This is where a font manager comes in. In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the best font managers for Mac. We’ve picked the right ones based on aspects like multi-platform support, how it organizes your fonts and of course the User Interface. Shall we start? Read: Best Word to PDF Converter For Mac
Best Font Manager for Mac
1. FontBase — Mac Font Manager for Designers
FontBase is one of the completely free font managers for Mac. It’s built primarily for designers, but everyone would love this basic tool. The features inside FontBase have been designed in such a way to help designers pick the right font for the right time. Most people love this free tool for the offering of standard features and an easy way to organize fonts.
The Interface
The User Interface of FontBase is extremely simple. On the right side, you can see the list of fonts along with respective previews. On the left, FontBase shows you the available options for accessing categories, folders, and other filters. Clicking on a single font would show you styles as well as individual glyphs. There isn’t much room for customization, but FontBase is pretty intuitive.
Font Management
It has multiple methods to organize and access fonts in your Mac. For instance, you can create collections where you store multiple fonts of the same purpose. You can also activate all these fonts at once in a single click. Did we say that you can import Google Fonts to FontBase? Another thing I like about Font Base is Nested folders support.
Availability & Pricing
FontBase is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux, but it doesn’t offer content sync. It’s completely free to use, but there is an Awesome upgrade that brings features like Multiple Font View and Auto Activation. If you ask us, the free version is enough for most people. Pros
Simple, Intuitive Design Support for Google Fonts
Cons
Lacks customization options
Who Is It For We believe FontBase is the best choice for beginners among designers. It offers an intuitive interface and an amazing set of features, including Google Fonts support. It’s surely the best free font manager for Mac. Check Out FontBase
2. RightFont 5 — the Professional Font Manager for Mac
If you are a professional designer, RightFont 5 is one of the best font managers for macOS. Used by designer teams at companies like Google, it has been the favorite choice for some time. It should also be noted that RightFont 5 is the latest version and it comes with an interface overhaul. It offers a bunch of features like an enhanced set of integration
The Interface
This is where we love the developers of RightFont 5. They have managed to keep the design simple in spite of the awesome features. The right-side pane offers a vivid overview of selected fonts while the sidebar has been dedicated for the organization. You can get the Grid View to compare two different fonts at once, side by side.
Font Management
Apart from standard features, RightFont 5 offers a seamless font management experience. It lets you create Font Libraries, which can be shared with your team via Dropbox, Google Drive or other services. However, it lacks automated categorization features for that matter. RightFont 5 also checks the box for superb features like auto-activation of fonts.
Availability & Pricing
RightFont 5 is a macOS-only font manager in town. It’s available for a per-device price of $35 but there is a 15-day free trial as well. However, RightFont 5 team says that the Windows app is coming soon and you can pre-register for it. Pros
Professional Font Management Features Support for Cloud Fonts Suitable for Enterprise Needs
Cons
Overkill for Beginners
Who Is It For RightFont 5 is the best choice for designer teams, spread across or outside the office. It packs a simple UI as well as awesome features in the single package. Compared to other tools, RightFont 5 can be integrated with common solutions like Photoshop and Illustrator. Check Out RightFont 5
#3 FontExplorer X Pro — Best Font Manager for Enterprise Needs
There are times when you need an enterprise-level font manager for your Mac(s). FontExplorer X Pro is one of the most popular options in the market, offering both Desktop and Server versions. We found this tool as something sweet-spot between basic font managers and professional ones. It prioritizes seamless organizing of fonts over fancy features.
The Interface
The User Interface of FontExplorer X Pro has been designed to enable seamless management of fonts you’ve installed. Being an enterprise-level software, most features deal with easy sharing and synchronization. As you can see in the screenshots, the UI is rather rudimentary but gets the job done. One thing we loved about the UI is that it integrates very well with macOS.
Font Management
FontExplorer X Pro offers a few more options when it comes to font management. Of course, you can enable or disable fonts in a single click, but that’s not all. This font manager offers support for multiple cloud sources such as SkyFonts. Compared to other tools we have covered, FontExplorer X Pro offers better metadata for each of the fonts.
