Typeface Similar to Bus Sign: 7 Look-Alike Alternatives

Bus Sign, designed by Applied Systems, is a functional, geometric sans serif inspired by the lettering used in public transportation signage. Its origins in legibility and clarity give it a utilitarian, modernist feel, while its slight quirks in proportion provide a more human, approachable edge than neutral grotesques.

It is best suited for wayfinding systems, urban design, transport branding, posters, and identity work where clarity and accessibility are key.

Why Designers Love It

Designers appreciate Bus Sign because it feels both pragmatic and stylish. It brings the legibility of signage fonts into the contemporary design toolkit, making it perfect for projects that want a direct, urban voice without falling back on the overused Helvetica/Univers lineage. Its clean forms and transport heritage make it a natural fit for design that needs to guide, instruct, or orient while still looking modern.

7 Fonts Similar to Bus Sign

1. DIN 1451

Style: Industrial sans serif
Why It’s Similar: The original transport signage font used across Germany.
Key Difference: Narrower proportions, stricter geometry.
Price & Availability: Premium (Linotype, Paratype).

2. Highway Gothic

Style: American road signage sans
Why It’s Similar: Shares transport DNA and legibility-first design.
Key Difference: More condensed and less geometric.
Price & Availability: Free (public domain).

3. Johnston Sans

Style: Humanist sans serif
Why It’s Similar: Iconic London Underground signage, clear and warm.
Key Difference: More calligraphic skeleton, less geometric.
Price & Availability: Premium (Transport for London licensing).

4. Transport

Style: British road signage typeface
Why It’s Similar: Same focus on clarity at distance as Bus Sign.
Key Difference: Softer terminals and more open counters.
Price & Availability: Premium (URW) / sometimes bundled.

5. FF Info Display

Style: Wayfinding sans serif
Why It’s Similar: Designed for signage and information systems.
Key Difference: More neutral, digital-era refinement.
Price & Availability: Premium (FontFont).

6. Wayfinding Sans

Style: Legibility-optimized sans serif
Why It’s Similar: Shares functional clarity and signage focus.
Key Difference: Heavier optimization for small sizes.
Price & Availability: Premium (Ralf Herrmann).

7. Red Hat Display

Style: Geometric sans serif
Why It’s Similar: Accessible, signage-friendly open-source font.
Key Difference: More branding-oriented than transport signage.
Price & Availability: Free (Google Fonts).

Visual Comparison

Font Name	Preview Text
Bus Sign	Sample Signage Text
DIN 1451	Sample Signage Text
Highway Gothic	Sample Signage Text
Johnston Sans	Sample Signage Text
Transport	Sample Signage Text
FF Info Display	Sample Signage Text
Wayfinding Sans	Sample Signage Text
Red Hat Display	Sample Signage Text

Recommendation Summary Table

Alternative	Similarity Score	Best For	Price & Availability
DIN 1451	92%	Industrial signage, technical design	Premium (Linotype, Paratype)
Highway Gothic	89%	Road signage, utilitarian projects	Free (public domain)
Johnston Sans	87%	Transit branding, heritage-inspired design	Premium (TfL licensing)
Transport	85%	Wayfinding, UK-style clarity	Premium (URW)
FF Info Display	84%	Digital signage, information systems	Premium (FontFont)
Wayfinding Sans	86%	Optimized for navigation + small sizes	Premium (Ralf Herrmann)
Red Hat Display	81%	Free geometric sans for urban branding	Free (Google Fonts)

Conclusion

Bus Sign by Applied Systems extends the transportation signage legacy into a modern design context. If you love its utilitarian aesthetic, DIN 1451 and Highway Gothic give the purest signage-inspired alternatives, while Wayfinding Sans and FF Info Display provide more contemporary adaptations for digital and information-heavy environments. For free options, Highway Gothic and Red Hat Display make accessible stand-ins.