Tajawal
7/7
representative declared ranges
Measured study · Version 2.0
Arabic Web Font Performance Benchmark 2026
Twenty popular Arabic families tested across static, mixed-script, variable, and declared character-coverage scenarios. Every byte result can be reproduced from the installed public packages.
Families tested
20
Measured
Smallest two-weight set
17.5 KB
Tajawal
Variable families
12
Measured from available Fontsource variable packages
Static vs variable
One variable file versus regular and bold
Variable does not automatically mean smaller. This comparison uses the Arabic weight variable file and the same family's Arabic 400 plus 700 static files. An unavailable result means no matching package was found in the selected Fontsource source.
| Font | Static 400 + 700 | Variable weight | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tajawal | 17.5 KB | Not available | — |
| Reem Kufi | 17.6 KB | 12.1 KB | -32% |
| Changa | 21.7 KB | 22.5 KB | +4% |
| Mada | 22.6 KB | 26.7 KB | +18% |
| El Messiri | 23.7 KB | 21.8 KB | -8% |
| Alexandria | 25.1 KB | 30.6 KB | +22% |
| Cairo | 26.6 KB | 30.2 KB | +13% |
| Rubik | 34.2 KB | 31.7 KB | -7% |
| Vazirmatn | 41.8 KB | 45.2 KB | +8% |
| Markazi Text | 45.0 KB | 40.4 KB | -10% |
| Almarai | 63.1 KB | Not available | — |
| Mirza | 79.8 KB | Not available | — |
| IBM Plex Sans Arabic | 85.1 KB | Not available | — |
| Noto Kufi Arabic | 85.8 KB | 120.8 KB | +41% |
| Noto Sans Arabic | 96.7 KB | 162.1 KB | +68% |
| Noto Naskh Arabic | 103.2 KB | 91.8 KB | -11% |
| Lateef | 126.7 KB | Not available | — |
| Scheherazade New | 164.8 KB | Not available | — |
| Amiri | 203.6 KB | Not available | — |
| Harmattan | 261.9 KB | Not available | — |
Declared coverage
Seven representative Arabic-script checks
The script checks each package's declared Arabic Unicode range for an Arabic letter, Persian letter, Urdu letter, two digit systems, a diacritic, and Arabic punctuation. Passing confirms declared inclusion—not shaping or readability quality.
Reem Kufi
7/7
representative declared ranges
Changa
7/7
representative declared ranges
Mada
7/7
representative declared ranges
El Messiri
7/7
representative declared ranges
Alexandria
7/7
representative declared ranges
Cairo
7/7
representative declared ranges
Rubik
7/7
representative declared ranges
Vazirmatn
7/7
representative declared ranges
Markazi Text
7/7
representative declared ranges
Almarai
7/7
representative declared ranges
Mirza
7/7
representative declared ranges
IBM Plex Sans Arabic
7/7
representative declared ranges
Noto Kufi Arabic
7/7
representative declared ranges
Noto Sans Arabic
7/7
representative declared ranges
Noto Naskh Arabic
7/7
representative declared ranges
Lateef
7/7
representative declared ranges
Scheherazade New
7/7
representative declared ranges
Amiri
7/7
representative declared ranges
Harmattan
7/7
representative declared ranges
Interactive comparison
Preview the fonts with your Arabic text
The number on each card is the measured total for Arabic regular and bold WOFF2 files. The preview is for visual shortlisting; readability is not converted into a score.
01 · Sans
Tajawal
17.5 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Compact interfaces
02 · Kufi
Reem Kufi
17.6 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Display and branding
03 · Display
Changa
21.7 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Expressive headings
04 · Sans
Mada
22.6 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
UI and body text
05 · Display
El Messiri
23.7 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Editorial and brand headings
06 · Sans
Alexandria
25.1 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Contemporary UI and display
07 · Sans
Cairo
26.6 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
UI and display
08 · Sans
Rubik
34.2 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Mixed-script interfaces
09 · Sans
Vazirmatn
41.8 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Arabic and Persian interfaces
10 · Naskh
Markazi Text
45.0 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Editorial body and display
11 · Sans
Almarai
63.1 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Clean editorial interfaces
12 · Naskh
Mirza
79.8 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Expressive editorial headings
13 · Sans
IBM Plex Sans Arabic
85.1 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Technical products
14 · Kufi
Noto Kufi Arabic
85.8 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Headings and labels
15 · Sans
Noto Sans Arabic
96.7 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
General UI
16 · Naskh
Noto Naskh Arabic
103.2 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Long-form reading
17 · Naskh
Lateef
126.7 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Traditional editorial text
18 · Naskh
Scheherazade New
164.8 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Scholarly and long-form reading
19 · Naskh
Amiri
203.6 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Traditional long-form reading
20 · Naskh
Harmattan
261.9 KB
العربية لغة جميلة، وتصميمها الجيد يجعل القراءة أسهل.