Availability & Pricing
FontExplorer X Pro is available for devices running macOS. Priced at 89 Euros, it’s not the most affordable so to speak. However, if you think you need some cool security features, you can consider getting a few copies of this tool. Pros
Enterprise-level Features and Security Better System Integration
Cons
Rudimentary UI Not Suitable for Individual Designers
Who Is It For If you are looking for an enterprise-level font manager for Mac, FontExplorer X Pro is the best option. It lacks an interesting UI per se, but it gets the job done. As we said, you are also getting enhanced security and stuff with the package. Check Out FontExplorer X Pro
#4 Suitcase Fusion — Best Mac Font Manager for Advanced Professionals
We already covered RightFont 5 as the professional Mac font manager, but Suitcase Fusion is definitely an upgrade. If you ask us, most of the features in Suitcase Fusion are working underground. It means you will feel an overall upgrade to the designing process. For instance, enhanced integration with the likes of Adobe Photoshop is one of the top features.
The Interface
Suitcase Fusion comes with a clean interface, which is easy to get started with. You can select a single font to see all the characters. From the installation to seamlessly accessing stored fonts, however, everything has been kept as simple as it can get. We’d say Suitcase Fusion has one of the best designs a professional designer can expect.
Font Management
The real deal of Suitcase Fusion is the bunch of font management options. You can create Smart Libraries of fonts, based on the characteristics and the tool also has Smart Search. This would help you quickly access a bunch of commonly used fonts among others. Similarly, Cloud Sync means that you don’t have to copy the fonts to every device you use.
Availability & Pricing
Suitcase Fusion is available for both macOS and Windows. You can check out the free trial for 15 days but it actually costs $119.95. One of the best features about Suitcase Fusion is that it syncs your fonts over cloud, making them accessible across devices. Pros
Professional Design and Features Cloud-Sync Smart-Search and Organization
Cons
None worth noting
Who Is It For Suitcase Fusion is the best font manager for the truly professional designer or developer. It does not make any compromises over the quality or features. At the end of the day, you will save a lot of time when it comes to bringing fonts to your projects. It’s a bit expensive for newbies, though. Check Out Suitcase Fusion
#5 Typeface — The Overall Best Font Manager for Mac
Above, we have seen a wide variety of font managers, made for different needs. Typeface is an exception as it’s suitable for everyone. From A to Z, this simple font manager has perfected almost everything. It packs a lot of features we haven’t seen in other programs as well. Typeface is also our personal favorite when we’d like to get the best out of font collection.
The Interface
The User Interface of Typeface is elegant, to start with. On the right side, you can see a live preview of fonts you have selected. By default, Typeface lists all the fonts, but you can always filter the results. Clicking on a single font would also show you details and the individual characters. We also loved the fact that Typeface has an extremely clean arrangement of elements.
Font Management
Typeface has one of the best features ever: Smart Categories. Depending on the style, Typeface categorizes the fonts into folders like New, Modern, Fixed Width, Fun etc. Of course, you can create categories on your own as well. Typeface also offers a Quick View function, which is useful for comparing two fonts. It even lets you place one font on top of the other and compare them.
Availability & Pricing
Typeface comes with an incredible price tag of $19.99. It’s currently available for macOS only and you can’t expect many syncing-based features. Still, we cannot ignore how awesome the features of organizations are. Without question, it’s the best deal too. Pros
Simple yet Elegant Design Smart Categorization of Fonts Ample customization options
Cons
None
Who Is It For As we said, Typeface is for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you would love the features and design of Typeface for Mac. It would soon become the only place you would go for accessing your fonts. Check Out Typeface
Which is the best font manager for Mac?
Well, these are the best Font Managers for Mac you can find today. As we’ve said earlier, Typeface would be the go-to choice. It’s rich with features and an elegant UI. On the other hand, if you need something more professional-looking, RightFont and Suitcase Fusion are two great choices. And, for those who are looking for an enterprise-level font manager, we’d recommend FontExplorer X Pro too. We hope this guide helps you find the best font manager for your needs. Read: Best Email Client for Mac
