Add to ChromeBraveFree alternatives toHelvetica Now
Set in Zalando Sans, its closest free match
The closest free alternative to Helvetica Now is Zalando Sans, 88% alike by measurement, free from Google Fonts. Adwaita Sans and Akt come next.
The six closest.
- 01
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Zalando Sans
88%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.
Adwaita Sans
87%Near twinOpen source · 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.
Akt
85%Near twinGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 3% shorter x-height
- Sets 4% narrower
- A touch heavier
- Same stroke contrast
- 04
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Miranda Sans
85%Near twinGoogle 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.
TASA Orbiter
83%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 3% shorter x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- More stroke contrast
- 06
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Figtree
82%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 3% shorter x-height
- Sets 5% narrower
- A touch lighter
- Same stroke contrast
Measured, side by side.
Helvetica Now against Zalando Sans, from the letters themselves. These numbers are why Zalando Sans comes first, and what the CSS below corrects for.
Helvetica Now Zalando Sans
Keep your line breaks.
Swap Helvetica Now for Zalando Sans and nothing reflows. This sets Zalando Sans at Helvetica Now’s x-height and line length, so headings, buttons and paragraphs break where they did.
font-family: "Zalando Sans", sans-serif;
letter-spacing: 0.007em; /* to Helvetica Now’s line length */About Helvetica Now
Helvetica Now is a paid sans serif, published by Monotype in 2019.
See Helvetica Now on monotype.com ↗Questions, answered.
What is the best free alternative to Helvetica Now?
Zalando Sans. Measured letter by letter, it’s 88% alike: same x-height, same width, same weight, same stroke contrast. Adwaita Sans, Akt, Miranda Sans, TASA Orbiter and Figtree are also close.
Is there a free version of Helvetica Now?
No. Helvetica Now is a paid sans serif from Monotype. 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 Now was measured as monotype.com draws it: 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 Zalando Sans change my layout?
Not if you use the CSS on this page. It sets Zalando Sans 0.4% larger with a touch more letter-spacing, so text written for Helvetica Now keeps its x-height and its line lengths, and lines break in the same places.
Spot Helvetica Now 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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