Times New Roman vs Georgia
Times New Roman was drawn in 1932 for The Times, to fit narrow newspaper columns; Georgia was drawn by Matthew Carter for Microsoft in 1993, to read well on screens. Georgia is the larger and wider of the two: we measured its x-height 8% taller than Times New Roman’s and the same text 10% wider at the same size. Its figures are old-style, rising and falling like lowercase letters.1,2,3
On this deviceTimes New Roman: looking…Georgia: looking…
01 / In your words
Times New Roman vs Georgia, side by side
02 / Compared
What is the difference between Times New Roman and Georgia?
| What differs | Times New Roman | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Designed1,2 | Times New Roman1932, by Stanley Morison with Victor Lardent, for The Times | Georgia1993, by Matthew Carter for Microsoft; released in 1996 |
| Made for1,2 | Times New RomanNewspaper columns: a high x-height, short descenders, a condensed build | GeorgiaScreens: legible small and at low resolution, with sturdier thin strokes |
| Style1,2 | Times New RomanTransitional serif, after Plantin | GeorgiaScotch Roman, after 19th-century Scottish types |
| Figures2 | Times New RomanLining: all one height | GeorgiaOld-style: they rise and fall like lowercase letters |
| Comes with1,4,5,6 | Times New RomanWindows since Windows 3.1, and macOS | GeorgiaWindows, macOS and iOS |
| APA style7 | Times New Roman12 points | Georgia11 points |
| Free alternative8,9 | Times New RomanTinos, drawn to its widths | GeorgiaGelasio, drawn to its widths |
| Measured by FontKind3 | ||
| x-heightHeight of the lowercase x, share of the em | Times New Roman44.7% | Georgia48.1% |
| Cap heightHeight of the capitals, share of the em | Times New Roman66.2% | Georgia69.3% |
| Letter widthThe 26 lowercase letters on average, share of the em | Times New Roman45.9% | Georgia49.9% |
| Running textWidth of English text a character, share of the em | Times New Roman40.5% | Georgia44.5% |
| InkHow much of the letter box the lowercase fills | Times New Roman41% | Georgia44% |
| ContrastThe o’s sides against its top and foot | Times New Roman2.73 : 1 | Georgia2.72 : 1 |
03 / Letter by letter
How to tell Times New Roman from Georgia
Figures2
Times New Roman
Looking…Lining figures, all one height
Georgia
Looking…Old-style figures that blend into text like lowercase
x-height2,3
Times New Roman
Looking…Smaller
Georgia
Looking…Larger, for small sizes on screen
The bold2
Times New Roman
Looking…Times New Roman Bold, for comparison
Georgia
Looking…Exceptionally heavy: drawn when a stem could only grow from one pixel to two
04 / Which to use
Times New Roman or Georgia: which should you use?
- A paper in APA style
Either. APA lists Times New Roman at 12 points and Georgia at 11, sizes at which their x-heights almost match: 5.4 points and 5.3 points.7,3
- Reading on screen
Georgia: it was drawn for screens, with a large x-height and thin strokes heavier than a display face’s.2
- Fitting more on a page
Times New Roman: the same text sets 9% narrower than in Georgia at the same size.3
- A website
Neither file may be served without a web licence.
font-family: Georgia, serifshows most visitors their own copy; Gelasio and Tinos are free with the same widths.9,8,4,5
05 / Free instead
Free fonts instead of Times New Roman and Georgia
Instead of Times New Roman
- PickedTinos
Drawn to Times New Roman’s widths
- Match 96 · by our dataSneaky Times
5% wider · x-height 4% taller
- Match 91 · by our dataSTIX Two Text
x-height 6% taller · 5% wider · less stroke contrast
- Match 91 · by our dataJomolhari
x-height 12% taller · 12% wider · more stroke contrast
Instead of Georgia
- PickedGelasio
Drawn to Georgia’s widths
- Match 87 · by our dataSTIX Two Text
4% narrower
- Match 80 · by our dataFrank Ruhl Libre
8% lighter
- Match 80 · by our dataLiterata
11% wider · less stroke contrast · x-height 5% taller
06 / Questions
Times New Roman vs Georgia: questions people ask
Is Georgia bigger than Times New Roman?
Yes, at the same point size. We measured Georgia’s x-height at 48.1% of the em against Times New Roman’s 44.7%, so 8% taller, and the same text sets 10% wider.3
Is Georgia easier to read than Times New Roman?
On screen it was made to be: Matthew Carter drew it for legibility at small sizes and low resolution, with a larger x-height and fewer fine details. The New York Times changed its standard font from Times New Roman to Georgia in 2007.2
Why are Georgia’s numbers uneven?
They are old-style figures, drawn to sit in a line of text like lowercase letters, some rising above the x-height and some dropping below the line. Georgia Pro, its larger family, uses lining figures by default.2
Sources
- 1Wikipedia: Times New Roman
- 2Wikipedia: Georgia
- 3FontKind: How we measure
- 4Microsoft: Windows 11 font list
- 5Apple: Fonts included with macOS Sequoia
- 6Apple Developer: System fonts
- 7APA Style: Font
- 8Google Fonts: Tinos
- 9Google Fonts: Gelasio
- 10Google Fonts: Adding fonts to Google Docs and Slides
Updated 1 October 2026. Times New Roman and Georgia are trademarks of their owners, named here only to say which fonts the page compares. FontKind is not affiliated with them: this is an independent comparison.