Add to ChromeBraveFree alternatives toDarby Serif
The closest free alternative to Darby Serif is Domine, 83% alike by measurement, free from Google Fonts. Inria Serif and Lora come next.
Darby Serif, by Paul Barnes for Commercial Type. Measured on commercialtype.com, October 23rd, 2026.
The six closest.
- 01
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Domine
83%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 6% taller x-height
- Sets 4% wider
- Same weight
- Less stroke contrast
- 02
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Inria Serif
81%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 3% shorter x-height
- Same width
- A touch lighter
- Same stroke contrast
- 03
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Lora
79%Close matchGoogle 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.
Brawler
79%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Less stroke contrast
- 05
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
IBM Plex Serif
78%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Less stroke contrast
- 06
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Judson
78%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 14% shorter x-height
- Sets 8% narrower
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
Measured, side by side.
Darby Serif against Domine, from the letters themselves. These numbers are why Domine comes first, and what the CSS below corrects for.
Darby Serif Domine
Keep your line breaks.
Swap Darby Serif for Domine and nothing reflows. This sets Domine at Darby Serif’s x-height and line length, so headings, buttons and paragraphs break where they did.
font-family: "Domine", serif;
font-size: 0.944em; /* down to Darby Serif’s x-height */
letter-spacing: 0.008em; /* to Darby Serif’s line length */About Darby Serif
Darby Serif is a paid serif designed by Paul Barnes, published by Commercial Type.
See Darby Serif on commercialtype.com ↗Questions, answered.
What is the best free alternative to Darby Serif?
Domine. Measured letter by letter, it’s 83% alike: 6% taller x-height, sets 4% wider, same weight, less stroke contrast. Inria Serif, Lora, Brawler, IBM Plex Serif and Judson are also close.
Is there a free version of Darby Serif?
No. Darby Serif is a paid serif from Commercial Type. 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. Darby Serif was measured as commercialtype.com, October 23rd 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 Domine change my layout?
Not if you use the CSS on this page. It sets Domine 5.6% smaller with a touch more letter-spacing, so text written for Darby Serif keeps its x-height and its line lengths, and lines break in the same places.
Spot Darby Serif 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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