Side by side
Adobe Fonts vs Fontist
Both stand on font management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3
Adobe Fonts offers desktop and web font workflows, with access tied to subscription eligibility. Its web-serving and licensing restrictions matter if you need self-hosting, app embedding, or server installation.
Visit Adobe Fonts Free plan APILinuxMac+1
Fontist provides programmable font management with registry, manifest, and CI integration options. Platform-specific license restrictions and permissions for system-wide installs may affect setup choices.
Visit FontistThe facts
| Adobe Fonts | Fontist | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | fonts.adobe.com | fontist.org |
| On font management software | #1 of 27 | #3 of 27 |
Adobe Fonts: what it does well
- Library contains more than 30,000 fonts.
- Free plan offers a basic library of about 5,500 fonts.
- Web Projects provide controls for styles and language subsets.
- Fonts are licensed for personal and commercial use.
- Supports TTF and OTF formats.
What to know first
- Desktop font access requires a named-user Adobe subscription.
- Web fonts must use Adobe's embed code.
- App embedding and server installation are excluded.
- Self-hosting web fonts is not allowed.
Fontist: what it does well
- Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
- Offers CLI and Ruby API access.
- YAML manifests support repeatable installations.
- Registry has license and source filters.
- Supports multiple font formats.
What to know first
- System-wide installation requires administrator permissions.
- macOS-specific fonts cannot be installed on other platforms.
- Windows Features on Demand installation may require administrator privileges.
Alternatives to Adobe Fonts Alternatives to Fontist The whole list