The code fonts I have used over the years

Talking about programming fonts can be a bit politically incorrect, as it assumes that all code is written using monospace fonts. However, there are indeed developers who dislike using monospace for coding, finding it hard to read.

Setting aside these factors, the majority of developers still prefer writing code in monospace fonts. This article aims to share some of the monospace fonts that have been popular in recent years.

The choice of font isn’t crucial and won’t significantly impact your productivity, but sometimes, you just want to see what fonts a particular developer prefers. You might even discover a typeface that suits your taste. Here’s a ranked list based on preference.

0. IBM Plex Mono

https://fonts.google.com/specimen/IBM+Plex+Mono

1. MonoLisa (Paid)

https://www.monolisa.dev/

I’m not an expert on fonts, but I thought MonoLisa looked really cool after checking out its official site, so I bought it. I haven’t encountered any major issues using it; both my terminal and VSCode are set to MonoLisa. The website even compares it with other monospace fonts, which might be worth checking out.

2. Microsoft - Cascadia Code

https://github.com/microsoft/cascadia-code

This is an open-source monospace font created by Microsoft, and it has a distinctly different appearance compared to typical monospace fonts. If you’re looking to change your font to refresh your mood, give it a try.

3. JetBrains Mono

https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/

JetBrains Mono is a monospace font from JetBrains, and it appears to be slightly narrower and taller than other monospace fonts. I used it for a while without any major issues, and I quite enjoy using it with JetBrains IDEs.

4. FiraCode

https://github.com/tonsky/FiraCode

For me, FiraCode is a fairly standard monospace font. I haven’t experienced any significant issues using it, although I feel the spacing is a bit wide.

(Images sourced from GitHub)

5. Monaco

The default monospace font built into MacBooks.

6. Hack

https://sourcefoundry.org/hack/

Hack is another fairly standard monospace font, but it has a slightly rounder appearance.

That’s about it for now, but I’ll add more if I come across any favorites later.