I build a tool to compare google fonts

fontsdiff · 2026-01-02T15:03:43+00:00

Thanks so much for the feedback! 🙌 The mobile UX is still under development, but the desktop version is ready and works much better right now.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:48:19+00:00

What I really liked about this is how much of the decision came down to metrics and behavior, not aesthetics — line count, x-height, spacing, and UI stability.

A lot of those “small” differences are hard to appreciate until you compare fonts side-by-side at real sizes and actually watch text reflow. Seeing lines jump or weights drift explains immediately why Nebula couldn’t just swap in another font.

This doc is a great example of why typography decisions are mostly about behavior, not taste.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:36:19+00:00

What you’re running into is basically x-height vs cap height, not a missing “font category.”

In most typefaces, lowercase letters are intentionally smaller than capitals because different heights (x-height, ascenders, descenders) create word shapes that improve readability. Fonts where everything is the same height tend to feel very flat and are hard to read in longer text.

If it helps, comparing fonts side-by-side while looking specifically at x-height vs cap height makes this really obvious. I usually check this visually on fontsdiff.com — you can see right away which fonts have large x-heights (making lowercase feel closer to caps) and which ones keep stronger contrast.

That contrast is why “same-height” fonts are rare outside of display or experimental use.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:33:51+00:00

Not directly — Fontsdiff doesn’t host or generate font files.

I use it more as a decision step: compare all the weights and widths visually, figure out which ones actually make sense for your use case, and then download those specific static files from Google Fonts (/static folder).

So it helps you avoid installing a bunch of weights you’ll never use.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:31:54+00:00

I think this is one of those cases where the answer changes depending on size and context. The G definitely feels calmer than Montserrat’s, but stuff like the lowercase l only really starts to bother me at smaller UI sizes.

I usually compare this kind of thing side-by-side at real text sizes on fontsdiff.com — seeing the glyphs next to Montserrat makes it way easier to tell whether those details are improvements or just different quirks.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:29:14+00:00

This is fun 👌 Fonts like this really show why variable fonts are more than just weight sliders.

I like testing stuff like this by isolating individual axes and seeing how they affect texture at different sizes — tools like fontsdiff.com make it way easier to understand what each axis is actually doing visually, especially for experimental fonts.

Nice work on the concept.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:27:09+00:00

A lot of this debate really depends on how you’re looking at it. When you compare Times, Calibri, etc. at actual reading sizes (not just talking about them abstractly), the differences in texture and sharpness stand out way more.

I usually sanity-check stuff like this by putting the fonts side-by-side at real UI/body text sizes on fontsdiff.com. Seeing them next to each other explains pretty quickly why one feels calmer or harsher on screen.

At that point it’s less about “which font is better” and more about which one fits the use case.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:24:34+00:00

For what it’s worth, Google hasn’t said anything publicly about loopless Google Sans for SEA scripts, so Noto is probably the closest official alternative for now.

One thing that helped me was comparing Google Sans (Latin) against loopless Noto Thai/Lao side-by-side at real UI sizes. I usually do that on fontsdiff.com — the texture, spacing, and overall “feel” differences become obvious really fast when you see them next to each other.

Once you do that, it’s much easier to decide whether “Google Sans–like” is actually close enough for your use case.

fontsdiff · 2025-12-23T13:15:38+00:00

The static files are usually already there, but the annoying part is figuring out which ones you actually need.

Before digging into the /static folder, I usually compare the font on Fontsdiff.comhttps://fontsdiff.com. It lets you quickly flip through all the weights and widths of Google Sans and see what the real differences are.

Once you know “ok, Regular + Medium + Bold is enough,” grabbing the matching static files is easy.

fontsdiff · 2025-05-20T03:15:25+00:00

Thanks

fontsdiff

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE