Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → DM Sans vs IBM Plex Sans

DM Sans vs IBM Plex Sans

Both are sans serif faces on Google Fonts. IBM Plex Sans has the larger x-height, so it looks bigger at the same size. DM Sans takes more horizontal space.

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DM Sans

Handgloves & Quartz Jockeys

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs, then ship it to 1,842 Grove Street by 9:30 AM.

IBM Plex Sans

Handgloves & Quartz Jockeys

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs, then ship it to 1,842 Grove Street by 9:30 AM.

Measured differences

Measured from the font files. Heights and widths are shown as a share of the font size, so they compare directly at any point size.
Measurement	DM Sans	IBM Plex Sans	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	50.4%	51.6%	1.2%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	70.0%	69.8%	0.2%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.72	0.74	0.02
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	8.6%	8.6%	0.0%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.84	0.83	0.01
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	52.2%	50.5%	1.7%

Where they diverge most

Average character width: DM Sans measures 52.2%, IBM Plex Sans measures 50.5%. Mean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.
x-height: DM Sans measures 50.4%, IBM Plex Sans measures 51.6%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
x-height to cap ratio: DM Sans measures 0.72, IBM Plex Sans measures 0.74. Proportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.

At a glance

	DM Sans	IBM Plex Sans
Category	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Weights	10	7
Variable axes	2	2
Language subsets	2	6
Designer	Colophon Foundry	Mike Abbink