Font licensing used to be simple: one typeface, one price, done. Today foundries charge by company size, pageviews, or app count, add surcharges for logo use, and separate web from desktop. Staying on top of this avoids costly surprises and licensing gaps.
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Buying a font doesn’t transfer ownership — it grants a license: the right to use the typeface in a specific way. The foundry retains ownership of the design.
What is permitted is defined in the End User License Agreement, the EULA — the most important document when purchasing. A license covers certain media and is often tied to scale or reach.
Most foundries divide their offering by use case. Which license you need depends on where the typeface will ultimately appear.
The hardest part of comparison: every foundry uses a different pricing basis. The same term — desktop license — can mean very different prices.
An often overlooked question: who holds the license? This isn’t just a formality — it determines who can continue using the font when the project changes hands.
Typically, the licensee uses the font themselves. Some foundries require the end client to hold the license, with the studio merely covered under it.
Beyond the base license, certain uses frequently cost extra or require a separate license. Checking early leads to cleaner project calculations.
Not every use requires full price — and not every early project phase needs a license at all.
Five questions to answer before every font purchase: