FontBase vs Launchpad
FontBase
fontba.seLaunchpad
launchpad.netSide by side
| Figure | FontBase | Launchpad |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $3/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 2 |
| Spec score · Font Management Software | 9.2 (#1) | 8.2 (#4) |
| Support | The maker says users can contact support by email or through its Facebook and Twitter pages. | Launchpad provides community support through Answers and links to Launchpad Support and a user guide. |
Plans
FontBase
- FontBaseFree
- FreeFree
- Awesome monthly$3 a month
- Awesome Monthly$3 a month
- Awesome ForeverPrice not published
- Awesome YearlyPrice not published
In their own words
FontBase
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.
Launchpad
Launchpad is a free platform for open-source collaboration, with tools to build and publish software. Projects can host Git repositories, review and merge changes, and link code changes to bug reports. Bug tracking can also integrate reports from Bugzilla, Trac, GitLab, and Mantis. Teams can build and distribute Debian packages, snaps, rocks, charms, and OCI images; documented architectures include AMD64, AMD64v3, ARM, and RISC-V. Localization tools support importing, exporting, and sharing translations, while blueprints help track project ideas and work. Launchpad Answers supports community help requests and FAQs. Automation options include a REST-style API, the launchpadlib Python client, and webhooks. The platform is available through the web, Linux, API, and self-hosted options. Commercial projects can request private branches, bugs, teams, mailing lists, and PPAs, but these features require Canonical authorization. Security documentation describes least-privilege access, restrictive networking, and fine-grained permissions; it also says automatic security monitoring was not in place as of July 2023.