EB Garamond (Egenolff–Berner Garamond) is a revival of the classic Garamond typeface family, based on 16th-century designs by Claude Garamond. Developed by Georg Duffner and later maintained by others, it’s celebrated for its timeless elegance, humanist proportions, and historical authenticity. Its open-source license and meticulous detailing have made it a go-to choice for book typography, branding with a heritage feel, and refined editorial layouts.
However, you might want a similar typeface with expanded styles, slightly different historical interpretations, or commercial licensing for specific projects.
Here’s our curated list of 7 typefaces similar to EB Garamond, both premium and free.
Visual Comparison
Sample Text: The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog
| Font | Preview |
|---|---|
| EB Garamond | Image preview here |
| Adobe Garamond Pro | Image preview here |
| Garamond Premier Pro | Image preview here |
| Sabon | Image preview here |
| Stempel Garamond | Image preview here |
| Cormorant Garamond | Image preview here |
| Cardo | Image preview here |
| Crimson Pro | Image preview here |
Premium Alternatives
1. Adobe Garamond Pro (Robert Slimbach)
- Style: Old-Style Serif
- Why It’s Similar: Shares historical Garamond roots with fine contrast and classic proportions.
- Key Difference: Digitally refined for better screen and print output.
- Price & Availability: Paid — Adobe Fonts.
2. Garamond Premier Pro (Robert Slimbach)
- Style: Old-Style Serif
- Why It’s Similar: An in-depth revival closely aligned with Garamond’s original work.
- Key Difference: More optical sizes and typographic refinement.
- Price & Availability: Paid — Adobe Fonts.
3. Sabon (Jan Tschichold)
- Style: Old-Style Serif
- Why It’s Similar: Based on Garamond’s forms, with adaptations for hot-metal typesetting.
- Key Difference: Slightly narrower and more compact than EB Garamond.
- Price & Availability: Paid — Linotype.
4. Stempel Garamond
- Style: Old-Style Serif
- Why It’s Similar: Another faithful Garamond revival with crisp serifs.
- Key Difference: More pronounced stroke contrast and sharper details.
- Price & Availability: Paid — Linotype.
Free Alternatives
5. Cormorant Garamond (Christian Thalmann)
- Style: Old-Style Serif
- Why It’s Similar: Elegant Garamond-inspired design for display and body text.
- Key Difference: More dramatic contrast and decorative flair.
- Price & Availability: Free — Google Fonts.
6. Cardo (David J. Perry)
- Style: Old-Style Serif
- Why It’s Similar: Historical proportions and scholarly feel.
- Key Difference: Includes rich diacritic support and special characters.
- Price & Availability: Free — Google Fonts.
7. Crimson Pro (Jacques Le Bailly)
- Style: Old-Style Serif
- Why It’s Similar: Modern take on Garamond-inspired forms with strong readability.
- Key Difference: Slightly more robust strokes for digital screens.
- Price & Availability: Free — Google Fonts.
Recommendation Summary Table
| Font Name | Similarity Score (1–5) | Free/Paid | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Garamond Pro | ★★★★★ | Paid | Professional book typography |
| Garamond Premier Pro | ★★★★★ | Paid | High-end editorial and branding |
| Sabon | ★★★★☆ | Paid | Print layouts needing compactness |
| Stempel Garamond | ★★★★☆ | Paid | Traditional serif branding |
| Cormorant Garamond | ★★★★☆ | Free | Elegant headings and text |
| Cardo | ★★★★☆ | Free | Scholarly and historical works |
| Crimson Pro | ★★★★☆ | Free | Versatile web and print use |
Conclusion
If you need a premium Garamond for refined print work, Garamond Premier Pro and Adobe Garamond Pro are unmatched.
For free alternatives, Cormorant Garamond delivers elegance, while Crimson Pro offers a robust modern serif for screens.
Typeface Similar to Font 