Counterpunch vs FontLab 8
Counterpunch
counterpunch.space
FontLab 8
fontlab.comSide by side
| Figure | Counterpunch | FontLab 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €5/mo | $9.08/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 6 |
| Spec score · Font Design Software | 9.3 (#1) | 8.1 (#9) |
| Founded | LinkedIn lists the Counterpunch Font Editor organization as founded in 2026. | 1992 |
| Privacy | The maker says font projects stay on the user's device and describes data collection as minimal. | FontLab says it does not sell personal data and only uses submitted fonts or crash reports for support, without sharing them with third parties absent permission. |
| Product | Counterpunch is a browser-based font studio for designing and editing fonts. | FontLab 8 is an integrated font editor for creating fonts from simple designs to complex projects. |
| Support | The maker directs users to GitHub issues or discussions for questions, feedback, and support. | The maker offers expert support with the Starter and Pro licenses and provides support through its support portal and email. |
Plans
FontLab 8
- Starter — 3-months license$97, paid once
- Workshop 2-weeks$99, paid once
- Student 1-year$109 a year
- Course 4-months$249, paid once
- Student / teacher lifetime$335, paid once
- Pro — Lifetime license$499, paid once
In their own words
Counterpunch
Counterpunch is a browser-based font studio for designing and editing fonts, with support for bidirectional complex-script shaping such as Arabic and Devanagari. It is built with variable fonts in mind, including weight, width, and custom axes. Users can edit components in place, inspect fonts through code-driven glyph filters, and use a Python environment to work with scripts; the maker says user code can catch and repair broken scripts. Its AI assistant generates Python scripts locally rather than sending font data to AI servers. The editor is GPLv3-licensed and usable without registration, and the maker says projects stay on the user’s device with minimal data collection. Installing it as a Progressive Web App enables offline editing, Python use, and preview compilation; the assistant still needs a connection and signed-in account. The editor is in Alpha, and documentation says it is not optimized for mobile. Pricing lists a Free plan at free and Basic at €5 a month.