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Fira Code vs SF Mono
Choosing between SF Mono and Fira Code comes down to whether you want the original tone or a practical open-source substitute. With 88% similarity, Fira Code captures SF Mono's clean aesthetic while adding one of the most comprehensive programming ligature sets available. One practical difference: Fira Code supports ligatures, which changes the feel in code-heavy UIs.
Design DNA
Design overlap:20%
Fira Code
SF Mono
Highlighted traits are shared between both fonts
Visual Comparison
Fira Code
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
SF Mono
Premium
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Fira Code | SF Mono |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Free | Premium |
| Classification | mono | mono |
| Variable Font | Yes | No |
| Weights | Variable (100-900) | Multiple |
| Italics | No | Yes |
| License | OFL-1.1 | Commercial License Required |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, cyrillic-extended, greek, greek-extended | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, greek |
| Source | Google Fonts | Apple Inc. |
Best Use Cases
Typography for command-line interfaces, terminal emulators, and shell environmen...
Typography for technical documentation, user guides, and help content. Documenta...
Typography for code editors, terminals, and developer documentation. Code fonts ...
Typography suited for magazines, newspapers, and long-form content. Editorial fo...
Typography for tech companies, software products, and digital innovation. Tech f...
Fonts that establish strong brand identity with distinctive character and versat...
Typography for code editors, terminals, and developer documentation. Code fonts ...
Performance Comparison
| Metric | Fira Code | SF Mono |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | N/A |
| File Size | 215.2 KB | N/A |
| Weights | 9 (var) | N/A |
| Italics | No | N/A |
| Variable Font | Yes (1 axes) | N/A |
| Language Groups | 6 | N/A |
| CDN Delivery | Yes | N/A |
| x-Height Ratio | 0.527 | N/A |
| Cap Height Ratio | 0.689 | N/A |
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Fira Code
- Shares SF Mono's modern character
- Particularly suited for web development and any code editor
- Variable font with continuous weight adjustment
- Supports 6 scripts including cyrillic and cyrillic-extended
- Delivers a clean, modern, simple aesthetic
Consider: SF Mono
- Original design with refined typographic details
- Designed specifically for code-editors and terminal
- Commercial license with professional support
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Free Alternatives to Consider
Other free alternatives to SF Mono