Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BirdFont VS FontForge

Compare BirdFont VS FontForge and see what are their differences

BirdFont logo BirdFont

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

FontForge logo FontForge

Free (libre) font editor for Windows, Mac OS X and GNU+Linux
  • BirdFont Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-08
  • FontForge Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-14

BirdFont features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    BirdFont offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows both beginners and experienced designers to create fonts with minimal learning curve.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, BirdFont allows users to access its source code, modify it, and distribute custom versions, fostering a strong community and collaboration among users.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    BirdFont is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that users can access the software regardless of their operating system.
  • Vector Graphics Support
    The software provides robust support for vector graphics, allowing users to create scalable fonts with precise control over curves and lines.
  • Regular Updates
    BirdFont is continuously updated to improve functionality, add new features, and fix bugs, ensuring that users have access to a modern and reliable font creation tool.

Possible disadvantages of BirdFont

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Although BirdFont is suitable for basic font creation tasks, it lacks some of the advanced features found in more professional font design software, which might be essential for experienced typographers.
  • Export Limitations
    Free version of BirdFont restricts exporting fonts to formats like TTF, requiring a license for broader format support, which might limit usage for users not willing to purchase it.
  • Potential Learning Curve
    While BirdFont is designed with ease in mind, users accustomed to different software might still face a learning curve when adapting to its unique toolset and workflow.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report performance issues, such as lags and crashes, especially when handling large projects, which could impact productivity and user experience.

FontForge features and specs

  • Open Source
    FontForge is an open-source font editor, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it accessible for individuals or organizations with limited budgets.
  • Cross-Platform
    FontForge is available for various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing users to work on their font projects regardless of the platform.
  • Extensive Feature Set
    FontForge boasts a wide range of features for font creation and editing, including support for multiple font formats, scripting abilities, and advanced typographic tools.
  • Active Community
    As an open-source project, FontForge has an active community of users and developers who contribute to its improvement and provide valuable support and resources.
  • Scripting Capabilities
    FontForge supports Python scripting, which allows users to automate repetitive tasks, create custom tools, and extend the functionality of the software.

Possible disadvantages of FontForge

  • Steep Learning Curve
    FontForge can be challenging for beginners due to its complex interface and extensive feature set, requiring a significant time investment to become proficient.
  • Less Polished Interface
    Compared to some commercial font editors, FontForge’s user interface may appear less modern and less intuitive, which can be a drawback for users accustomed to more polished software.
  • Inconsistent Documentation
    While there is a wealth of information available, the documentation for FontForge can sometimes be outdated or incomplete, making it difficult for users to find the help they need.
  • Limited Customer Support
    As an open-source project, FontForge lacks dedicated customer support. Users must rely on community forums and user groups for assistance, which may not always provide timely or comprehensive help.
  • Occasional Stability Issues
    Some users have reported encountering bugs and crashes, which can disrupt work and result in lost progress if proper precautions like frequent saving are not taken.

BirdFont videos

Edit TTF fonts with birdfont for your webpage

FontForge videos

FontForge Master Class Part 1 - Install & Intro

More videos:

  • Review - Introduction to FontForge
  • Tutorial - Turn your handwriting into a font! (Calligraphr/Fontforge Tutorial)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BirdFont and FontForge)
Design Tools
46 46%
54% 54
Image Marketplace
43 43%
57% 57
Graphic Design Software
45 45%
55% 55
Web Icons
46 46%
54% 54

User comments

Share your experience with using BirdFont and FontForge. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, BirdFont seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 14 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.

BirdFont mentions (14)

  • How to Develop a Font?
    In this process, we need to use birdfont to complete this final step. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Looking for color font creator tools
    All I what I saw are premium software. The only software I found at the lowest price is (FontBird)[https://birdfont.org/] = $10. But I don't know, I downloaded the free version (which doesn't support color fonts) and it seems to me that the software is not maintained well or glitchy! Source: about 2 years ago
  • How to create custom typeface for free
    FontForge is the best free font editor right now, although there are some others in development. A great place to start learning is to read the Design with FontForge ebook, which will quickly teach you a lot of the basics that can be applied no matter which font editing software you're using. If you're struggling with FontForge, you can also try BirdFont which is a bit simpler. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Key to my recent script (still working on it)
    Besides, for adding the ligatures I use Birdfont for Linux. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Any open source alternative to fontforge?
    More seriously, not really. Well maybe you can try Birdfont but usually FontForge is regarded as the most complete free editor. Birdfont looks more simple so it might work for you, I don’t know much about it. Source: about 3 years ago
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FontForge mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing BirdFont and FontForge, you can also consider the following products

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

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

FontStruct - FontStruct. Build, Share, Download Fonts

FontLab VI - font creation and editing, including variable fonts and color fonts

My Script Font - Make a font with your own handwriting

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