Free alternatives to Helvetica
Helvetica (Linotype (Monotype)): A neo-grotesque sans serif designed by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas Type Foundry in 1957, with a tall x-height, tight apertures, and horizontal stroke terminals. Its neutral, unopinionated look made it the default choice for corporate identity and signage for decades.
Helvetica is a commercial family sold through Monotype, licensed per style or by subscription, and it is not free to use, embed, or redistribute.
Inter shares the tall x-height and closed apertures of a neo-grotesque but was drawn for screens, so counters are slightly more open and spacing is looser at text sizes. It is the closest free match for UI work where Helvetica would otherwise be specified.
Roboto has the same neutral grotesque skeleton and horizontal terminals, but its letterforms are a touch narrower and more open, which makes it read better at small sizes. It feels slightly less rigid than Helvetica in headlines.
Arimo by Steve Matteson is metric-compatible with Arial, which itself matches Helvetica's widths, so Arimo can drop into layouts sized for Helvetica without reflow. Terminal angles are cut diagonally rather than horizontally, the main visible difference.
Archivo is a grotesque with similar proportions and a sturdy, technical feel, plus a variable width axis Helvetica never had. Its terminals and curves are a little squarer, giving it more personality at display sizes.
Work Sans matches Helvetica's plainness and mid-range weight distribution, with optical adjustments that favor text between 14 and 48 px. It is warmer and slightly wider, so it trades some of Helvetica's clinical neutrality for readability.
Helvetica is a trademark of its owner and is not distributed by DaFontFonts. This page recommends independent open-licence typefaces with a comparable feel; they are not copies and render with their own metrics and details.
Questions
Is Helvetica free for commercial use?
No. Helvetica is a commercial typeface owned by Monotype. Desktop, web, and app licenses must be purchased, and the macOS system copy does not permit redistribution or web embedding. For a free option, Inter, Roboto, and Arimo are all licensed for unrestricted commercial use.
What is the closest free alternative to Helvetica?
Inter is the closest all-round match for interfaces and general design work, while Arimo is the best drop-in when you need the same character widths, since it is metric-compatible with Arial, which mirrors Helvetica's metrics.