There are literally thousands of free fonts out there for you to pick from.
In fact, Google Fonts has about 1050 fonts in their ever growing library.
For new designers, or someone just trying to create a graphic, that can be immediately overwhelming.
Especially if you’re not really sure where to look, or what fonts work together.
So we decided to consult some experts and list the 40+ best free fonts.
To make sure everyone found what they were looking for, we collected display fonts, serif fonts, sans-serif fonts and even some handwritten fonts.
And guess what? You can download them all for free!
Let’s take a look in more detail at some of the best free fonts of 2021:
Best Free Fonts
- Abril Fatface
- Alex Brush
- Archivo Black
- Archivo Narrow
- Arial
- Arimo
- Arvo
- Barcelony
- Barlow
- Cabin
- Cantarell
- Cardo
- EB Garamond
- Exo
- Heebo
- Inknut
- Karla
- Lato
- Libre Baskerville
- Lobster
- Lora
- Merriweather
- Montserrat
- Mulish
- Neuton
- Open Sans
- Oswald
- Oxygen
- Pacifico
- Playfair Display
- Poppins
- Prata
- Proza Libre
- Quicksand
- Raleway
- Roboto
- Roboto Slab
- Rubik
- Source Sans Pro
- Verdana
- Work Sans
Abril Fatface
Abril Fatface is a heavy font that takes advantage of very thin serif fonts to quickly create interesting contrast.
This free serif font was inspired by the various fonts used throughout the 1900s on creative advertising posters.
The thick strokes of each letter will make sure that your content catches the eye of basically any reader.
I would recommend only using Abril Fatface as a display or header font. Reading too much text that uses this font can become a chore.
Additionally, because it was inspired by real typefaces used in the past, you can use this free font to invoke some nostalgic visions of the past.
Category: Serif Fonts / Display Fonts
Abril Fatface Font Pairs: Roboto, Raleway, Montserrat
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Alex Brush
In stark contrast to the previous font, Alex Brush is a free handwriting font created by TypeSETit.
They took the time to make sure every part of this font was designed with legibility in mind. As you can see in the example above, it’s very easy to quickly read almost every letter.
The flowing lines of each stroke make it stand out from some of the other free fonts on this list.
I would recommend using this free font as a header font in creative pursuits instead of a more professional setting. For example, this font would work well on a fancy invitation but not on a hiring poster.
If you pair it with a simple sans serif font, there will be a lot of eye catching contrast added to your graphic.
Category: Handwriting Fonts / Script Fonts
Alex Brush Font Pairs: Open Sans, Lato, Roboto Slab
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Archivo Black
If you need a big bold font, Archivo Black might be perfect for your project. Not only does it stand out from a lot of the other fonts, it’s still easy to read on a screen or in print.
Some of the other free bold fonts go for one or the other, but this font balances both ideas nicely.
So if you need to share a poster online and hang it on a wall, I would recommend using this sans serif font.
I really like using this free font because the weight and spacing of each letter is the same, no matter if it’s uppercase or lowercase.
The designers created this font to be used in headers and titles, so try to only use it in those scenarios. Otherwise your body text will be almost unreadable.
Use Archivo Black with a thinner serif font like Roboto to really make your text pop.
Category: Bold Fonts / Serif Fonts
Archivo Black Font Pairs: Roboto, Montserrat, Oswald
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Archivo Narrow
If you like the overall aesthetics of Archivo Black but don’t want to literally shout at your readers, try using Archivo Narrow.
It shares a lot of the same design characteristics and goals of its boisterous cousin, but is a little easier on the eyes. Additionally, the designers wanted this font to be used in both print and on screens too.
I would still recommend only using this free serif font as a header or for titles, it’s just a little too thick to be a body font.
You can pair it with Archivo Black for an interesting combination of header fonts, or pick a simple free sans serif font like Barlow or Roboto.
Category: Headline Fonts / Serif Fonts
Archivo Narrow Font Pairs: Barlow, Roboto, Fira Sans
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Arial
Arial is one of the first digital fonts to really become popular after it was created in 1982 for IBM and put into an incredible number of early computers as part of Windows 3.
Since then you have probably seen this font in almost every word processor, spreadsheet tool or design program.
Technically, Arial is not a free font like some of the others on this list, but you can use it for free in any of your designs with Venngage.
For example, you can start creating this modern pitch deck template and change the font from Heebo to Arial:
The designers of this font tried to create a less mechanical font and move away from the rigid digital typefaces of the past. Each curve and stroke of this free font help make this goal a reality.
I would recommend using Arial fonts on resumes, presentations and reports. Or basically anywhere you want to use a professional font with a little bit of flair.
There’s a good reason it’s been used for 30+ years!
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Professional Fonts
Arial Font Pairs: Georgia, Oswald, Verdana
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Arimo
Arimo is one of those free fonts that was created to be used in place of Arial so that you can easily share documents across a bunch of different platforms.
So if you need to share PDFs or other documents across different types of computers, Arimo might be a good substitute for Arial.
You can download this font and upload it to Venngage as part of your Brand Kit so later you can apply it to any of your designs:
As you can see, both fonts share a lot of the same characteristics and to the naked eye it might be difficult to tell them apart.
The similar names of both of those sans serif fonts is definitely not a coincidence either.
Like with Arial, I would recommend using the Arimo free font in professional settings as a body font.
Try pairing it with an extra bold free font like Archivo Bold or a display font like Lobster.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Professional Fonts
Arimo Font Pairs: Georgia, Oswald, Verdana
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Arvo
Arvo is a free slab serif font created in 2010, so it’s a relatively new font in the grand scheme of things.
A slab serif font is typeface uses larger block-like serifs on each letter. They are obviously similar to regular serif fonts but the serifs are a lot more geometric.
Arvo means “number or value” in Finish and you can definitely see the influence of old banks and financial institutions in the design of each letter. It feels like a font of the past that has been updated for modern screens and graphics as well.
I would recommend using Arvo as a strong header on modern posters, infographics or other digital graphics. You can use it as a body font, just try to not use it for anything longer than a few lines.
Category: Slab Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Arvo Font Pairs: Lato, Roboto, Open Sans
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Barcelony
If you thought Alex Brush had too many flourishes, Barcelony is a great free script font substitute.
Barcelony is a monoline script font that you can start using for free. Monoline typefaces are basically fonts where the stroke of each letter is the same thickness.
This font stands out in my mind a lot because most handwriting or script fonts are not usually monoline.
In my opinion, these types of fonts allow you to inject some whimsy into a graphic without it feeling too unprofessional.
The designer of this font says that it can be both elegant and casual at the same time, which I think supports my thought as well.
This type of free font should be used as a fun header font, and for some smaller text in a poster, invitation, logo or other creative project.
Category: Script Fonts / Handwriting Fonts
Barcelony Font Pairs: Lato, Roboto, Open Sans
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Barlow
If Barlow feels very familiar to you but you can’t put your finger on it, you might be from California.
The designer used the font found on many California highway signs and other public signs as inspiration for this free font.
Barlow can be used to evoke a feeling of fun and freedom, mostly because of where it pulls its inspiration.
The tall letters of this free serif font make it feel very casual and shouldn’t be used in many professional reports or documents.
That said, it is perfect for both header and body text on posters, infographics, and blog headers.
Category: Script Fonts / Handwriting Fonts
Barlow Font Pairs: Lato, Roboto, Open Sans
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Cabin
Cabin is one of my favorite free fonts to use as both a header and body font. It is a free sans serif font that takes inspiration from many classic humanist fonts but with a modern appeal.
I really like how this font mixes very linear vertical strokes with rounded strokes to create interesting contrast in each letter.
Cabin is a very clean font that I believe can be used in both professional and more casual settings.
Add it to your monthly presentation, creative infographic or annual report and you will be in a good spot with this interesting free font.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Geometric Fonts
Cabin Font Pairs: Source Sans Pro, Raleway, Roboto
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Cantarell
Cantrarell is a free sans serif font that was created as part of a masters program by Dave Crossland. Typography users and experts really like this free font because it’s a crisp font that is very legible on screens.
