and share custom fonts.
  • Community and Sharing
    FontStruct boasts an active community where users can share their creations and find inspiration from others' work.
  • Ease of Export
    Once a font is created, it can be easily exported in TTF (TrueType Font) format for use on various platforms.
  • Pre-made Shapes
    The platform includes a large library of pre-made shapes and components, simplifying the font creation process.

Possible disadvantages of FontStruct

  • Limited Design Tools
    FontStruct is based on a modular, grid-based system, which can limit the complexity and creativity of the fonts you can create.
  • Web-based Performance Limitations
    Because it is a web-based tool, performance may suffer on slower internet connections or less powerful computers.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    Professional typographers may find FontStruct lacking in advanced features found in high-end font design software.
  • Dependency on Browser
    As a web application, users are dependent on their browsers for functionality and may encounter compatibility issues.
  • Lack of Direct Technical Support
    While the community can offer help, official, direct technical support options are minimal compared to paid software.

Analysis of FontLab VI

Overall verdict

  • FontLab VI is generally regarded as a powerful and versatile font editing application suitable for professional and aspiring type designers. Its robust feature set and flexibility make it a strong choice for those serious about type design.

Why this product is good

  • FontLab VI is considered good by many users because it offers a comprehensive set of tools for professional typeface design, including intuitive drawing tools, powerful interpolation and extrapolation capabilities, and robust open font formats support. It also features a flexible interface that can be customized to fit individual workflows, supports a wide range of file formats, and includes advanced features like variable fonts support and real-time previewing.

Recommended for

    FontLab VI is recommended for professional type designers, typography enthusiasts, and graphic designers who require advanced font creation and editing tools. It is especially beneficial for those who want to create high-quality typefaces and need a tool that supports both traditional and modern font standards and techniques.

FontLab VI videos

Introducing FontLab VI

More videos:

  • Review - Introducing FontLab VI, the ultra bold font editor.
  • Review - FONTLAB VI PUBLIC PREVIEW Test

FontStruct videos

Fontstruct Advanced Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - FontStruct Intro and Tutorial
  • Review - Intro to Fontstruct

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FontLab VI and FontStruct)
Design Tools
58 58%
42% 42
Image Marketplace
47 47%
53% 53
Graphic Design Software
52 52%
48% 48
Typography
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare FontLab VI and FontStruct

FontLab VI Reviews

We have no reviews of FontLab VI yet.
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FontStruct Reviews

13 of the Best Font Sites
FontStruct is a little different from other free font websites. It has both free fonts available for download, but it also enables a designer to create their own font if needed. Users can browse their font library for choices but can also use their tool to design a font if needed and tweak the font size as needed.
10+ Best Places to Find Free Fonts
FontStruct is actually a font building tool that allows you to create your own fonts with geometrical shapes. The tool generates TrueType fonts using your designs that can be used with any app and for any kind of work you want.
Source: designshack.net
20 Best Font Websites To Get Free Fonts Online
FontStruct is a free tool for creating fonts. Create your fonts with the FontStructor editor and share them with other users to download. You can also pick from a variety of available fonts, with more being added regularly.
Source: adsterra.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FontStruct seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 35 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.

FontLab VI mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of FontLab VI yet. Tracking of FontLab VI recommendations started around Mar 2021.

FontStruct mentions (35)

  • Help finding a font similar to this from early Pokemon games?
    If you wanted to find pixel fonts, I suggest you going to FontStruct and find one. A lot of people make pixel fonts there and I'm sure you'll eventually find the one that you liked. If you want one quickly, try RomByte, I made that on that FontStruct site, too. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Those of you who have created a writing system for your conlang and also made it for your keyboard so that you can write with it on the computer, can you showcase it? And can you share how you went about creating it on the computer?
    I know about FontStruct (https://fontstruct.com/) and maybe you do too, but personally I don't really like it in the sense that it's not very intuitive and even making curves is pretty complicated. Would you have any sites/software (free if possible) to recommend for creating decent characters? As well as sites/software that can be used to create your own keyboard? Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Can I make a TTF-Font without paying money?
    Fontstruct.com - it'll let you make fonts from predetermined shapes and export as a TTF. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Got a tough one... what font is this?
    The easiest way I could think of would be https://fontstruct.com. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Looking to create a font. Any recommendations on software?
    I think fontstruct.com , even though you are pretty limited. Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing FontLab VI and FontStruct, you can also consider the following products

Glyphs - Make everything from dingbat webfonts to full-fledged text typefaces in the most Mac-like font...

FontForge - Free (libre) font editor for Windows, Mac OS X and GNU+Linux

BirdFont - Birdfont is a free font editor which lets you create vector graphics and export TTF, OTF, EOT and...

FontCreator - This professional font editor allows you to create and edit TrueType and OpenType fonts.

typlr.app - Online font editor

TruFont - TruFont is a font-editing application written with Python3, ufoLib, defcon and PyQt5.