Add to ChromeBraveFree alternatives toHelvetica
Set in Arimo, its closest free match
The closest free alternative to Helvetica is Arimo, 89% alike by measurement, free from Google Fonts. Archivo and Istok Web come next.
The six closest.
- 01
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Arimo
89%Near twinGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 02
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Archivo
86%Near twinGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 03
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Istok Web
85%Near twinGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 04
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Roboto Flex
83%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 05
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Inter
81%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 4% taller x-height
- Sets 7% wider
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 06
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Open Sauce One
81%Close matchOpen source · SIL Open Font License
- 6% taller x-height
- Sets 10% wider
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
Measured, side by side.
Helvetica against Arimo, from the letters themselves. These numbers are why Arimo comes first, and what the CSS below corrects for.
Helvetica Arimo
Keep your line breaks.
Swap Helvetica for Arimo and nothing reflows. This sets Arimo at Helvetica’s x-height and line length, so headings, buttons and paragraphs break where they did.
font-family: "Arimo", sans-serif;
font-size: 0.99em; /* down to Helvetica’s x-height */
letter-spacing: 0.005em; /* to Helvetica’s line length */About Helvetica
The neutral Swiss grotesque. It was released as Neue Haas Grotesk and renamed Helvetica, “Swiss”, in 1960, and it went on to sign the logos of countless companies.
Questions, answered.
What is the best free alternative to Helvetica?
Arimo. Measured letter by letter, it’s 89% alike: same x-height, same width, same weight, same stroke contrast. Archivo, Istok Web, Roboto Flex, Inter and Open Sauce One are also close.
Is there a free version of Helvetica?
No. Helvetica is a paid sans serif from Haas Type Foundry. Every alternative on this page is free for commercial use, under the SIL Open Font License.
How were these alternatives chosen?
By measuring the letters, not by comparing names or tags. Helvetica was measured from a licensed copy: its proportions, the width of every letter and figure, its weight, its stroke contrast and the shapes of telling letters like a, g, R and Q. The same measurements were taken of 1,506 free fonts, and these came closest. Each match was then checked by eye.
Will Arimo change my layout?
Not if you use the CSS on this page. It sets Arimo 1% smaller with a touch more letter-spacing, so text written for Helvetica keeps its x-height and its line lengths, and lines break in the same places.
Spot Helvetica in the wild?
Point Fontsight at any text on any website. It names the font, and offers a free look-alike you can try on the page, line breaks intact.
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