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. Each one loads in the preview, set as both the heading and body font.
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. Use the buttons to preview each one as both the heading and body font.
Inter
Inter, designed by Rasmus Andersson, is the most popular modern replacement for Helvetica on the web. It shares Helvetica’s neutral, rational character, but it was built for screens, with a taller x-height, more open letters and looser spacing. That makes it more readable than Helvetica at small sizes, while headings set tightly in heavy weights look very close to the original. If you want one font for everything, start here.
Arimo
Arimo was designed by Steve Matteson to be metrically compatible with Arial, which was itself drawn to match Helvetica’s character widths. In practice, text set in Arimo takes up the same space as text set in Helvetica or Arial, so line breaks and layouts stay the same when you swap fonts. Its letter shapes are closer to Arial than to Helvetica, but for documents and layouts where exact widths matter, Arimo is the most practical substitute.
Public Sans
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 the open source Libre Franklin, with weights from 100 to 900. Its slightly wider letters and generous spacing read clearly at small sizes, and it has the plain, institutional character many people want from Helvetica.
Archivo
Archivo, from Omnibus-Type, is a grotesque sans serif designed for both print and screens, and its variable version includes a width axis from condensed to expanded. It has a slightly more industrial feel than Helvetica, with strong, compact letters that look especially good in headings and bold weights. Use it when you want Helvetica’s confidence in large type.
Roboto
Roboto, Google’s system font for Android, is a neo-grotesque with some geometric and humanist details. It is less pure than Helvetica, with more open curves, but it is very familiar, extremely well supported and available in a wide range of weights. It is a dependable choice when you want a Helvetica-like look that renders well on every device.
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, the Use These Fonts button in the full-screen preview gives you the embed code and CSS for whichever font you select.
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.
Use These Fonts
On WordPress? Most themes, including GeneratePress, have a Typography setting where you can pick these two fonts by name instead.
How to Divide Perennials in Fall
Dividing crowded clumps every few years keeps hostas, daylilies and asters blooming. Here is when to do it, what you need, and how to replant.
- Best time
- 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes
- Tools
- Spade, garden fork, sharp knife
- Time needed
- About 20 minutes per clump
Most perennials slow down after a few years in the same spot. The center of the clump gets woody and crowded, the roots compete for water, and you see fewer flowers each summer. Dividing the plant fixes all three problems at once, and it gives you free plants for the rest of the garden.
Fall is the easier season for most gardeners. The soil is still warm, so new roots keep growing, while the cool air means the leaves lose less water. Plants divided in late September usually settle in well before winter, and you will notice the difference in next year’s bloom.
When to Divide
As a rule, divide spring and early summer bloomers in fall, and late bloomers like asters in spring. Give each division at least a month of root growth before the ground freezes. In zone 5, that usually means finishing by early October.
Signs a Clump Needs Dividing
- The center has died out, leaving a ring of growth.
- Flowers are fewer and smaller than last year.
- The plant has spread past its spot in the bed.
Divide in fall when the soil is still warm and the air is cool. The roots keep growing for weeks after the leaves stop.Tom Reyes, head gardener
| Plant | Divide every | Best season |
|---|---|---|
| Hosta | 3 to 4 years | Spring or early fall |
| Daylily | 3 to 5 years | Late summer |
| Bearded iris | 3 to 4 years | July to August |
| Aster | 2 to 3 years | Spring |
| Peony | Rarely needed | Late September |
How to Divide a Perennial
- Water the plant well the day before so the root ball holds together.
- Cut back the leaves to about 6 inches to make the clump easier to handle.
- Dig around the clump, 6 inches out from the stems, and lift it with a fork.
- Split it with a spade or knife so each piece has three to five growing points.
- Replant at the same depth, water deeply, and add 2 inches of mulch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I divide perennials while they are blooming?
You can, but the plant puts its energy into flowers instead of roots. Wait until blooms fade, or cut the flowers off when you divide.
How small can a division be?
Each piece needs healthy roots and at least one growing point. Smaller pieces take a season or two longer to fill out.
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I planned my whole front border in an evening and bought exactly what fit. Nothing died in a corner this year.
Dana K., zone 6bSimple Pricing
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Enter your ZIP code once and every plant shows whether it grows in your zone.
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Yes. Gardener and Designer plans export a printable layout with a plant key.
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Your beds stay saved on the free plan, and you can export them any time.