3 Best Font Managers for Mac in 2023
FontExplorer X Pro will cease operations after June 30th, 2023. [LINK] Since it seems the macOS version has stopped receiving updates, it has displayed a few issues with Ventura. Thus, we had to look for a replacement. In this article, we present our top three choices for font management software to help Mac users organize their fonts.
PREFACE: What about Apple's own Font Book?
Font Book, the native font manager in macOS, offers many useful features for basic tasks, such as installing, accessing, managing, and removing fonts. However, it falls short when it comes to organizing font collections per project or managing cloud-based fonts to save space on your device. Additionally, Font Book is not ideal for comparing and contrasting two different fonts and their variations.
These are some of the reasons why many creatives prefer using third-party font managers on their Macs. In 2023, what are the best options available?
Typeface 3 lets you compare fonts based on categories.
① Typeface
We can easily recommend Typeface for designers or software developers who want a complete font management solution. Our top pick is its latest version, Typeface 3, for several reasons:
Its intuitive user interface (UI) makes it easy to navigate without any assistance. You can browse fonts with live customization of previews and easily copy CSS values into your work.
You can compare various fonts based on categories, and Typeface will categorize the fonts based on their characteristics and your usage. It supports dark mode and includes a feature called "Toggle Font Compare," which allows you to select one font and compare it with other selected collections of fonts on top of each other.
However, Typeface does not offer a free version, but a free trial is available. As of January 2023, the price is $54.99 CAD.
FontBase offers synchronization with Google Fonts.
② FontBase
FontBase is a free font manager that has most of the necessary features and supports cloud sync through any cloud drive. It offers synchronization with Google Fonts, allowing users to easily download and install all the fonts from the Google Fonts library.
The downsides are that it requires a subscription for many advanced features and lacks font comparison options. Its subscription pricing is USD $3/user/month or USD $29/user/year. Alternatively, you can purchase it outright for USD $180/user if you prefer not to use a subscription-based model.
RightFont’s filter panel features various classifications.
③ RightFont
RightFont is a font manager that allows you to preview, install, sync, and manage fonts over Dropbox or Google Drive. When you import fonts, they are automatically classified based on the font data from their foundries. Its filter panel includes various classifications, such as category, style, and language, to help you manage them.
You can set it up on your OS menu bar, so it acts as an advanced version of the Character panel in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign. Designers will find it handy to use RightFont alongside Adobe Creative Suite. It also offers an iOS solution for those interested.
The downside is that its UI is not intuitive enough for first-time users.
RightFont offers a 15-day free trial, and as of January 10th, 2023, it's offering discounts. The pricing is USD $47/device or USD $190/5 devices.
Final Thoughts
We believe that since macOS already comes with an adequate Font Book, users should choose a third-party font manager according to their workflow and volume.
Still lamenting the untimely discontinuation of FontExplorer X Pro, we sincerely hope this article helps creatives out there find the best option that meets all their needs.
UPDATE: FontExplorer X keeps quitting on macOS Ventura?
With the introduction of macOS Ventura, some users have encountered an unexpected problem. FontExplorer X tends to quit abruptly when the system goes into sleep mode, disrupting workflows and causing frustration.
Despite the application's technical support will be discontinued as of June 30th, 2023, Monotype Imaging Inc., the company behind it, assured users that their licensed version of FontExplorer X would continue to function normally. [LINK] — Unfortunately, the compatibility issue with Ventura seems to persist, even with the 13.4 update.
To address this problem, we have reached out to Apple and submitted a bug report, suspecting that the issue might lie within macOS Ventura itself. While we await a permanent solution, we want to offer a temporary workaround for those experiencing the same problem.
Here's a simple two-step process to minimize the chances of FontExplorer X unexpectedly quitting:
Step 1: Clear the application cache
Open a Finder window.
Press Shift + Command + G to open the "Go to Folder" window.
Type or paste ~/Library/Caches into the search box and hit Return.
Locate the FontExplorer X app cache and drag it to the Trash.
Step 2: Activate "Confirm Quit"
Navigate to the settings on FontExplorer X.
In the "General" panel, locate the "Confirm quit" option and enable the checkbox.
By following these steps, FontExplorer X will no longer silently quit but instead prompt a "Do you really want to quit?" pop-up message, giving you the opportunity to prevent accidental closures.
We understand that this issue can disrupt your design process, but with this temporary workaround, we hope to alleviate some of the frustrations. Rest assured, our team is actively monitoring the situation, and we will keep you updated on any further developments or permanent fixes.
Happy designers, better results, we'd say.
