Helvetica Font Alternatives
Helvetica is the default neutral sans of the 20th century, but it is a paid font and is not on Google Fonts. These free alternatives get you the same clean, rational look with an open license.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Helvetica (original)
Shows only if it is installed on your device01Inter
Best for: UI and product designDesigned for screens with a tall x-height; the closest modern stand-in for Helvetica in interfaces. Inter was designed by Rasmus Andersson specifically for computer screens. It has a tall x-height, generous default spacing and many OpenType features such as tabular numbers and alternate letterforms, which makes it a dependable choice for dashboards and apps.
02Arimo
Best for: Swapping fonts in existing layoutsMetrically compatible with Arial, so layouts built for Arial or Helvetica keep their line breaks. Arimo is part of the Croscore fonts and is metrically compatible with Arial. That means you can swap it into a document or layout designed for Arial or Helvetica without line breaks moving.
03Public Sans
Best for: Civic and corporate sitesA strong, neutral grotesque built for government websites, with Helvetica's no-nonsense feel. Public Sans was created for the U.S. Web Design System as a neutral, accessible typeface for government services. It is a strong, slightly wider grotesque with excellent weight range.
04Schibsted Grotesk
Best for: Editorial and newsMade for a news publisher; slightly warmer than Helvetica with excellent headline weights. Schibsted Grotesk was commissioned by a Scandinavian media company, so it is tuned for headlines and news text. It feels a little warmer and more contemporary than Helvetica.
05Hanken Grotesk
Best for: Branding and marketing sitesA clean grotesque with Helvetica-like proportions and a wide weight range. Hanken Grotesk is a clean grotesque with proportions close to Helvetica's and a broad range of weights for both display and text.
06Roboto
Best for: Apps that also ship on AndroidAndroid's system font; mechanical but neutral, and available everywhere. Roboto is Android's system font. It mixes grotesque structure with friendlier curves, which makes it slightly less neutral than Helvetica but very readable on screens.
About Helvetica
- Designer
- Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann
- Released
- 1957
- License
- Commercial (Monotype)
- Character
- A neo-grotesque with tight spacing, horizontal terminals and a very even, neutral color on the page.
The story of Helvetica
Helvetica was designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas Type Foundry in Switzerland, originally as Neue Haas Grotesk. It was renamed Helvetica, after the Latin name for Switzerland, when Stempel and Linotype released it internationally. It became the face of the International Typographic Style and of corporate identities, signage systems and public transport around the world. Its strength is neutrality: tight spacing, horizontal terminals and very even letter widths give text a calm, uniform texture.
Compare at a glance
| Font | Best for | License | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter | UI and product design | Free (open source) | Aa Gg 123 |
| Arimo | Swapping fonts in existing layouts | Free (open source) | Aa Gg 123 |
| Public Sans | Civic and corporate sites | Free (open source) | Aa Gg 123 |
| Schibsted Grotesk | Editorial and news | Free (open source) | Aa Gg 123 |
| Hanken Grotesk | Branding and marketing sites | Free (open source) | Aa Gg 123 |
| Roboto | Apps that also ship on Android | Free (open source) | Aa Gg 123 |
Where Helvetica-style type works best
Helvetica-style grotesques are best when the content should speak louder than the type: product interfaces, signage, wayfinding, corporate reports and minimalist brands. They work well in bold weights for short headlines and in regular weights for interface text. At small sizes on screens, pick an alternative with a larger x-height and more open spacing, because Helvetica's tight fit was designed for print.
How to choose between them
- Inter if you need uI and product design. Designed for screens with a tall x-height; the closest modern stand-in for Helvetica in interfaces.
- Arimo if you need swapping fonts in existing layouts. Metrically compatible with Arial, so layouts built for Arial or Helvetica keep their line breaks.
- Public Sans if you need civic and corporate sites. A strong, neutral grotesque built for government websites, with Helvetica's no-nonsense feel.
- Schibsted Grotesk if you need editorial and news. Made for a news publisher; slightly warmer than Helvetica with excellent headline weights.
- Hanken Grotesk if you need branding and marketing sites. A clean grotesque with Helvetica-like proportions and a wide weight range.
- Roboto if you need apps that also ship on Android. Android's system font; mechanical but neutral, and available everywhere.
Tested font pairings
One family across headings and body keeps the neutral Swiss feel; use weight and size for hierarchy.
A grotesque for headings with a clear serif for long articles gives an editorial look.
Ideal for civic and corporate sites where clarity and accessibility come first.
Add it to your site
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">.heading {
font-family: "Inter", sans-serif;
}Pairing and tips
Helvetica-style grotesques pair well with a classic serif for long reading, such as Source Serif 4 or Newsreader.
- Tighten letter-spacing slightly on large headlines; most alternatives are spaced for text sizes.
