FontBase vs Insider Font Control Suite

FontBase is a font manager for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Users can group fonts into collections and sub-collections, then activate them with one click. Watched folders keep fonts in their original locations while making them available in FontBase, and the app can automatically activate fonts placed in designated folders. The free feature set includes OpenType features, glyph viewing and copying, and access to Google's font library as if those fonts were local. The paid Awesome plan can synchronize collections across computers using a cloud drive, automatically activate missing fonts in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign documents, and manage team licenses and activations. It also supports team membership tools, including viewing who is online and how many fonts they use. Awesome costs $3 a month per user and can be used on up to two personal computers at once. The maker says it does not keep user data on its servers; Stripe handles subscription data and Auth0 handles login and authentication data. Organizations are advised to subscribe per user or contact the maker about a multi-seat account.

Insider Font Control Suite combines FontAgent Server, FontAgent, and FontAgent DC3 to distribute fonts across an enterprise and help manage license compliance. FontAgent Server organizes and tracks fonts, including purchase histories, receipts, agreements, and seat counts. It can alert administrators when terms are exceeded and report which users have fonts and when they activate them. FontAgent DC3 synchronizes with the server and runs on business users’ Macs and PCs, as well as rendering, application, and remote-session servers. FontAgent Server is available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, with cloud or on-premises deployment. Administrators can manage distribution permissions, restrict local importing and exporting, and control system-font visibility. Supported font formats are OpenType, TrueType, dfont, and PostScript Type 1. Server sign-on supports Azure or Okta authentication and enterprise directory integration; FontAgent for Mac supports Adobe Creative Cloud. The downloaded client and server software runs in trial mode for 30 days or until converted through a purchase. Pricing starts at $59 per user per year.