Best Free WOFF Viewers: Online and Desktop
Searching for a WOFF viewer brings up dozens of tools. Some are quick and simple. Some are powerful but hard to learn. Some upload your font to a server you know nothing about. This guide compares the best free WOFF viewers, online and desktop, so you can pick the right one for what you need.
We make one of these tools, so we will be upfront about that and fair to the others. Every tool below is worth knowing.
What makes a good WOFF viewer?
Before the list, here is what we looked for:
- Opens WOFF and WOFF2. Many “font viewers” only handle TTF and OTF.
- Shows real details. The font’s name, style, version and license.
- Shows every glyph. Not just a sample sentence.
- Lets you type your own text. The best test of any font.
- Keeps your file private. Ideally, nothing is uploaded.
- Works on your device. Windows, Mac, Linux, and ideally phones too.
- Is easy to use. A quick look should take seconds.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Type | WOFF2 | Font info | All glyphs | Convert to TTF | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open WOFF File | Browser | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Quick look, name, convert |
| FontDrop! | Browser | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Detailed inspection |
| Wakamai Fondue | Browser | Yes | Features focus | Partly | No | OpenType features and CSS |
| FontForge | Desktop app | Recent builds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Editing |
| fontTools | Command line | Yes | Yes (as text) | Yes (as text) | Yes | Developers, bulk work |
Now the details.
1. Open WOFF File
Our own tool at openwofffile.com. It is built for one job: opening WOFF and WOFF2 files as quickly as possible, on any device.
What it does well:
- Opens WOFF, WOFF2, TTF and OTF by drag and drop
- Live preview you can type into, with a size slider and a four-size waterfall
- Font information: family, style, full name, PostScript name, version, designer, foundry, glyph count, metrics, copyright and license
- Every glyph in a grid, with Unicode codes and click to copy
- Converts WOFF and WOFF2 to TTF or OTF
- Runs in your browser. Your font is never uploaded.
- Works on phones
Limits: It does not show OpenType feature lists, variable font axes or detailed table data. For those, use one of the tools below.
Best for: anyone who wants to see a font, learn its name, check its characters or install it.
Try it: Try it now. Drop any WOFF or WOFF2 file on the pink box.
2. FontDrop!
FontDrop! is a well-known browser-based font inspector. You drop a font on the page and get a detailed view.
What it does well:
- Shows glyphs with detailed information
- Shows a lot of font data, including naming and metrics
- Handles variable fonts and lets you move through their axes
- Popular with designers who want details
Limits: It is focused on inspection, not conversion. The interface shows a lot at once, which is great for experts and a bit much for a quick look.
Best for: designers and developers who want deep detail about a font.
3. Wakamai Fondue
Wakamai Fondue (the name sounds like “What can my font do?”) is another browser tool. It focuses on what a font can do, especially its OpenType features.
What it does well:
- Lists OpenType features like ligatures, small caps and alternates
- Shows supported languages
- Generates CSS to use the font’s features on a website
- Handles variable fonts
Limits: It is not built for browsing every glyph or converting files.
Best for: web developers who want to use a font’s features in CSS.
4. FontForge
FontForge is a free, open source font editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. It is a viewer too, in the sense that it shows everything inside a font.
What it does well:
- Opens WOFF files, and WOFF2 in recent builds
- Shows every glyph and lets you edit it
- Shows almost every setting in the font
- Exports to TTF, OTF, WOFF, WOFF2 and SVG
Limits: The interface is old-fashioned and takes time to learn. It is slow for a quick look.
Best for: editing fonts, fixing problems, exporting icons. See how to edit a WOFF file.
5. fontTools
fontTools is a free Python library. It is not a visual viewer, but it can show you everything inside a font as readable text.
What it does well:
- Reads and writes WOFF and WOFF2
- Dumps font tables to XML with the ttx command
- Converts, subsets and merges fonts
- Handles hundreds of files in a script
Limits: Command line only. No visual preview.
Best for: developers and anyone automating font work. See how to read a WOFF2 file for examples.
Paid options for professionals
If fonts are your job, two paid apps are worth knowing:
- Glyphs (Mac) is a popular font editor with an excellent interface. It imports and exports WOFF and WOFF2 and shows every detail of a font.
- FontLab (Windows and Mac) is a long-standing professional editor that opens almost any font format.
Both are made for creating and editing fonts. They are far more than you need to look at a WOFF file, but if you already own one, it will open web fonts fine.
Features that matter for different jobs
Different people care about different things in a viewer. Here is what to look for based on your role:
| Your role | Features that matter most |
|---|---|
| Graphic designer | Preview with your text, font name, license, convert to install |
| Web developer | WOFF2 support, file size, character coverage, CSS help |
| Brand manager | Exact name and version, license, designer |
| Student | Free, no sign-up, easy to use |
| Type designer | Full table access, editing, export |
A tool that is perfect for one role can be a poor fit for another. That is why no single viewer wins for everyone.
What about Windows Font Viewer and Mac Font Book?
Neither opens WOFF or WOFF2 files. They only handle desktop formats like TTF and OTF. If you want to use them, convert the WOFF first. See how to open WOFF files on Windows and how to open WOFF fonts on a Mac.
A word on online viewers that upload your file
Some online viewers and converters send your font to their server. They may work well, but your font leaves your device. That matters if:
- You work with paid fonts licensed to your company
- You handle client fonts under an agreement
- The font is unreleased or custom-made for a brand
Browser-based tools that read the file locally avoid this. If a site does not say where your file goes, assume it is uploaded. You can check by opening your browser’s developer tools, choosing the Network tab and watching for an upload when you drop the file.
Which WOFF viewer should you choose?
- “I just want to see this font.” Open WOFF File.
- “What is this font called?” Open WOFF File. See how to find the font name inside a WOFF2 file.
- “I want to install this font.” Open WOFF File, then convert to TTF.
- “I need every detail, including variable axes.” FontDrop!
- “Which OpenType features does this font have?” Wakamai Fondue.
- “I need to change the font.” FontForge.
- “I have 500 fonts to process.” fontTools.
You do not have to pick just one. Many designers use a quick viewer for daily checks and a deeper tool when they need it. Bookmark two or three, and you will be ready for almost any font question that comes your way.
Viewing WOFF files on phones
Most desktop tools do not run on phones. Browser tools do. Open WOFF File works in Chrome on Android and Safari on iPhone. See how to open a WOFF file on Android and how to open WOFF files on iPhone.
Common questions
Are browser-based WOFF viewers safe?
Tools that read files in your browser are safe, because your file stays on your device. Tools that upload files are only as safe as their server.
Why do some viewers show different names for the same font?
Fonts store several names. One tool may show the family name, another the full name or the PostScript name. They are all correct. They just read different fields.
Do I need to install anything?
Not for browser tools. FontForge and fontTools need installing.
Which viewer is fastest?
For a single file, a browser tool. You drop the file and see it in about a second.
Can these tools open icon fonts?
Yes. Any viewer that shows all glyphs will show the icons. See how to view icons in a WOFF file.
Summary
For a quick, private look at a WOFF or WOFF2 font, a browser tool like Open WOFF File is hard to beat. It shows the font, its details and every glyph, and converts to TTF. For deeper inspection, try FontDrop! or Wakamai Fondue. For editing, use FontForge. For bulk work, use fontTools. Pick the tool that matches the job.
