Side by side

Bitmap Font Editor vs Prototypo

Both stand on font design software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Bitmap Font Editor

Free plan LinuxMacWindows

Bitmap Font Editor provides focused tools for drawing, previewing, importing, and exporting monochrome fonts. Be prepared for unsigned-build warnings, and note that system-font filling is unavailable.

Visit Bitmap Font Editor

Prototypo

Free plan ExtensionLinuxMac+2

Choose Prototypo if you want to customize a typeface from its templates, edit glyphs, and export OTF fonts under a CC0 license. Look elsewhere if you need to import an existing font for modification or work from cursive templates.

Visit Prototypo

The facts

	Bitmap Font Editor	Prototypo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac, Windows	Extension, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Pro: $8.25 a month
Plans published	None	3
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	devvv.prototypo.io
On font design software	#8 of 33	#12 of 33

Bitmap Font Editor: what it does well

Free desktop editor for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Supports fixed-width and variable-width fonts.
Exports bitmap data with JSON mapping files.
Release downloads include SHA-256 checksums.

What to know first

Windows and macOS builds are unsigned.
System-font glyph filling is disabled.
macOS and Linux paths are not regularly exercised.

Prototypo: what it does well

Starts with four parametric typefaces.
Offers more than thirty font parameters.
Exports fonts in OTF format.
Chrome extension previews changes live on websites.
CC0 license permits commercial use without permission.

What to know first

Free plan limits the parameter range.
Users cannot import their own fonts to modify.
Cursive font templates are unavailable.
Free plan includes one week of support.

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