It also can be used on physical documents and posters, but it works best on a website or digital design.
I would recommend this amazing font to anyone looking for a modern but relatively thin font for their graphic. Try using Cantarell as a header font and pair it with a simple sans serif font like Roboto or Oxygen.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Humanist Fonts
Cantarell Font Pairs: Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu
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Cardo
Cardo is a classic serif font designed by David Perry and immediately feels like it is from the past. But it also feels very at home on digital screens as you can see in the example above.
The free font was created so that scholars could use a classic font in a digital world. It has all of the necessary ligatures, old school numerals and more that helps set it apart from some other modern fonts.
Canrdo makes a great header font, but because of the amazing spacing and typesetting it can also be used as a body font.
If I was going to use this serif typeface, I would probably make it the header font and pair it with a free sans serif font like Montserrat. The contrast between the two very different fonts will help your header stand out immediately.
Category: Serif Fonts / Classic Fonts
Cardo Font Pairs: Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu
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EB Garamond
This free font is based on a typeface that is about 500 years old. So if you’re looking for an amazing old school font, EB Garamond is a great choice.
The original, Garamond, takes a lot of inspiration from classic Roman typefaces and you can see those influences in EB Garamond as well.
I really like how each of the capital letters have a little embellishment that you don’t notice at first but make them feel very unique.
Like with Cardo, this classic free serif font can be used as a header or body font in your designs.
Pair it with a light sans serif font like Raleway or Open Sans to really make the header pop.
Category: Serif Fonts / Classic Fonts
EB Garamond Font Pairs: Roboto, Open Sans, Montserrat
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Exo
After looking at a few very classic fonts, Exo definitely stands out. Unlike EB Garamond, this typeface looks like it was created on a different planet.
It also looks like this free font could have actually been sent back from the future. The overly rounded letters look at home on a computer screen and even look like code. In fact, if the Matrix was distilled down into a font, Exo might be it!
Exo should be used on digital graphics to make the information feel technical or futuristic.
Pair it with another great sans serif font like Roboto or Roboto Slab to make your graphics feel very modern.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Exo Font Pairs: Open Sans, Roboto, PT Sans
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Heebo
Heebo is a free sans serif font created by Meir Sadan and their team with the goal of bringing Hebrew characters to the extremely famous Roboto font.
If this font looks familiar it’s because Roboto has been used on almost every Google device since 2013.
The only real difference between these two fonts is that there is more white space above and below each letter in Heebo. In other words, the line height of Roboto is a lot smaller than Heebo.
Obviously this free font shouldn’t be paired with Roboto, but works well with Open Sans or Montserrat.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Heebo Font Pairs: Open Sans, Montserrat, PT Sans
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Inknut Antiqua
Inknut Antiqua is one of the most unique fonts on this list and seems to be really loved by typography enthusiasts. But it isn’t used very often online, which makes a lot of sense.
It was created to be used as a typeface in books and long form literature. I’m guessing that it looks a lot better on physical pages than on a computer screen.
This amazing free font reminds me of the many calligraphy fonts that I tried to learn back in the day.
If you decide to use this classic serif font on a graphic, try to only use it as a header font. The thick strokes and embellishments of each letter makes it a bit difficult to read for longer than a few sentences.
Pair it with a no nonsense font like Montserrat or Rubik to bring attention to the amazing stroke of each letter.
Category: Serif Fonts / Handwriting Fonts
Inknut Antiqua Font Pairs: Open Sans, Montserrat, PT Sans
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Karla
Karla is an extremely quirky font when you take the time to look at each letter. Unlike some of the other free sans serif fonts on this list, the spacing between letters isn’t uniform.
This gives each word that you create with Karla a different feel from the one preceding it.
I would recommend using this unique font on any graphic that you want to add a little bit of spunk or eccentricity to.
Although at first glance it looks like you could use it on professional graphics, the nonuniform spacing of each letter might make it feel a little out of place on a report or document.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Karla Font Pairs: Montserrat, Lato, Roboto
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Lato
According to the creator of Lato, it was originally designed for a large client who decided to go in a different direction. So they decided to release it to the public for free.
I’m very glad that they made that decision because it’s one of my favorite fonts to use! I love the combination of the geometric capital letters and more rounded lowercase letters.
As you can see in the example above, there is a lot of contrast in that simple four letter word.
In my experience Lato is mainly used as a body font, mainly in ebooks, infographics and other digital graphics.
This popular sans serif font can be paired with some bold header fonts like Playfair Display, Libre Baskerville or Vollkorn. Or it can be used with some other similar free fonts like Roboto or Open Sans.
Category: Serif Fonts / Handwriting Fonts
Lato Font Pairs: Open Sans, Oswald, Raleway
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Libre Baskerville
Inspired by a font called Baskerville that was created in the 1750s, Libre Baskerville is a classic serif font that has been optimized for the present.
Libre Baskerville really does feel like it jumped out of a classic book!
The original creator of Baskerville set out to create a serif font that had increased variety between the width of thick and thin strokes in each letter.
This can also be seen in the modern interpretation of Baskerville, with this free serif font using many different stroke sizes for each letter.
Because the inspiration for this font is older than America, Libre Baskerville will invoke a classic feeling in any graphic.
I would recommend using this classic serif font as header font with Roboto or Raleway.
Category: Serif Fonts / Calligraphy Fonts
Libre Baskerville Font Pairs: Open Sans, Raleway, Lato
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Lobster
Add Lobster to your graphic if you really want to turn some heads. The bouncy strokes of this handwriting font is pretty hard to ignore, no matter where you use it.
Like with some other handwriting fonts, each letter is going to look different depending on what letters are used around it.
So one letter might look completely different in one word, compared to the others in the same sentence.
This approach makes each word feel unique on your graphic and can be used to inject a ton of creativity to a simple header.
I would only use Lobster as a header font because it becomes hard to read after a few words. Plus the thick strokes of each letter doesn’t scale down well enough to be used as a body font.
Pair it with something a little less obnoxious like Open Sans or Raleway for the perfect amount of contrast.
Category: Serif Fonts / Calligraphy Fonts
Lobster Font Pairs: Open Sans, Oswald, Raleway
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Lora
Lora is a free serif font that was created by the team at Cyreal about 5 years ago. It has been updated pretty frequently since that first release as well.
As you can see in the example above, each letter features a very interesting serif. Combined with the variable width of the vertical and horizontal strokes, Lora feels like a modern font that tips its hat to the past.
Compared to something like Libre Baskerville, this free font feels a lot more free spirited. Add it to your graphic to add a little bit of classic whimsy.
The creators of this font optimized each letter for use on a computer screen, but I’m betting that it will look amazing on a printed graphic or document.
Like with other stylized serif fonts, I would recommend using Lora as header font and pair it with sans serif body font.
Category: Serif Fonts / Classic Fonts
Lora Font Pairs: Roboto, Lato, Poppins
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Merriweather
One of the most unique features of Merriweather is that instead of using a vertical stress, each letter has a diagonal stress. Basically, each letter tilts a little to the left, and the thinnest part of the stroke is a little off center.
Additionally, the vertical strokes are exactly the same width from top to bottom. Other fonts like EB Garamond vary the stroke width towards the middle and serifs of each letter.
I think that both of these features help Merriweather stand out from the rest of the popular free serif fonts.
The unique approach that the designers took make Merriweather feel like a serif font built for the future, instead of the past.
Pair it with the free sans serif font Merriweather Sans for a perfect font combination!
Category: Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Merriweather Font Pairs: Merriweather Sans, Open Sans, Roboto
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Montserrat
After many years of using Montserrat, I literally just learned that the creation of the font was funded by a Kickstarter campaign! How many other fonts have such an interesting origin story?
The font is also named after the historic Montserrat neighborhood where the creator of the font, Julieta Ulanovsky, lived at the time.
To create this font, she took a lot of inspiration from the scenes around her in that particular neighborhood. The amazing typography from the early 20th century that she saw on street signs, cafes and more helped set the tone for Montserrat.
