Lipi vs Refont: Which AI Font Generator Should You Use?
Lipi and Refont are both AI font generators, but they produce different things. Lipi generates real, installable, licensable font files (OTF, TTF, WOFF2) that you can edit glyph by glyph and ship in any app. Refont produces stylized text, calligraphy, and signature images on a credit system. Choose Lipi when you need a font you can actually install and use; choose Refont when you want a quick decorative image.
Choose Lipi
Best when you need a real font file: editable, installable, multilingual, and licensed for commercial use.
Choose Refont
Best for fast, one off decorative text, calligraphy, or signature images, including Chinese, with no login.
Lipi vs Refont: feature comparison
| Feature | Lipi | Refont |
|---|---|---|
| Primary output | Real font files (OTF, TTF, WOFF2) | Stylized text, calligraphy, signature images |
| Generate from a text prompt | Yes | Yes |
| Image to font | Yes | No, image output only |
| Handwriting | Yes, as an exportable font | Yes, as images |
| Edit glyphs and kerning | Yes, in Font Studio | No |
| Install and use as a system or web font | Yes | No, images only |
| Commercial license | Yes, included with export | Credit based, check current terms |
| Multilingual coverage | Extended Latin, Cyrillic, Greek and more | English and Chinese |
| Developer API | Yes | No |
| Login required | No | No |
| Price | Free to use, pay per export | Credit packs, credits do not expire |
What Refont is great at
Refont is a polished AI generator for decorative text. Its calligraphy, signature, and handwriting tools turn a prompt into attractive, high resolution images in seconds, with no login required and support for both English and Chinese. Its credits never expire, which suits occasional use.
If you want a one off signature graphic, a calligraphy header for a poster, or a handwritten looking note as an image, Refont gets you there quickly.
What makes Lipi different
Lipi generates a real typeface, not a picture of text. From a prompt, an image, or a sample of handwriting, it builds a working font with a full character set that you can install on your computer, embed on a website, or hand to a client.
Because the output is an actual font, you can open it in Font Studio to reshape individual letters, fix kerning, and edit metadata, then export OTF, TTF, and WOFF2 files with a commercial license.
Fonts versus images: why it matters
An image of styled text only works at the size and wording you generated it at. You cannot retype with it, install it, or apply it across a document or app. A font file works everywhere text works: any word, any size, any application, fully editable.
This is the core distinction. Refont is a design asset generator. Lipi is a font generator. If you will need to set new text in the same style later, you need a font, not an image.
Pricing
Refont uses credit packs, where each generation spends credits and the credits do not expire. Lipi is free to generate and preview, and you pay once per font export, which includes a commercial license. Compare them on the deliverable: Refont charges per image, Lipi charges per finished, reusable font.
When Refont is the better choice
If you only need a decorative image, a quick signature, or calligraphy art and you have no plan to set new text in that style later, Refont is fast and convenient, and its Chinese support is a genuine strength.
Lipi is the better choice the moment you need a real, reusable font: something you can install, type with, edit, license, and ship across a brand, a product, or a client deliverable.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lipi or Refont better for making a real font?
Lipi. It generates installable font files (OTF, TTF, WOFF2) with a full character set. Refont produces images of styled text, calligraphy, and signatures rather than font files.
Does Refont create installable font files?
Based on its published tools, Refont outputs high resolution images of calligraphy, signatures, and handwriting rather than installable font files. If you need a font you can install and type with, use Lipi.
Can I edit the font after I generate it?
With Lipi, yes. Every generated font opens in Font Studio where you can reshape letters, adjust kerning, and edit metadata before exporting. Image based generators do not offer glyph level editing.
Is Lipi free like Refont?
Lipi is free to generate and preview fonts with no account, and you pay once per export, which includes a commercial license. Refont uses credit packs where generations spend credits that do not expire.
Can Lipi generate handwriting and signatures like Refont?
Yes, and the result is an exportable font rather than a static image, so you can set any text in that handwriting style and reuse it anywhere.
Generate a font free
Describe a style and get a real, editable font. No account needed.
Generate a font free