Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → Mulish vs Instrument Sans

Mulish vs Instrument Sans

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

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Mulish

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.

Instrument 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	Mulish	Instrument Sans	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	50.0%	51.0%	1.0%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	70.5%	72.0%	1.5%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.71	0.71	0.00
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	8.3%	8.2%	0.1%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.79	0.83	0.03
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	52.3%	52.5%	0.2%

Where they diverge most

x-height: Mulish measures 50.0%, Instrument Sans measures 51.0%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
Stroke contrast: Mulish measures 0.79, Instrument Sans measures 0.83. Horizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.
Average character width: Mulish measures 52.3%, Instrument Sans measures 52.5%. Mean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.

At a glance

	Mulish	Instrument Sans
Category	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Weights	9	4
Variable axes	1	2
Language subsets	5	2
Designer	Vernon Adams	Rodrigo Fuenzalida