Calligraphr vs FontMaker
Calligraphr
calligraphr.comFontMaker
textstudio.comSide by side
| Figure | Calligraphr | FontMaker |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £6/mo | $3.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · Font Design Software | 9.1 (#3) | 8.5 (#6) |
| Commercial use | Calligraphr says creations are the user's sole property and may be used commercially without crediting Calligraphr. | Fonts downloaded with Pro can be used commercially; fonts downloaded with the free version are for personal use. |
| Headquarters | Massein, Switzerland | Mauritius |
| Maker | Calligraphr.com is provided by Maklabu GmbH. | The About page identifies Marc as FontMaker’s founder and says he makes the product. |
| Privacy | The privacy policy says the site collects browser and visit information, asks sign-ups for an email address, and does not store financial information used to process upgrade transactions. | The maker says files are processed in the browser and fonts and files are not uploaded to its servers. |
| Purpose | Calligraphr transforms handwriting or calligraphy into a font. | FontMaker turns handwriting, drawings, SVG files, and images into downloadable font files. |
| Support | The site directs users with problems to contact support through its contact form or by email. | The FAQ invites users to email questions, bug reports, or ideas and says every message is read. |
Plans
Calligraphr
- FreeFree
- Pro six-month upgrade£6 a month
- Pro£8, paid once
- Pro£8 a month
FontMaker
- FreeFree
- FontMaker Pro Monthly$3.99 a month
- FontMaker Pro for life$19.99, paid once
In their own words
Calligraphr
Calligraphr turns handwriting or calligraphy into downloadable fonts. Users customize a character template, print and fill it, then scan or photograph the sheet and upload it. An image editor supports touch-ups, while controls adjust character height and spacing. Multiple character variants can be randomized to create more natural-looking handwriting. Fonts download as standard TTF or OTF files and continue working independently after download. The Free plan requires registration and allows unlimited fonts, one concurrent font, 75 characters per font, and two variants per character, with no ligatures. Pro costs £6 a month, billed per month for a 6 months upgrade; it allows 20 concurrent fonts, 600 characters per font, 15 variants per character, ligatures, browser and server storage, backup, and prioritized processing. Free data is stored in the browser and may be deleted after inactivity. Users may use creations commercially without crediting Calligraphr.
FontMaker
FontMaker turns handwriting, drawings, SVG files, and images into downloadable fonts. Users can photograph a handwritten page, draw characters with a mouse, finger, or stylus, or import files. It traces PNG, JPG, GIF, and WebP images into vector glyphs. Each glyph can be adjusted for baseline, size, and left and right spacing, with a live preview while typing. Export formats are OTF, TTF, and WOFF; the maker lists Photoshop, Word, Canva, Figma, and Procreate as compatible uses, and says WOFF is for websites. FontMaker says processing happens in the browser and that fonts and files are not uploaded to its servers. The free plan costs nothing and exports 26 lowercase or uppercase characters for personal use. FontMaker Pro Monthly costs $3.99 a month; FontMaker Pro for life costs $19.99, paid once. Both paid plans allow all characters and commercial use. FontMaker Studio is described as available for iPhone, iPad, and Android, with drawing, scanning, and TTF export.