If you have made it this far in the article, you can probably spot that this is a free sans serif font. It can easily be paired with Oswald, Roboto or another sans serif font on websites, social media graphics, infographics and more.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Montserrat Font Pairs: Roboto, Roboto Slab, Open Sans
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Mulish
Created in 2011 and updated in 2019, Mulish is an amazingly simple sans serif font that feels very futuristic at the same time.
The extended vertical strokes of this free font give each letter a lot of room to breathe without making the font feel too brash.
One of my favorite parts of Mulish is the sharp angles that you can see in the letter “M” above, and other letters. I think this is what makes the font feel like it should be on some computer screen in the year 2123.
Because of the geometric influences of each letter, you can use Mulish to make your graphic feel very modern or cutting edge.
I would recommend using this free sans serif font as a body font with a slightly bolder header font like Oswald or Poppins.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Minimalist Fonts
Mulish Font Pairs: Montserrat, Oswald, Poppins
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Neuton
For an embarrassing amount of time I thought that this font was actually called Neutron.
This kinda makes sense, until you see that Neuton is actually a classic sans serif font with Dutch influences. Not something that looks like it belongs on a NASA mission briefing document.
The designer of this free font said that it reminds them a little bit of Times New Roman, which I can see.
However, Neuton seems to have a little more style and pizzazz added to each letter. You can see that immediately when looking at the different serifs of each letter. Some feel very geometric while others flow like a handwritten letter.
Neuton can be used as a body or header font in your designs, and scales down to smaller font sizes very well.
Category: Serif Fonts / Classic Fonts
Neuton Font Pairs: Montserrat, Libre Baskerville, Pacifico
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Open Sans
Open Sans made it on the list of the 100 Greatest Fonts Ever at #98 and I can see why. Some might say it should have been higher, given its versatility and clarity.
A lot of big brands have used it in their marketing or branding including Chase Bank, Mozilla and Virgin.
Overall it’s a stellar sans serif font that can be used in print, on screens and more. Open Sans also scales down exceptionally well so can be used on social media or mobile devices effectively.
It is one of my favorite free sans serif fonts to use because it basically works with every other font that you could use. I think that’s why it’s so popular across the web and world as well.
Pair it with a minimalist font like Lato or something a bit more eye-catching like Lobster.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Open Sans Font Pairs: Roboto, Lato, Montserrat
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Oswald
Oswald is a sans serif font that was created by Vernon Adams in 2011 and updated in 2019 to include more font weights.
If you just compare it to the last entry on this list, you can immediately see that Oswald is a different type of free sans serif font.
The long vertical strokes combined with the narrow letters make the font really stand out on a page or computer screen. In my opinion, this sans serif font walks the line of being bold without smacking you in the face.
I like using Oswald when I want to make a header a bit more striking, without making it extremely wide or overwhelming.
Pair it with another sans serif font that isn’t as bold like Source Sans Pro or Lato.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Oswald Font Pairs: Open Sans, Roboto, Lato
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Oxygen
For the past 5 years or so, Oxygen has been used all over the Venngage site. So I’m very familiar with it and since it’s one of our brand fonts, I have used it on thousands of graphics.
We recently updated our brand fonts but this free sans serif font will live in my heart for a long while.
Oxygen is another font created by Vernon Adams, who also created Oswald and many other fonts, back in 2012.
This sans serif font is a bit similar to Oswald but each letter has a lot more room to breathe and each letter is pretty wide in comparison. Maybe that’s why they called it Oxygen.
I would recommend using Oxygen as either a body or header font in your graphics and documents. It’s professional enough to be used on a report but also feels like it would be at home on a casual infographic.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Oxygen Font Pairs: Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Roboto
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Pacifico
After looking at a few very similar free sans serif fonts in a row, let’s take a gander at something a little more out there.
Pacifico is a script font that was directly inspired by the surf culture of the 1950s. Even if I didn’t tell you that, you probably would have guessed it was a font inspired by the ocean and beach towns.
I like Pacifico because it feels like it came from a different, more relaxed time. There’s a lot of creative juice in each of the strokes and it can be used to add some extra fun to your graphic in no time.
Hopefully you weren’t planning on using this free script font on a professional graphic or document. It’s more at home on a poster for a luau or a sign at your favorite burger joint.
