Counterpunch vs PixelForge

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.

PixelForge is a pixel font editor for creating and editing bitmap fonts, then exporting them from the app. Its glyph tools draw and erase pixels and can move, rotate, flip, or scale glyphs. A text preview updates as glyphs change, and multiple font projects can remain open with separate undo histories. The editor can work with glyphs through U+FFFF, including unassigned ranges. It imports pixel fonts into its editable format and exports TTF files with metadata support. PixelForge periodically saves open documents and offers recovery after a crash. Project files use plain text, which the maker describes as compatible with version control and diffs. The current 0.91b pre-release runs on Windows and Linux and is free to download until version 1.0; the maker says no licensing or payment system is set up yet. The app supports monochrome 1-bit bitmap fonts, with one size and one weight per font. Sergi Lázaro is credited as its maker.