When comparing FontBase vs Alfred, the Slant community recommends Alfred for most people. In the question“What are the best text expansion apps for macOS?” Alfred is ranked 1st while FontBase is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose Alfred is:
Allows the creation of automated workflows by connecting keywords, hotkeys and actions together without writing code.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro It saves you from having to install fonts
Pro Works fast with a lot of fonts
Pro Free to use
FontBase is free.
Pro Wonderful minimalist interface with good choice of controls
Pro Get Google Fonts on your system in a few seconds
Pro Syncs font database from Dropbox easily
Fontbase allows you to easily set up watch folders allowing you to sync your font libraries directly from any cloud-based storage provider.
Pro Regular free updates
Pro Affordable upgrade option
Pro Can create custom automated workflows
Allows the creation of automated workflows by connecting keywords, hotkeys and actions together without writing code.
Pro Full keyboard controls
You can do everything using just the keyboard.
Pro Built-in calculator
Alfred is able to handle simple mathematical commands and more extensive expressions alike. Pressing Enter copies the result to the clipboard.
Pro Integrates with 1Password
Alfred allows getting secure and fast access to your 1Password 1Click bookmarks.
Pro Lightweight and smooth
Alfred is a lightweight application for OS X and runs smoothly, even on older devices.
Pro Versatile search
Quickly search for files, applications and web services from the same input.
Pro Productivity booster
Helps speed up your working day one shortcut at a time.
Pro Clipboard history
Alfred offers a clipboard with an extensive history for quick access to your copied text, images and links.
Pro Entry of everything
Pro Allows theming
Alfred allows adjusting colors, fonts, sizes and more to create new themes.
Pro Offers both a free version and a paid version available
The paid version is more customizable, but the free version is still very powerful.
Cons
Con Must open it everytime to activate fonts
FontBase's main pro is its main drawback - not needing to install fonts is great, but opening files using fonts not installed may not show them properly unless FontBase is also opened.
Con Crashes with many fonts
Con It doesn't grab fonts when using the package features in Adobe software
You will have to manually grab the font folders from your library. As the fonts aren't actually installed locally, Adobe software can't see the font nor export it with your project.
Con Virtually non-existent support
Generally get one response and then dead silence.
Con Does not display all fonts, and there is NO support at all
No help/support, no spec, no tech page or forum.
Con It doesn't make adding, activating or sorting through fonts any easier
When dragging font and font folders into the library you will still need to search for them and manually activate. The ability to search and sorting fonts is very limited.
Con Makes Adobe programs run slow and crash
Con Ask to buy
Search filter is need to buy.
Con Many features require the $25 powerpack add-on
Features like custom workflows, clipboard history, 1Password integrations and others require the powerpack add-on.