Helvetica, designed by Max Miedinger and released in 1957, is one of the most iconic typefaces in history. As a neo-grotesque sans-serif, it’s prized for its clean, neutral letterforms, balanced proportions, and timeless versatility. You’ll find it in corporate branding, transportation signage, editorial layouts, and countless UI designs.
However, Helvetica comes with a premium license and limited free availability — and in some cases, you might want a font with similar aesthetics but a different personality, price point, or web optimization.
Here’s our curated list of 7 typefaces similar to Helvetica, including both premium and free alternatives.
Visual Comparison
Sample Text: The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog
| Font | Preview |
|---|---|
| Helvetica | Image preview here |
| Neue Haas Grotesk | Image preview here |
| Helvetica Now | Image preview here |
| Nimbus Sans | Image preview here |
| Univers | Image preview here |
| Arial | Image preview here |
| Inter | Image preview here |
| IBM Plex Sans | Image preview here |
Premium Alternatives
1. Neue Haas Grotesk (Christian Schwartz, 2010)
Style: Sans-serif, Neo-Grotesque
Why It’s Similar: It’s the original Helvetica, restored from Max Miedinger’s pre-release design. Shares the same proportions and structure.
Key Difference: Slightly warmer letterforms, more authentic mid-century feel.
Price & Availability: Paid — Commercial Type.
2. Helvetica Now (Monotype, 2019)
Style: Sans-serif, Neo-Grotesque
Why It’s Similar: Directly based on Helvetica, but with optical sizes, better kerning, and improved legibility.
Key Difference: Comes in Micro, Text, and Display versions for different use cases.
Price & Availability: Paid — Monotype Fonts.
Style: Sans-serif, Neo-Grotesque
Why It’s Similar: A Helvetica-inspired typeface with extremely close proportions.
Key Difference: Slightly wider letterforms, open licensing options.
Price & Availability: Paid, but also has free variants via URW++ GPL.
4. Univers (Adrian Frutiger, 1957)
Style: Sans-serif, Neo-Grotesque
Why It’s Similar: Shares Helvetica’s Swiss modernist DNA with precise, clean geometry.
Key Difference: More systematic weight/width classification, slightly different letter shapes.
Price & Availability: Paid — Linotype.
Free Alternatives
5. Arial (Robin Nicholas & Patricia Saunders, 1982)
Style: Sans-serif, Neo-Grotesque
Why It’s Similar: Very close to Helvetica in overall proportions and spacing.
Key Difference: Slightly different curves and terminals — created for Monotype’s digital era.
Price & Availability: Bundled free with most operating systems.
6. Inter (Rasmus Andersson, 2017)
Style: Sans-serif, Neo-Grotesque
Why It’s Similar: Designed for clean, modern digital interfaces with Helvetica-like proportions.
Key Difference: Optimized for screen readability, includes variable font version.
Price & Availability: Free — Google Fonts.
7. IBM Plex Sans (Mike Abbink, 2017)
Style: Sans-serif, Neo-Grotesque
Why It’s Similar: Shares a neutral, modernist look with open counters and balanced proportions.
Key Difference: Slightly more humanist details in certain letters.
Price & Availability: Free — Google Fonts.
Recommendation Summary Table
| Font Name | Similarity Score (1–5) | Free/Paid | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neue Haas Grotesk | ★★★★★ | Paid | Authentic Helvetica look |
| Helvetica Now | ★★★★★ | Paid | Modernized Helvetica with optical sizes |
| Nimbus Sans | ★★★★☆ | Paid/Free | Budget-friendly Helvetica style |
| Univers | ★★★★☆ | Paid | Classic Swiss modernist alternative |
| Arial | ★★★☆☆ | Free | Office and everyday document replacement |
| Inter | ★★★★☆ | Free | UI/UX design, websites, digital platforms |
| IBM Plex Sans | ★★★★☆ | Free | Tech branding and digital applications |
Conclusion
If you want the closest premium match to Helvetica, go for Neue Haas Grotesk or Helvetica Now.
For a budget-friendly alternative, Nimbus Sans delivers excellent similarity.
If you need free options, Inter and IBM Plex Sans are highly versatile for modern digital use.
Typeface Similar to Font 