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Add to SafariWhen comparing FontBase vs MainType, the Slant community recommends MainType for most people. In the question“What are the best font management software tools?” MainType is ranked 1st while FontBase is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose MainType is:
The (paid) Professional version lets you create a library of as many fonts as you want. Free version is limited to 2500 fonts, which is still a good amount.
Question 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 handle thousands of fonts
The (paid) Professional version lets you create a library of as many fonts as you want. Free version is limited to 2500 fonts, which is still a good amount.
Pro Group fonts for organizing
Beside grouping by storage folder, you can create your own groups of fonts. For example for clients or projects.
Pro Add tags to fonts for easy organizing
Create tags to identify and organize your fonts.
Pro Instant view of all font information
You can customize your view so that you can arrange the "Information" panel with all the technical details of the font, e.g. no. of glyphs/characters (often different!), all OpenType features in the selected font, exact location of the font file, etc.
Pro No subscription but permanent license
No subscription software that you don't own. How many utilities, plug-ins, suites, and so on do you have to subscribe to?
Pro Temporary font installation
Fonts don't have to be installed for use, you can also load them. This way they're available for use in all programs, but won't stay 'installed' after a reboot.
Pro Sample window with OpenType features preview
Click the X_2 button and enable/disable OpenType features of the selected font in the sample window with a customizable text preview.
Pro Free version isn't extremely limited
Most features of the paid Standard and Professional versions are available in the Free version. The main difference is the number of fonts allowed in the library (2500 vs. 10,000 in Standard and unlimited in Professional).
Pro Access fonts from network locations
Any folder, including mapped network folders, can be checked for fonts that are added to the font library.
Pro Easily access glyphs and special characters
MainType easily allows you to view all the special characters and glyphs available in a font and copy and paste them into other programs. Definitely the easiest font manager to do this!
Pro Very good support
Very good support, which usually reacts extremely quickly when something goes wrong. So far there has been nothing unresolved.
Pro Multi-monitor capable
You know that there's always too little space. You can customize your "view" so that on the second monitor you can see a big window only with the glyphs of the selected font in the main window.
Pro Create font books with samples
It's easy to create a number of different font sample sheets to include in style guides or create your own font book.
Pro Clear and Powerful interface, all data are exposed clearly, easy to find and use
All the organization of the panels is simple, clear, easy to change and adapt to everyone needs. Simply a great interface with everything is easy to find, organize and use. All the panels are re-sizeable! And the dark skin is beautiful and very relaxing interface for long work sessions!
Pro Easy way to test different fonts for headlines
As some type faces only have caps, you can test my phrases by writing one in all caps and one in upper/lower on the same screen so you can see the contrast, if any. For visual purposes, you can capture a test along with font name using a screen capture program, then compare them all before committing on the one/s that fit the best in the design.
In terms of font management, this beats what Adobe has to offer.
Pro 25:9 ratio screens are supported magnificently
MAinType adapts splendidly to 25:9 screen ratio and the work is even more easy, because the columns of the font list not only can be moved, but resized to show larger, and better, and all the panels are beautifully resized. Fantastic.
Pro It does not drag down system resources
Pro It is a true pro-tool, you must understand some background to use it right
Other tools or companies often try to make it look like dealing with fonts is trivial, while it isn't.
Pro It's a fast, easy to use font manager and does everything you need. I can't evaluate su[port bc I never needed to use it.
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 There are no cons.
Con No previews for svg fonts (yet?)
MainType currently doesn't show previews of svg fonts.
Con Identifies, but does not repair, fonts with integrity issues
Had to buy HighLogic's FontCreator to fix some problem fonts.
Con Slightly dated interface
Though speedy and customizable, the interface looks a bit outdated.
Con NOT a true free font manager
Yes and no to this. For the average non-pro user, it is free - but admittedly those seldom need a true font manager. Also, the company is very clear and open about the limitations of the free version (When compared to others.). That software distribution platforms often gain from promotion trial and restricted software as free isn't Hi Logics fault.
