Helvetica Neue

A refined evolution of the original Helvetica, Helvetica Neue offers improved legibility and a wider range of weights for modern typographic applications.

Designed by
Max Miedinger
Foundry
Linotype
Category
sans-serif
Styles
9 weights

Free alternatives to Helvetica

The best free alternative to Helvetica is Inter, a neutral sans serif drawn for screens with weights from 100 to 900. If you are swapping it into an existing layout, use Arimo: it has the same letter widths as Arial, which match Helvetica, so lines break in the same places.

  1. Inter (Close match) The closest neutral sans for screens, with tall lowercase letters and weights from 100 to 900. Great for interfaces and body text.
  2. Arimo (Same widths) Same letter widths as Arial and Helvetica, so text keeps its line breaks. The safe pick for documents and existing layouts.
  3. Roboto (Close match) Google's workhorse grotesque. A little rounder than Helvetica, with 9 weights and a full italic.
See all 6 free alternatives to Helvetica

Websites that use Helvetica Neue

Helvetica Neue FAQ

Is Helvetica Neue free for commercial use?

Helvetica Neue is a commercial typeface from Linotype. A paid license is required for commercial projects — you can purchase it from the foundry directly.

Is Helvetica Neue on Google Fonts?

Helvetica Neue isn't part of the Google Fonts library. It's distributed by Linotype.

How do I download Helvetica Neue?

Helvetica Neue is a commercial font — you'll need to purchase a license from the foundry to download the font files.

What fonts pair well with Helvetica Neue?

Helvetica Neue pairs beautifully with a contrasting typeface — pair a display or heading font with a neutral body font for the strongest hierarchy. Scroll down to the "Font Pairings" section on this page for curated, ready-to-use combinations that work well with Helvetica Neue, or open any pair in the Fontpair Playground to preview it live with your own copy.

What is Helvetica Neue best used for?

Helvetica Neue is a sans-serif typeface. It works well for editorial layouts, long-form reading, and elegant brand systems.