Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → Lato vs IBM Plex Sans

Lato 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. IBM Plex Sans takes more horizontal space.

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Lato

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	Lato	IBM Plex Sans	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	50.6%	51.6%	1.0%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	71.7%	69.8%	1.9%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.71	0.74	0.03
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	9.2%	8.6%	0.6%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.76	0.83	0.07
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	49.5%	50.5%	1.0%

Where they diverge most

Stroke contrast: Lato measures 0.76, IBM Plex Sans measures 0.83. Horizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.
Stroke weight: Lato measures 9.2%, IBM Plex Sans measures 8.6%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.
x-height: Lato measures 50.6%, 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.

At a glance

	Lato	IBM Plex Sans
Category	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Weights	5	7
Variable axes	None	2
Language subsets	2	6
Designer	Łukasz Dziedzic	Mike Abbink