FontForge

FontForge is a free, open-source font editor built for type designers who need full control over their files. It supports all the major formats including OpenType, TrueType, PostScript, and even legacy formats most tools won’t touch. You’re not getting polish or handholding here, but you are getting serious tools that do the job.

The interface is dated and clunky, and it takes some effort to get comfortable with the workflow. But once you’re in, you can draw with Bézier tools, space and kern with precision, edit OpenType features, and even automate tasks with Python. It’s dense, but it works.

FontForge isn’t built for beginners or casual use. It’s for designers who already understand how fonts work and just need a tool that lets them build, modify, and export without getting boxed in. If you’re willing to put in the time to learn its quirks, it delivers the flexibility most paid tools promise but rarely match.