Fonts similar to Arial
4 free Google Fonts that share Arial’s structure, compared side by side. Type your own text to test them.
About Arial
Designed with the same widths as Helvetica so it could replace it without reflowing text; bundled with Windows since 1992.
How to spot it
- Terminals on c, e, t cut at an angle (Helvetica cuts them flat)
- R with a straight diagonal leg
- G without a spur
- Slanted top on t
Not sure it’s really Arial? Upload a screenshot and let the identifier check. Looking for a different font? Use the similar font finder.
Free alternatives to Arial
Arial Quartz 1234
Metric-compatible with Arial: identical widths.
View on Google Fonts ↗Arial Quartz 1234
Similar neutral grotesque with open, slightly geometric curves.
View on Google Fonts ↗Arial Quartz 1234
Friendlier humanist take at a similar width.
View on Google Fonts ↗Arial Quartz 1234
Clean grotesque with a comparable rhythm.
View on Google Fonts ↗Choosing between them
Start with Arimo if you need the most faithful substitute. Metric-compatible with Arial: identical widths. If you want the same feeling with a little more personality, try Hanken Grotesk. For body text, check the specimen at 16–18px: some display-leaning alternatives look closest in headlines but tire the eye in paragraphs.
Pairing one of these with a contrasting serif or sans? Open it in the font pairing generator.
Questions people ask
What is the closest free font to Arial?
Arimo is the closest free alternative in our list: metric-compatible with Arial: identical widths. Other good options are Roboto and Open Sans.
What kind of font is Arial?
Arial is a grotesque / neo-grotesque sans. Even, rational strokes; terminals on c, e and s cut horizontally; tight apertures; a two-storey “a”.
How can I tell Arial apart from lookalikes?
Check these details: terminals on c, e, t cut at an angle (helvetica cuts them flat); r with a straight diagonal leg; g without a spur; slanted top on t.
Are these Arial alternatives free for commercial use?
Yes. All alternatives listed are Google Fonts released under open licences (SIL Open Font License or Apache 2.0) that allow commercial use.