Free alternatives to Franklin Gothic

The best free alternative to Franklin Gothic is Libre Franklin, a revival with weights from 100 to 900. Archivo and Chivo work well for heavy headlines.

  • 5 free alternatives
  • Free for commercial use
  • Updated November 2026

At a glance

FontMatchWeightsItalicsBest for
Libre FranklinClose match100 to 900YesNews and editorial
ArchivoClose match100 to 900YesPosters and dense layouts
ChivoSimilar feel100 to 900YesHeadlines with weight
Work SansSimilar feel100 to 900YesPlain headlines with character
News CycleSimilar feel400 to 700NoNews and editorial

The 5 best free alternatives

Same widths: drawn to the same letter widths, so nothing reflows. Close match: nearest look. Similar feel: same mood, different details.

  1. Libre Franklin

    Close match

    Best alternative

    A Franklin Gothic-style grotesque with weights from 100 to 900 and italics.

  2. Archivo

    Close match

    A grotesque with weights from 100 to 900 and widths from condensed to expanded.

  3. Chivo

    Similar feel

    A grotesque with weights from 100 to 900 and italics. Heavy weights work well in headlines.

  4. Work Sans

    Similar feel

    A grotesque with weights from 100 to 900 and italics. A bit of character in the bold weights.

  5. News Cycle

    Similar feel

    Based on News Gothic, in regular and bold.

Pair it with

Curated pairings that use these alternatives.

About Franklin Gothic

Franklin Gothic was designed by Morris Fuller Benton for American Type Founders in 1902. Franklin Gothic Medium comes with Windows.

Designed by
Morris Fuller Benton, 1902
License
Ships with Windows. Webfont use needs a license.
Best free match
Libre Franklin
See Franklin Gothic on Fontpair

Questions about Franklin Gothic

Is Franklin Gothic free?

It comes with Windows, so you can use it in your own documents. Serving it as a webfont or embedding it in an app needs a license.

What is the closest free font to Franklin Gothic?

The best free alternative to Franklin Gothic is Libre Franklin, a revival with weights from 100 to 900.

Is Franklin Gothic on Google Fonts?

No. Libre Franklin, Archivo and Chivo are the closest Franklin Gothic-style fonts on Google Fonts.

What font pairs well with Libre Franklin?

Libre Franklin pairs well with Eczar, Libre Baskerville or David Libre.

More font alternatives

See all