Also it really should only be used as a header font, the thick strokes make it pretty difficult to read as a body font.
Pair it with a sans serif font like Roboto or Montserrat for a good deal of contrast in your design.
Category: Script Fonts / Handwriting Fonts
Pacifico Font Pairs: Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Roboto
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Playfair Display
Apparently, as printing technology improved in the 18th century, it became a lot easier to print both thick and thin strokes on the same letter. That allowed designers to create new variations of serif fonts, which was not really possible with pens or quills of the past.
Playfair Display takes a lot of inspiration from those types of fonts, as well as Baskerville.
As you can see above, some of the strokes are much thinner than others even on the same letter. I think the letter “Y” above is the best illustration of this contrast.
When you compare the letters to a similar font like Libre Baskerville, the difference in font weight and strokes is immediately apparent.
I would recommend using this free serif font as a header font because those thin strokes will not really scale down to a body font.
Category: Serif Fonts / Classic Fonts
Playfair Display Font Pairs: Roboto, Open Sans, Lato
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Poppins
Created by the talented team at the Indian Type Foundry in 2014, Poppins is a spectacular free sans serif font.
You can immediately see the geometric influences in each stroke and letter of this typeface. The designers also made it almost fully monolinear, but you can see a few spots above where the stroke isn’t exactly the same in each letter.
Honestly, I really like those small embellishments that each letter has. These small imperfections help Poppins stand out from some of the other free geometric fonts that you can find online.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Geometric Fonts
Poppins Font Pairs: Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Roboto
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Prata
Out of all the serif fonts that we have looked at on this list, Prata might have some of the most interesting ones.
On some letters they are very geometric, others extremely flowy and even a few look like teardrops.
There’s only one weight of Prata which means you can’t really use it as a body font, but it makes a great header. The stroke variation that you see on each letter makes this serif font really interesting to look at and will stand out on any graphic.
I would recommend using this free font as a header font on a formal invitation, the cover of an annual report or even on a finance infographic.
Pair it with Roboto or Montserrat as the body font and you can create a professional looking graphic in no time.
Category: Script Fonts / Handwriting Fonts
Prata Font Pairs: Roboto, Oswald, Montserrat
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Proza Libre
Proza Libre is the open source version of the font Proza, which I should have realized. A lot of the fonts that include Libre in their title are free versions of a popular commercial font. Some have also been updated or optimized to work better on screens.
Proza Libre is one of those fonts that is built from the ground up to look great on a digital graphic or computer screen.
Like Merriweather, it also uses a diagonal stress on each of the letters. You can see that in action on the “o” and “e” in the example above.
While we are on the subject of letters, is there anything better than the capital “P” in this font? It’s one of my favorite examples of single letters that set the tone for a whole typeface.
Proza Libre shares a lot of characteristics with other serif fonts, but without any serifs on the letters. I believe that this makes the free sans serif font feel both classic and modern at the exact same time.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Classic Fonts
Prata Font Pairs: Roboto Slab, Rubik, Karla
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Quicksand
When you look at Quicksand, the rounded edges of each stroke is probably the first thing that you see. Not many fonts use this approach, especially other sans serif fonts. Most of those fonts have very sharp corners which make the fonts look more professional.
In my opinion, Quicksand shares a lot of qualities with Oxygen or Poppins but its rounded corners make it stand out immediately.
The thin strokes combined with the rounded corners help this font look like it could have been handwritten with a thin marker as well.
You can use this free sans serif font to make your graphic look a little more casual or fun. It will help put the reader at ease from the beginning.
Pair it with a font like Roboto or Raleway for some interesting contrast.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Quicksand Font Pairs: Open Sans, Roboto, Raleway
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Raleway
Like with Oxygen, I have used Raleway on thousands of graphics throughout my career as a marketer. In fact, it might be one of my favorite digital fonts.
Each letter of this free sans serif font feels wholly unique from really any other font on this list. The oversized elements that you see in the “R”, “e” and “w” above are a great illustration of this.
I think I like it so much because even though each stroke is pretty thin, it still takes up a lot of space. You can use it as a strong header without distracting from the rest of the graphic.
