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Helvetica Font

The neutral Swiss sans that defined modern corporate design

Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann · Neo-grotesque sans serif · 1957 · ! Bundled with macOS, paid elsewhere

Download Free Alternative

Inter · closest free match to Helvetica

Helvetica font poster: bold black Helvetica headline on a Swiss style red and white gridHelvetica style lettering on a subway station sign and a minimal posterHelvetica style character set: uppercase and lowercase alphabet, numbers and symbols

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

Download Helvetica

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

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

About Helvetica

Helvetica began in 1957 as Neue Haas Grotesk, drawn by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas Type Foundry in Switzerland. In 1960 it was renamed Helvetica, after the Latin name for Switzerland, to sell better abroad. Linotype released Neue Helvetica in 1983 to unify the growing family, and Monotype followed with Helvetica Now in 2019.

Its tall x-height, tight spacing and horizontal stroke endings give it a calm, neutral look that does not compete with the message. That neutrality made it the default for corporate logos, transit signage and government forms from the 1960s on, from airline liveries to the New York City subway. Apple has shipped it on Macs and iPhones for years, which is why so many people assume it is free everywhere.

Where Helvetica works best

  • Corporate identity and logos
  • Transit and wayfinding signage
  • Posters and Swiss-style layouts
  • Interfaces and product design

Free alternatives to Helvetica

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
Inter Sans Serif · 18 styles · variable ✓ OFL

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.

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

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.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Arimo Sans Serif · 8 styles · variable ✓ OFL

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Compare all Helvetica alternatives

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

Questions

Is Helvetica free?

Only on Apple devices, where it is preinstalled for your own documents and designs. On Windows, and for web or app embedding, Helvetica needs a paid license from Monotype. Inter and Arimo are free alternatives you can use anywhere.

What is the best free alternative to Helvetica?

Inter is the most popular free substitute for interfaces and branding. Arimo matches Helvetica's widths closely, so it is useful when replacing it in existing documents.

What is the difference between Helvetica and Helvetica Neue?

Neue Helvetica, released in 1983, redrew the family so every weight and width works together, with a consistent numbering system. Helvetica Now (2019) updated it again with optical sizes for small and large text.

Who designed Helvetica?

Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann designed it in 1957 at the Haas Type Foundry in Switzerland. It is now owned and licensed by Monotype.

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