Compare Fonts → Monospace → JetBrains Mono vs Courier Prime

JetBrains Mono vs Courier Prime

Both are monospace faces on Google Fonts. JetBrains Mono has the larger x-height, so it looks bigger at the same size. JetBrains Mono takes more horizontal space.

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JetBrains Mono

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.

Courier Prime

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	JetBrains Mono	Courier Prime	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	55.0%	45.1%	9.9%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	73.0%	58.0%	15.0%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.75	0.78	0.03
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	9.0%	7.7%	1.3%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.89	0.94	0.05
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	60.0%	60.0%	0.0%

Where they diverge most

x-height: JetBrains Mono measures 55.0%, Courier Prime measures 45.1%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
Stroke weight: JetBrains Mono measures 9.0%, Courier Prime measures 7.7%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.
Stroke contrast: JetBrains Mono measures 0.89, Courier Prime measures 0.94. Horizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.

At a glance

	JetBrains Mono	Courier Prime
Category	Monospace	Monospace
Weights	8	2
Variable axes	1	None
Language subsets	6	2
Designer	JetBrains	Alan Dague-Greene