SF Mono vs Fira Code
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.
88% Similarity
Visual Comparison
SF Mono
PremiumPremium font preview not available
Visit the foundry website to see samples
Fira Code
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Feature Comparison
| Feature | SF Mono | Fira Code |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Premium | Free |
| Classification | mono | mono |
| Variable Font | No | Yes |
| Weights | Multiple | Variable (100-900) |
| Italics | Yes | No |
| License | Commercial License Required | OFL-1.1 |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, greek | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, cyrillic-extended, greek, greek-extended |
| Source | Apple | Google Fonts |
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Fira Code
- Free to use with open-source license
- Variable font offers flexible weight adjustment
- Broader language support
- No licensing costs for commercial projects
- Can be self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts