My Favourite "Top 5" Programming Fonts
Tags: visualstudiocode
Published: 2020-04-27 15:32:54

---
title: My Favourite "Top 5" Programming Fonts
published: true
date: 2020-04-20 12:23:20 UTC
tags: Visual Studio Code
canonical_url: 
---

 ![My Favourite](https://developer.school/content/images/2020/04/image-1-1.png)

I often find myself playing around with my editor on the weekend, whenever I get a new machine, or, pretty much anytime I find a new cool font. As it turns out, there's lots of interesting fonts out there that improve day-to-day work experience.

Let's take a look... in no particular order!

## Operator Mono

This font is one of the more popular _premium_ fonts (~$200) and is one of my personal favourites. It has custom ligatures and a distinctly cursive style. You can see how it looks in the video below, _or_ by [checking it out on the website](https://www.typography.com/fonts/operator/styles).

<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NoPe1KXYOtg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You'll likely find that this font is polarising. Either people love the cursive style or hate it.

It's even been referred to as the [Comic Sans of 2018](https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/8dyn99/operator_mono_is_the_comic_sans_of_2018/) by one redditor.  

I like it, and that's enough for me! :)

## Fira Code

Fira Code is a free, [open source font](https://github.com/tonsky/FiraCode) that supports ligatures. It's derived from [Fira Mono](http://mozilla.github.io/Fira/) (hence the name) but has additional spicy features.

You can see it in action here:

<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C81YxyYzpY0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you're looking for a free font that's pleasant to read for a long period of time, I'd recommend Fira Code.

If you'd like to sponsor the development of Fira Code, you can do so on [GitHub Sponsors!](https://github.com/sponsors/tonsky)

## Cascadia Code

One of the more recent additions to the font world _and_ my favourites list is [Cascadia Code](https://github.com/microsoft/cascadia-code).

![My Favourite](https://developer.school/content/images/2020/04/image-1.png)

It was created by Microsoft and is used in the new Windows Terminal.

It's open source and has the [SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE](https://github.com/microsoft/cascadia-code/blob/master/LICENSE), allowing for free use as long as you don't sell it seperately.

I usually use this when I've been looking at Operator Mono for too long... 🤔

## MonoLisa

If you're looking for a more affordable premium font, I'd recommend MonoLisa. It supports ligatures, italics, and isn't fatiguing to read for a long period of time.

It was created by [Component Driven](https://component-driven.io/) in Vienna and comes in at [$59 for the Personal Edition / $299 for the Professional Edition](https://www.monolisa.dev/buy).

![My Favourite](https://developer.school/content/images/2020/04/Screenshot-2020-04-20-at-12.52.35.png)

If you're only going to be using this in your editor, then I'd recommend only investigating the Personal Edition.

You can find the optimal settings for your preferred editor of choice in the [MonoLisa FAQ](https://www.monolisa.dev/faq).

## JetBrains Mono

The final font I'd like to recommend here is [JetBrains Mono](https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/).

It supports ligatures and italics and was released earlier this year and is a relatively new addition to my list.

![My Favourite](https://developer.school/content/images/2020/04/Screenshot-2020-04-20-at-12.56.25.png)

It's open source and _free for both personal and commercial usage,_ following the [APACHE 2.0](https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0) license.

You can get it on the JetBrains Mono site: [https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/#how-to-install](https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/#how-to-install)

### Summary

We're fortunate to be living in a time where there's _a wealth of choices when it comes to editor customisation._

If you want a fancy premium font you can splash out (_I mean, you are looking at this for a large portion of your work week_) or you can simply get a free one that's just as good (or subjectively better!).