February 25, 2023

best fonts for coding

Words

795

Time

1m 23s

Contributors

601

Words read

27.9k

Jump to research

Composed by

Profile picture

R. K.

Views

48

Version history

R. K., 560d ago

Have an opinion? Send us proposed edits/additions and we may incorporate them into this article with credit.

Fira Code

Fira Code

Fira Code seems to be a popular choice among programmers, as multiple sources [3] [5] [7] [9] mention it as an option. It is a versatile font that can be used on Mac, Windows, and Linux [3] , and is specifically designed to be "readable and compact" [5] . It also supports ligatures which combine certain characters to save space [3] , allowing users to customize how it is displayed [9] . Additionally, it has 8 different weights available and supports 145 languages [5] .
Source Code Pro

Source Code Pro

Source Code Pro seems to be one of the most popular fonts for coding. It is available on Google Fonts [3] , it has multiple weights available [3] , and it contains optimized symbols and characters [3] . It also offers proportional font with monospaced version available [3] , is optimized to reduce fatigue [5] , and has been specifically designed for programmers [4] . Furthermore, it supports up to 145 languages [4] and has multiple fonts which can be used conditionally to provide bolding or italics without sacrificing the ligatures offered by Fira Code [10] .
JetBrains Mono

JetBrains Mono

JetBrains Mono seems to be a popular choice for coding fonts. It is specifically designed for coding and has 8 different weights and support for 145 languages [2] . Moreover, it comes with many space-saving ligatures [4] and supports Powerline [7] , making it a great choice for coding applications. Additionally, it looks taller and thicker in VSCode compared to other fonts [8] , which can help with readability. Furthermore, its increased letter height reduces the length of lines of code [5] , making it easier to read.
Iosevka

Iosevka

Iosevka seems to be a great font for coding because it is designed to strike the perfect balance between readability and compactness [2] , has interesting glyphs and ligatures [6] , and is optimized for screen space saving and programming [7] . It also has a CJK variant, Sarasa Gothic, and supports 200+ languages [2] . People say that it looks awesome [6] , so it might be worth considering when looking for the best font for coding.
Cascadia Code

Cascadia Code

Cascadia Code seems to be an increasingly popular choice for coding fonts. People say that it is good for anything monospace on Windows [2] , has ligatures and powerline support [3] , is the default font for Windows Terminal and Visual Studio [3] , and is preferred for its ligatures and powerline support [6] . It also seems to be gaining traction due to its availability as an open source font by Microsoft [3] [5] . Other sources suggest that it looks taller and thicker in VSCode [2] compared to some other monospaced fonts, but overall it appears to be a good option for coding.
All answers

All answers

  • Fira Code
  • Source Code Pro
  • JetBrains Mono
  • Iosevka
  • Cascadia Code
  • Input
  • Hack
  • DejaVu Sans Mono
  • Monaco
  • Droid Sans Mono
  • Menlo
  • Consolas
  • Cascadia
  • Inter
  • Panic Sans

    • Monospaced vs Proportional

    When deciding between monospaced and proportional fonts for coding, I think it is important to consider the readability of the font [2] [5] . Monospaced fonts like Menlo and Consolas are good for coding in VS Code on Mac and Windows, but not as good for reading [1] . Proportional fonts such as Source Code Pro are available on Google Fonts, and can make reading code easier [3] .

    Character Coverage

    For character coverage, consider a font like DejaVu Sans Mono which is designed to cover the Unicode character set in its entirety [3] . It has readable and distinguished characters that come bundled with many operating systems [3] . Alternatively, Input is a versatile font with character defaults that can be customized [3] .

    Distribution

    When it comes to distribution, Fira Code is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac [2] , while Monaco was once the default Monospace font for OSX [5] , but has since been replaced by Menlo. Droid Sans Mono is part of the Droid Fonts project [5] , while Cascadia Code PL is preferred for ligatures and power line use [6] .

    Character Variants and Default Options

    Fira Code contains ligatures that combine certain characters to save space, allowing users to customize how it is displayed [3] . Inconsolata has no interline spacing which can help with readability [5] , while IBM Plex Mono offers old and nostalgic looks. Fantasque Sans Mono ss01 provides a Flip clock-style font. Operator Mono also offers interesting options.

