Add to ChromeBraveFree alternatives toEpicene Text
The closest free alternative to Epicene Text is Castoro, 80% alike by measurement, free from Google Fonts. Libre Baskerville and Spectral come next.
Epicene Text, by Kris Sowersby for Klim Type Foundry, 2021. Measured on klim.co.nz, October 23rd, 2026.
The six closest.
- 01
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Castoro
80%Close matchGoogle 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.
Libre Baskerville
78%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 12% taller x-height
- Sets 18% wider
- A touch lighter
- Same stroke contrast
- 03
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Spectral
78%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 5% shorter x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Less stroke contrast
- 04
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Besley
77%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 10% taller x-height
- Sets 15% wider
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 05
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Redaction 10
77%Close matchOpen source · SIL Open Font License
- Same 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.
Crimson Text
76%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 10% shorter x-height
- Sets 10% narrower
- Same weight
- Less stroke contrast
Measured, side by side.
Epicene Text against Castoro, from the letters themselves. These numbers are why Castoro comes first, and what the CSS below corrects for.
Epicene Text Castoro
Keep your line breaks.
Swap Epicene Text for Castoro and nothing reflows. This sets Castoro at Epicene Text’s x-height and line length, so headings, buttons and paragraphs break where they did.
font-family: "Castoro", serif;
font-size: 0.99em; /* down to Epicene Text’s x-height */
letter-spacing: -0.005em; /* to Epicene Text’s line length */About Epicene Text
Epicene Text is a paid serif designed by Kris Sowersby, published by Klim Type Foundry in 2021.
See Epicene Text on klim.co.nz ↗Questions, answered.
What is the best free alternative to Epicene Text?
Castoro. Measured letter by letter, it’s 80% alike: same x-height, same width, same weight, same stroke contrast. Libre Baskerville, Spectral, Besley, Redaction 10 and Crimson Text are also close.
Is there a free version of Epicene Text?
No. Epicene Text is a paid serif from Klim 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. Epicene Text was measured as klim.co.nz, 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 Castoro change my layout?
Not if you use the CSS on this page. It sets Castoro 1% smaller with a touch less letter-spacing, so text written for Epicene Text keeps its x-height and its line lengths, and lines break in the same places.
Spot Epicene Text 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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