Compare Fonts → Monospace → Space Mono vs Courier Prime

Space Mono vs Courier Prime

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

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Space 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	Space Mono	Courier Prime	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	49.6%	45.1%	4.5%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	70.0%	58.0%	12.0%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.71	0.78	0.07
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	8.0%	7.7%	0.3%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.93	0.94	0.01
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	61.2%	60.0%	1.2%

Where they diverge most

x-height: Space Mono measures 49.6%, Courier Prime measures 45.1%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
x-height to cap ratio: Space Mono measures 0.71, Courier Prime measures 0.78. Proportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.
Average character width: Space Mono measures 61.2%, Courier Prime measures 60.0%. Mean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.

At a glance

	Space Mono	Courier Prime
Category	Monospace	Monospace
Weights	2	2
Variable axes	None	None
Language subsets	3	2
Designer	Colophon Foundry	Alan Dague-Greene