    Character Size and Weight

    MonoLisa has a wider font than most other monospaced fonts making it better for readability purposes [4] , while Source Code Pro has multiple weights available [3] . Hack comes with an improved version of Dejavu Sans Mono plus amazing UTF space coverage [8] , while Lucinda Console offers equal spacing of characters for better column alignment [8] .

    Jump to top

    Research

    Source: "Coding Font – A game to find your favorite codi..." (from reddit, r/programming)

    • Fira Code
      • Has ligatures to help distinguish between multi-character operators
      • Combines two characters into one symbol which can help with readability
      • It is a single character visually, but it still takes up two character spaces
    • Fira Mono
      • Does not have ligatures
      • Uses the same font as Fira Code but without ligatures
    • ASCII
      • Uses plain, non-fancy, mono spaced font
      • Simple and not as flexible as other fonts
      • Good enough for programming language perspective

    Source: "What font for programming do you use and why?" (from reddit, r/emacs)

    • Menlo
      • macOS default
    • Source Code Pro
      • Adobe free
    • Monaco
      • Former macOS default
    • Fira Code
      • Ligatures
      • Formerly lacked italics or bold, but now multiple fonts can be used conditionally
    • Dejavu Sans Mono
      • Old but good
    • Hack
      • Improved version of Dejavu Sans Mono
      • Amazing UTF space coverage
    • Iosevka
      • Looks awesome
      • CJK variant, Sarasa Gothic
    • Inconsolata
    • IBM Plex Mono
    • Terminus
    • Latin Modern Mono
      • Capable of display almost every latin script
      • Tall font
      • Roman for constancy
    • Source Code Pro
    • DejaVu Sans Mono
    • Consolas
    • Courier New
    • Monoid
      • Optimized for screen space saving and programming
    • Roboto Mono
    • Fantasque Sans Mono
    • Victor Mono
      • Reasons listed on the website
    • Lucinda Console
      • Equal spacing of characters for better column alignment
    • Droid Sans Mono (w/ dotted zero)
    • Operator Mono
    • Fantasque Sans Mono ss01
    • Nerd fonts - Hack
    • Liberation (improved fedora project version)

    Source: "11 Best Programming Fonts" (from reddit, r/programming)

    • Fira Code
      • Supports ligatures
      • No italic variant
      • No configurable ligatures
      • People are either going to love or hate ligatures
    • InputMono
      • Easy to read
      • Very configurable
      • No configurable ligatures
    • Hack
      • Clearly distinguishes the letter O and the number zero
      • Prevents multiple consecutive underscores from blending together
      • Pretty big x-height
      • Has a Hack with ligatures version

    Source: "The Inter font family now has extra weights and..." (from reddit, r/typography)

    • Inter font family
      • Extra weights and a variable version (free/open source)
      • Stylistic set 2 allows one to avoid problems of l and I being indistinguishable in isolation
    • Other geometric sans-serif typefaces (Helvetica and the like)
      • I’s and l’s look alike but that’s part of their design DNA
      • Option to make them different if needed
    • Monospace version of Inter font
      • Interesting project for a type designer in need of practice
    • Other fonts
      • Flip clock-style font

    Source: "Comparing Popular Monospace Fonts: Consolas, Ro..." (from reddit, r/programming)

    • IBM Plex Mono
      • Old and nostalgic
    • FixedSys Excelsior
      • Up to 1080p
    • Consolas
      • Above 1080p
    • Inconsolata
      • Above 1080p
    • Roboto Mono
      • Above 1080p
    • Cascadia Code PL
      • Preferred for ligatures and power line
    • Monaco
      • Font nerd favorite
    • Input
      • Choose unambiguous glyphs

    💭  Looking into

    What are the most popular coding fonts?

    💭  Looking into

    What technical features are important for coding fonts?

    💭  Looking into

    Does Fira Code support Multiple Weights?

    💭  Looking into

    What is the character width of Inter?

    💭  Looking into

    What type of font is Cascadia?

    💭  Looking into

    What platforms does Consolas support?

    💭  Looking into

    What technical specifications are supported by Menlo?