The designers created this sans serif font to be used as mainly a header or display font, and I would have to agree. Scaling it down for a body font isn’t recommended.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Raleway Font Pairs: Open Sans, Roboto, Lato
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Roboto
Out of all the other fonts on this list, you probably have seen Roboto the most without really realizing it. It was created in 2011 for Android operating systems and has been used on most of Google’s products since about 2013.
There’s a few good reasons why it is still being used by a tech giant almost 10 years later.
First, it has 10+ different font weights that you can use for free.
Roboto also scales down very well so it can be used as a header font or a body font on screens and physical graphics.
And finally, it combines geometric and classic influences to make the font feel professional and approachable at the same time.
I would recommend using this font basically everywhere. It can even be used as an effective brand font because of the many different font weights.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Roboto Font Pairs: Open Sans, Noto Sans JP, Lato
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Roboto Slab
Roboto Slab is another font that was created by Google but it wasn’t introduced until 2013. As you probably could tell, Roboto Slab is a slab serif font, which means the serifs on each letter are thick or blocky.
This is in direct contrast to serif fonts that feature more stylized and flowy serifs on each letter.
Additionally, Roboto Slab shares a lot of characteristics with its sans serif brother, Roboto. You can use both of these fonts on the same graphic and the addition of the slab serifs will make sure there is enough contrast between the two fonts.
Category: Slab Serif Fonts / Classic Fonts
Roboto Slab Font Pairs: Roboto, Open Sans, Lato
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Rubik
Rubik is a free sans serif font that features slightly rounded corners on each letter. If you’re not paying attention you might not even realize that the letters are not geometric.
Although these rounded corners are a lot more subtle than Quicksand, they still make the font feel very casual and fun.
Rubik was actually created for Google’s Rubik’s Cube exhibition, which shows that this font was always meant to be an amusing font.
I would recommend using this font as a simple header font with a thinner body font like Montserrat or Open Sans.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Rubik Font Pairs: Roboto, Roboto Slab, Montserrat
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Source Sans Pro
Source Sans Pro was created by Adobe and was one of their first open source fonts to hit the market.
The designers of this sans serif font took the time to make sure this font is legible both in short headers and longer body text. They also added some embellishments to make sure you can tell the difference between similar letters, even on small screens.
Source Sans Pro was built to be used in user interfaces, which is probably why it works so well on computer screens and digital graphics.
I would recommend pairing it with a strong header font like Lora or Roboto if you want to use Source Sans Pro as the header font.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Source Sans Pro Font Pairs: Roboto Condensed, Lato, Open Sans
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Verdana
Verdana is another font that I thought was called something else, until a nice designer corrected me. I really should get better at reading things the first time.
Now technically Verdana is not a true free font but you can use it for free on Venngage just by signing up!
One of my favorite parts about this font is that instead of using a circular dot for “i” and “j” they created a square dot. I think that makes Verdana feel like it came from a sci-fi movie.
This sans serif font was created to make it easy for people to read small text on a computer screen. But a lot of experts think that because of its many embellishments, Verdana is best when used as a large header font.
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Verdana Font Pairs: Arial, PT Sans, Lucida Grande
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Work Sans
If I’m being honest, Work Sans is probably the font that I’m least familiar with on this list. Somehow it has just slipped under my radar for the past few years, and I’m not really sure how that happened!
It’s such a cool free sans serif font and now I can’t wait to start using it in my designs.
Work Sans is a pretty playful font and it can be used as a header as a body font. The thinner weights work best for body fonts, and as you can see above some of the bolder weights make a great header.
As you increase the weight of Work Sans, the playfulness of the font becomes even more apparent as well!
Category: Sans Serif Fonts / Modern Fonts
Work Sans Font Pairs: Roboto, Open Sans, Lato
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In summary
That’s all of the best free fonts that we have for now! Hopefully you were able to find the perfect display font, serif font, sans-serif fonts or handwritten fonts.
Now if you need some help using those fonts check out our article on brand fonts:
Or if you want to choose the right fonts, we have a guide for that as well:
