Side by side
Adobe Fonts vs Google Fonts
Both stand on font marketplaces. 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 Open source AndroidAPILinux+4
Google Fonts offers a free, open-source font library with several ways to select and deliver fonts. Teams using the Developer API should account for its API-key requirement and developer-oriented documentation.
Visit Google FontsThe facts
| Adobe Fonts | Google Fonts | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs on | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | Android, API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 3 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | fonts.adobe.com | fonts.google.com |
| On font marketplaces | #2 of 27 | #1 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.
Google Fonts: what it does well
- Fonts permit commercial and non-commercial use.
- Websites can add fonts through stylesheets and CSS.
- API supports multiple sorting and filtering options.
- Self-hosting is permitted under license terms.
- Android Font Provider supports API level 16 and newer.
What to know first
- Each Developer API request requires an API key.
- API documentation is intended for developers with JavaScript knowledge.
Alternatives to Adobe Fonts Alternatives to Google Fonts The whole list