    Source: "15 Best Programming Fonts for Better Coding - K..." (from web, kinsta.com)

    • Fira Code
      • Combines frequently used multi-symbol sequences into one
      • Character variants available to fine-tune
      • Supported by most browsers
    • Proggy Fonts
      • Simple but effective look
      • Optimized symbols and characters
      • Several variations available
    • DejaVu Sans Mono
      • Designed to cover the Unicode character set in its entirety
      • Readable and distinguished characters
      • Bundled with many operating systems
    • Source Code Pro
      • Optimized symbols, dotted zero, modified “i”, “j”, and “l”
      • Multiple weights available
      • Proportional font with monospaced version available
    • Dina
      • Clear and cleanly-designed font
      • Bold version available
    • Terminus
      • Designed for long days in programming terminal
      • Bitmap font and TTF version available
    • Input
      • 168 styles available
      • Versatile font with character defaults customizable
    • Hack
      • Bold, italic, and both combined available
      • Powerline support
      • Carefully designed characters
    • Cascadia Code
      • Default font for Windows Terminal and Visual Studio
      • Ligatures, both functional and stylistic
    • JetBrains Mono
      • Optimized for reading large volumes of code
      • 140 code ligatures
      • Support for 145 languages
    • Anonymous Pro
      • Remastered from original
      • 4 fixed-width typefaces
      • Open Font License
    • Monolisa
      • Optimized to reduce fatigue
      • Powerline symbols, 200+ language support, and several ligatures
    • Gintronic
      • Readable and beautiful
      • 6 styles with an italic set for each
    • Dank Mono
      • Designed for high-resolution displays
    • PragmataPro
      • Optimized for small screen sizes
      • No interline spacing
      • Ligatures for any programming language

    Source: "Best Coding Fonts - ActiveState" (from web, www.activestate.com)

    • DejaVu Sans Mono
      • Renders consistently on Linux
      • Makes editor feel slightly “playful”
      • Part of the DejaVu Fonts project
    • Source Code Pro
      • Works better on OSX
      • Makes editor feel slightly “playful”
      • Created specifically for programmers
    • Monaco
      • Used to be the default Monospace font for OSX
      • “Too” playful for some users
    • Droid Sans Mono
      • Walks the line between playful and professional
      • Part of the Droid Fonts project
    • Ubuntu Sans Mono
      • Feels more condensed
      • Feels more appropriate for logo’s than code
    • M+
      • Several variations that slightly alter the font
      • Clean and stylish, but a little too condensed for some

    Source: "6 Best Fonts for Programming and Coding: Top Mo..." (from web, crocoblock.com)

    • Fira Code
      • Contains ligatures that combine certain characters to save space
      • Allows users to customize how it is displayed
    • Consolas
      • Default font in Notepad since Windows 8
      • Has proportions closer to normal text than traditional monospaced fonts
    • Input
      • Flexible system of fonts intended for programmers
      • Offers up to 168 individual styles
    • DejaVu Sans Mono
      • Intended to cover entire Unicode character set
      • Provides greater character coverage than many other fonts
      • Comes bundled with many operating systems, including Linux
    • JetBrains Mono
      • Comes with many space-saving ligatures
      • Has 8 different weights and is available in 145 languages
      • Increased letter height to reduce length of lines of code
      • Oval shapes are slightly more rectangular in appearance
    • MonoLisa
      • Wider font than most other monospaced fonts
      • Not free, starting at $59.50 for Basic version

    Source: "What font do you use and why?" (from reddit, r/vscode)

    • Fira Code
      • specifically designed to be “readable and compact”
      • works on Windows, Linux, and Mac
    • Source Code Pro
      • available on Google Fonts
    • JetBrains Mono
      • specifically designed for coding
      • Light and ExtraLight weights available
    • Iosevka
      • “strikes the perfect balance between readability and compactness”
    • Ubuntu Mono
      • same width as Iosevka
    • Cascadia Code
      • opensource font by Microsoft
    • JetBrains Mono
      • looks taller and thicker in VSCode
    • Panic Sans
      • came with Coda
    • Consolas
      • specifically designed for coding
    • Atkinson Hyperlegible
      • designed for people with dyslexia
    • Dharma Type
      • designed for coding
      • “user just likes it”

    Source: "Best fonts for Coding, Terminal, Reading, Inter..." (from reddit, r/fonts)

    • Menlo and Consolas
      • Good for coding in VS Code on Mac and Windows
      • Not a good font for reading
    • Cascadia
      • Good for anything monospace on Windows
    • Inter
      • Good for interfaces and reading

    💭  Looking into

    What are the best fonts for coding?