Compact reading
Measured results
Exact WOFF2 bytes by weight
| Font | Regular 400 | Bold 700 | Total | Best starting role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tajawal | 8.7 KB | 8.8 KB | 17.5 KB | Compact interfaces |
| Reem Kufi | 8.7 KB | 8.9 KB | 17.6 KB | Display and branding |
| Changa | 10.6 KB | 11.1 KB | 21.7 KB | Expressive headings |
| Mada | 11.1 KB | 11.5 KB | 22.6 KB | UI and body text |
| El Messiri | 11.7 KB | 11.9 KB | 23.7 KB | Editorial and brand headings |
| Alexandria | 12.2 KB | 12.9 KB | 25.1 KB | Contemporary UI and display |
| Cairo | 13.0 KB | 13.6 KB | 26.6 KB | UI and display |
| Rubik | 17.0 KB | 17.2 KB | 34.2 KB | Mixed-script interfaces |
| Vazirmatn | 20.6 KB | 21.2 KB | 41.8 KB | Arabic and Persian interfaces |
| Markazi Text | 22.5 KB | 22.5 KB | 45.0 KB | Editorial body and display |
| Almarai | 30.9 KB | 32.1 KB | 63.1 KB | Clean editorial interfaces |
| Mirza | 39.6 KB | 40.2 KB | 79.8 KB | Expressive editorial headings |
| IBM Plex Sans Arabic | 41.8 KB | 43.2 KB | 85.1 KB | Technical products |
| Noto Kufi Arabic | 42.9 KB | 42.8 KB | 85.8 KB | Headings and labels |
| Noto Sans Arabic | 47.7 KB | 49.1 KB | 96.7 KB | General UI |
| Noto Naskh Arabic | 51.4 KB | 51.8 KB | 103.2 KB | Long-form reading |
| Lateef | 60.6 KB | 66.1 KB | 126.7 KB | Traditional editorial text |
| Scheherazade New | 77.5 KB | 87.3 KB | 164.8 KB | Scholarly and long-form reading |
| Amiri | 106.0 KB | 97.6 KB | 203.6 KB | Traditional long-form reading |
| Harmattan | 132.5 KB | 129.4 KB | 261.9 KB | Compact reading |
Methodology
Reproducible by file and checksum
Controlled scenario
Fontsource 5.3.0 Arabic and Latin subset WOFF2 files, normal style, weights 400 and 700, plus Arabic weight-variable assets when available. File sizes come from the installed binaries—not repository totals or TTF source files. SHA-256 checksums are included in the JSON dataset.
Reproduce it
pnpm benchmark:arabic-fontsThe script fails if an expected file is missing and regenerates the versioned snapshot from the package assets.
What this version does not measure
- File size is measured; network latency, cache state, rendering time, and layout shift are not yet scored.
- Coverage tests verify the package's declared Unicode ranges, not shaping quality or language-specific typography.
- Variable availability describes the selected Fontsource package source and is not a claim that no variable release exists elsewhere.
- Readability and aesthetic recommendations are editorial and are not performance measurements.
Comparison and decision pages
Turn measurements into a shortlist
Versus
Noto Sans Arabic vs Cairo: Web Font Comparison
Compare measured Arabic WOFF2 sizes, variable delivery, character coverage, and practical use cases for Noto Sans Arabic and Cairo.
Versus
Cairo vs Tajawal: Arabic Web Font Comparison
Compare Cairo and Tajawal using measured Arabic WOFF2 bytes, mixed-script delivery, variable availability, and interface recommendations.
Versus
Noto Sans Arabic vs IBM Plex Sans Arabic
Compare Noto Sans Arabic with IBM Plex Sans Arabic for web UI delivery size, variable-font options, declared coverage, and product fit.
Decision guide
Best Arabic Fonts for User Interfaces
Compare measured delivery sizes and practical roles for leading Arabic UI fonts including Tajawal, Cairo, Mada, Vazirmatn, and Noto Sans Arabic.
Decision guide
Best Arabic Web Fonts for Reading
Compare measured web delivery costs and editorial roles for Amiri, Noto Naskh Arabic, Markazi Text, Scheherazade New, and Lateef.
Decision guide
Fastest Arabic Web Fonts by Measured WOFF2 Size
See the smallest Arabic-subset regular-and-bold WOFF2 combinations in a reproducible 20-family Fontsource benchmark.
Continue the Arabic typography research
Compare package demand and upstream family structure, then use the RTL adoption study to see how Arabic-region websites load fonts in practice.