11 Best Free Programming Fonts in 2020
Find your new favorite programming font
You stare at your code a lot. You should like what you see.
If you’re using the default font in your code editor, you’re missing out.
Programming fonts make it easy to distinguish between similiar characters like: o0O and iIlL1 and can include special coding-related ligatures to for example make operators stand out.
This list includes basic information and screenshots for all of the fonts, along with additional comments and download links.
Fira Code
Ligatures ✔️ • Open Source ✔️
One of the most popular coding fonts. Comes with ligatures for many programming languages, console UI (including Powerline symbols) and more. It also comes with a few alternate glyph variants, so you can tune the font to your liking.
The project is under active development and is frequently updated with fixes and new features. The Github page contains detailed installation instructions for many environments.
Download: Github
JetBrains Mono
Ligatures ✔️ • Open Source ✔️
JetBrains Mono is the default font bundled with all JetBrains IDEs. It is however free & open-source, so you can download it and use in whatever code editor / IDE you want. If you don’t like the ligatures, you can use the “No ligatures variant”.
Cascadia Code
Ligatures ✔️ • Open Source ✔️
Cascadia Code is Microsoft’s new terminal & coding font. It is the default font in the new Windows Terminal but you can download it and use it in you coding environment of choice.
Download: Github
Iosevka
Ligatures ✔️ • Open Source ✔️
One of the most customizable coding fonts I’ve every seen. Includes ligatures for multiple programming languages.
It also comes with over 15 prebuilt variants that replace some glyphs to look more like other coding fonts, like: Fira Code, Consolas, Monaco.Check out the Github page for all customization options.
Download: Github
Monoid
Ligatures ✔️ • Open Source ✔️
A customisable open source font with a bitmap look. Inlcudes basic coding ligatures. Has a few variants allowing you to adjust the tracking, line height, alternate glyphs or turn off the ligatures.
Its creator also wrote some articles about the font’s design, which you might find interesting:
- Ligatures & Coding
- Designing a Coding Font
- Distinguishable Glyphs in Coding Fonts
- Class Based Contextual Positioning in MonoSpaced Fonts
Download: Website
Victor Mono
Ligatures ✔️ • Open Source ✔️
A free alternative to the much to the much-loved & super-expensive Operator Mono. It comes with coding ligatures and semi-connected cursive italics that make your code pop, but also require a theme that supports them. Usually looking for Operator versions of a theme will return compatible results.
Download: Website
IBM Plex Mono
Ligatures ❌ • Open Source ✔️
Part of the IBM Plex family. Features very crisp and easily-readable glyphs but sadly doesn’t include programming ligatures.
Download: Github
Hack
Ligatures ⚠️ • Open Source ✔️
A good-looking font that sadly doesn’t come with coding ligatures by default. There is however a fork of the project that adds ligatures to it.
Fantasque Sans Mono
Ligatures ✔️ • Open Source ✔️
A coding font with more fancy-looking glyphs and a few variants. I would recommend a bigger font size with this one.
Download: Github
Inconsolata (Ligconsolata)
Ligatures 🚧 • Open Source ✔️
An oldie but a goodie, and still actively developed. It has some of the most unique-looking ligatures. The ligatures are only available in the Ligconsolata variant.
Download: Github
Input Mono
Ligatures ❌ • Open Source ❌
As far as I can say this one is not open source but it’s still a great-looking font. It also doesn’t have coding ligatures but it’s highly customizable, allowing you to configure the width, line height and alternative glyphs.
Download: Website
Honorable Mentions
Thanks for reading.
If you know other great programming fonts, or something about the list needs updating, please let me know in the comments.
