DaFontFonts

Avenir Font

Adrian Frutiger's warmer take on the geometric sans

Adrian Frutiger · Geometric sans serif · 1988 · ! Bundled with macOS, paid elsewhere

Download Free Alternative

Nunito Sans · closest free match to Avenir

Avenir font poster: clean Avenir headline on a soft sky blue background with geometric shapesAvenir style type on airport wayfinding signs and a boarding passAvenir style character set: uppercase and lowercase alphabet, numbers and symbols

Illustrations of the Avenir style made for DaFontFonts. Letterforms are approximate; check the official specimen before you buy.

Download Avenir

License:
Bundled with macOS, paid elsewhere
Font Type:
System font
Download:
Free alternative: Nunito Sans (OFL-1.1)
Format:
TTF
Total Files:
16 styles + licence
Download Free Alternative

Avenir itself is not free to download. This button gives you Nunito Sans, the closest free match, licensed for commercial use. Buy Avenir on MyFonts

About Avenir

Avenir was designed by Adrian Frutiger, the Swiss designer behind Univers and Frutiger, and released by Linotype in 1988. The name is French for future, a nod to Futura, but Frutiger set out to make a geometric sans that was more humane and readable than the strict 1920s models. In 2004 he and Akira Kobayashi expanded it into Avenir Next, with more weights, condensed widths and better screen support.

Avenir keeps the round O and clean geometry of a classic geometric sans, but adds a two-storey a, slightly shortened ascenders and subtle stroke modulation. The result feels friendly and clear rather than cold, which is why it shows up in airline and travel branding, wayfinding systems, tech products and corporate reports.

Where Avenir works best

  • Brand identities
  • Wayfinding and signage
  • App and web interfaces
  • Annual reports and corporate print

Free alternatives to Avenir

Open-licence fonts with a comparable feel, every one verified free for commercial use and downloadable from DaFontFonts.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Nunito Sans Sans Serif · 16 styles · variable ✓ OFL

Nunito Sans shares Avenir's rounded geometric warmth, two-story a, and comfortable text proportions. Its curves are slightly softer and its terminals more rounded, giving it a friendlier tone.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Figtree Sans Serif · 14 styles · variable ✓ OFL

Figtree lands close to Avenir Next in x-height and overall color, with clean geometry that stays legible at small sizes. It is a touch more compact, and its details are more clipped than Avenir's.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Mulish Sans Serif · 16 styles · variable ✓ OFL

Mulish offers the same understated geometric-humanist balance Avenir is known for, and it performs well in long-form text. It has less of Avenir's optical stroke modulation, so it looks flatter in large display sizes.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Urbanist Sans Serif · 18 styles · variable ✓ OFL

Urbanist mirrors Avenir's elementary geometric skeleton and open counters across a full variable weight range. It is more strictly monolinear, which makes it feel more neutral and less crafted.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Hanken Grotesk Sans Serif · 18 styles · variable ✓ OFL

Hanken Grotesk approximates Avenir's balance of geometry and warmth with slightly narrower forms and a taller x-height. It works especially well as an Avenir replacement in interface text.

Compare all Avenir alternatives

Avenir is a trademark of its owner. DaFontFonts does not host or distribute the Avenir font files; download and licence links go to the official source.

Questions

Is Avenir font free?

Only on Macs, where Avenir and Avenir Next are preinstalled for your own documents and designs. Elsewhere, and for websites or apps, Avenir needs a paid license from Monotype. Nunito Sans and Figtree are free alternatives.

What is the difference between Avenir and Avenir Next?

Avenir Next, released in 2004, is an expanded redesign by Adrian Frutiger and Akira Kobayashi. It adds more weights, condensed widths, small caps and better screen rendering.

What is the closest free font to Avenir?

Nunito Sans is the closest free match in feel, with Figtree and Mulish as good options for interfaces. All three are open source and safe for commercial use.

Who designed Avenir?

Adrian Frutiger designed Avenir for Linotype in 1988. He also created Univers and Frutiger.

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