- Check numerals: Helvetica's figures are a big part of its look in tables and pricing.
- Compare at the size you will actually use, since differences show most at 12-16px.
Each font at a glance
- Inter is a sans serif best for ui and product design. Fallback stack: "Inter", sans-serif. Pair it with a neutral sans for body text.
- Arimo is a sans serif best for swapping fonts in existing layouts. Fallback stack: "Arimo", sans-serif. Pair it with a neutral sans for body text.
- Public Sans is a sans serif best for civic and corporate sites. Fallback stack: "Public Sans", sans-serif. Pair it with a neutral sans for body text.
- Schibsted Grotesk is a sans serif best for editorial and news. Fallback stack: "Schibsted Grotesk", sans-serif. Pair it with a neutral sans for body text.
- Hanken Grotesk is a sans serif best for branding and marketing sites. Fallback stack: "Hanken Grotesk", sans-serif. It pairs well with Source Serif 4.
- Roboto is a sans serif best for apps that also ship on android. Fallback stack: "Roboto", sans-serif. Pair it with a neutral sans for body text.
Readability and accessibility
Like Helvetica, these alternatives are designed to stay readable in interfaces and long text. A good rule is to use expressive type for a few words at large sizes and a plain, readable font for anything people need to read carefully, such as instructions, prices and form labels.
Keep text contrast at 4.5:1 or higher, set body text at 16px or larger, and keep line lengths between roughly 45 and 75 characters. Avoid all caps for long passages and do not rely on a font's style alone to communicate meaning. If your audience includes people with dyslexia or low vision, test with real users and offer generous line spacing, which helps more than any single typeface.
Colors and layouts that suit this style
Neo-grotesques look best in strict, grid-based layouts with generous white space, flush-left text and a limited palette, often black, white and one strong accent such as red or blue. Large, tightly set bold headlines contrasted with small, regular body text create the classic Swiss poster look.
Common mistakes
- Using default letter-spacing at large sizes, which looks loose; tighten slightly above about 32px.
- Center-aligning long text blocks, which breaks the clean grid that makes this style work.
- Pairing with another neutral grotesque, which creates two almost-identical fonts instead of a clear contrast.
Recommended sizes
- Sans serif faces (Inter, Arimo, Public Sans, Schibsted Grotesk, Hanken Grotesk, Roboto): readable from about 14px for interface text, 16 to 18px for long reading, and any larger size for headings.
Licensing and commercial use
Every font on this page is free and open source on Google Fonts. Most use the SIL Open Font License, and a few use the Apache License; both allow commercial use in websites, apps, logos, print and products. You can self-host the files, modify them and bundle them in software, but you cannot sell the fonts on their own. Helvetica itself is a commercial typeface, so using it on a website or in an app requires a license from its foundry.
For logos, a free font is fine legally, but remember that others can use the same font. If the logo is a long-term brand asset, consider customizing the letterforms so it is distinctive.
Loading fonts without slowing your site
- Load only the weights and styles you actually use. Each extra weight is another file to download.
- Use font-display: swap (included in the Google Fonts link above) so text shows immediately in a fallback font and swaps when the web font arrives.
- Add preconnect hints for fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com, or self-host the files on your own domain for the fastest, most private loading.
- Prefer variable fonts when available: one file can cover every weight.
- Define a sensible fallback stack, such as "Inter", sans-serif, so the layout looks right even before the font loads.
See Inter in a full design
Generate a landing page or app screen set in this font with Inspo AI, then swap fonts and colors with a prompt.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Helvetica · History and design of the original Helvetica typeface.
- Google Fonts · Every font on this page is available here for free.
- SIL Open Font License FAQ · What the most common Google Fonts license allows.
- Google Fonts FAQ · Licensing and commercial use of Google Fonts.
- MDN: font-family · How font stacks and fallbacks work.
More font guides
Questions people ask
Is there a free version of Helvetica?
No. Helvetica is a commercial font. Inter, Arimo, Public Sans and Hanken Grotesk are free alternatives with a very similar neutral look.
What Google Font is closest to Helvetica?
For interfaces Inter is the closest practical match. For layouts originally set in Arial or Helvetica, Arimo keeps the same metrics.
Is Arial the same as Helvetica?
No. Arial was designed to match Helvetica's widths, but its letter shapes differ (for example the angled ends of t, r and the tail of R).
Is Helvetica good for websites?
Helvetica can work, but it needs a license for web use and its tight spacing is less readable at small sizes on screens. Inter and Public Sans are free alternatives designed with screens in mind.
Is Neue Haas Grotesk the same as Helvetica?
Neue Haas Grotesk was Helvetica's original name. Modern digital revivals of Neue Haas Grotesk restore details that changed in later Helvetica versions.
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