Fonts like Helvetica: The Best Free Google Font Alternatives
The best free fonts like Helvetica on Google Fonts are Inter, Arimo, Public Sans, Archivo and Roboto. Arimo matches Helvetica’s character widths, so it can replace it without reflowing text, while Inter is the best all-round choice for websites. Compare them at a glance below, then read about each one, set in its own font.
HelveticaThe original
Aa
Good type disappears into the reading.
Rag 0123 &?! cesg
Paid, shown if installed
Inter›
Aa
Good type disappears into the reading.
Rag 0123 &?! cesg
Websites and apps
Arimo›
Aa
Good type disappears into the reading.
Rag 0123 &?! cesg
Documents
Public Sans›
Aa
Good type disappears into the reading.
Rag 0123 &?! cesg
Public sector
Archivo›
Aa
Good type disappears into the reading.
Rag 0123 &?! cesg
Headlines
Roboto›
Aa
Good type disappears into the reading.
Rag 0123 &?! cesg
Interfaces
The Helvetica card uses the copy on your device. Macs and iPhones have it; on Windows and Android you will see Arial in its place. The letters c, e, s and g show the clearest differences.
Why Helvetica Is Hard to Replace
Helvetica was designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas Type Foundry in Switzerland. It was first called Neue Haas Grotesk and renamed Helvetica, from the Latin name for Switzerland, in 1960. Its tight spacing, horizontal stroke endings and compact letter shapes made it the defining typeface of mid-century corporate and Swiss design, and it still appears in countless logos and signs.
Helvetica is not free. Serving it on a website requires a paid web license, and the copy installed on Apple devices cannot simply be sent to every visitor. That is why most sites use a free alternative. No free font is identical, but several on Google Fonts come close enough that most readers will never notice, and some are better suited to screens than Helvetica itself.
The Best Free Fonts like Helvetica
These five fonts are free under open licenses and available on Google Fonts. Each section below is set in the font it describes, so you can judge it at reading length.
Inter
Set in Inter 700 and 400 See the Inter profile ›
Best if you want one font for everything. Inter, designed by Rasmus Andersson, is the most popular modern replacement for Helvetica on the web. It shares Helvetica’s neutral character, but its taller x-height, more open letters and looser spacing make it more readable at small sizes, and heavy headings set tightly look very close to the original.
Arimo
Set in Arimo 700 and 400 See the Arimo profile ›
Best for documents and layouts where exact widths matter. Arimo, designed by Steve Matteson, is metrically compatible with Arial, which was drawn to match Helvetica’s character widths, so line breaks and layouts stay the same when you swap fonts. Its letter shapes are closer to Arial than to Helvetica.
Public Sans
Set in Public Sans 700 and 400 See the Public Sans profile ›
Best when you want the plain, institutional character of Helvetica. Public Sans was created for the United States Web Design System, the design standard for US federal government websites. It is a strong, neutral grotesk derived from Libre Franklin, with weights from 100 to 900 and slightly wider letters that read clearly at small sizes.
Archivo
Set in Archivo 700 and 400 See the Archivo profile ›
Best when you want Helvetica’s confidence in large type. Archivo, from Omnibus-Type, is a grotesque sans serif with a slightly more industrial feel and strong, compact letters that look especially good in headings and bold weights. Its variable version includes a width axis from condensed to expanded.
Roboto
Set in Roboto 700 and 400 See the Roboto profile ›
Best when you want a Helvetica-like look that renders well on every device. Roboto, Google’s system font for Android, is a neo-grotesque with more open curves than Helvetica. It is less pure, but it is very familiar, extremely well supported and available in a wide range of weights.
Helvetica Alternatives Compared
How the five free alternatives compare with Helvetica, with the weights each one offers on Google Fonts.
| Font | Compared with Helvetica | Weights | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter | More open, taller x-height, built for screens | 100 to 900 | Websites and apps |
| Arimo | Same character widths, shapes closer to Arial | 400 to 700 | Documents, layouts that must not reflow |
| Public Sans | Wider and more open, neutral and institutional | 100 to 900 | Public sector, nonprofits, reports |
| Archivo | More compact and industrial, strong in bold | 100 to 900 | Headlines, posters, branding |
| Roboto | Friendlier curves, very widely supported | 100 to 900 | Interfaces, general use |
What about Helvetica Neue and Arial
Helvetica Neue is a 1983 redrawing of Helvetica with more consistent weights and widths. The alternatives above match it as well as they match the original, and Inter and Public Sans come closest to its cleaner, more even look.
Arial is often used as a free Helvetica substitute because it is installed on almost every computer. It matches Helvetica’s widths but changes many details, such as the angled stroke endings on letters like c, e and s, where Helvetica’s are horizontal. Arial is fine as a fallback in a CSS font stack, but for a designed look, one of the Google Fonts above makes a better primary font.
How to Use a Helvetica Alternative on Your Site
There are two ways to set this up. If you want every visitor to see the same thing, load your chosen alternative from Google Fonts and make it the primary font, with Arial and the generic sans-serif as fallbacks. If you would rather show Helvetica where it is already installed, list Helvetica first and the free font second, so Mac and iPhone users see Helvetica and everyone else sees the alternative.
The first approach gives a consistent design on every device; the second keeps Helvetica for the visitors who already have it. Either way, each font’s profile page has a Use This Font button with the embed code and CSS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about Helvetica and its free alternatives.
What Is the Closest Free Font to Helvetica?
For websites, Inter is the closest in overall look and the most readable on screens. For documents where text must take up exactly the same space, Arimo is the closest, because it matches Helvetica’s character widths.
Is Helvetica Available on Google Fonts?
No. Helvetica is a commercial typeface licensed through Monotype, so it is not on Google Fonts. The free fonts on this page are the usual replacements.
Is Arial the Same as Helvetica?
No. Arial was designed to have the same character widths as Helvetica, so text takes up the same space, but many letter shapes differ, and Arial has a softer, less rigid look.
Can I Use Helvetica on My Website for Free?
You can list Helvetica in your CSS so it displays on devices that already have it installed. Serving the font files to every visitor requires a paid web license.