Free Alternatives to Red Hat Text
Red Hat Text is itself free. It is open source under the SIL Open Font License, free for personal and commercial use. Red Hat Text font details · Get it on Google Fonts ↗. The fonts below are similar free alternatives with a different character.
About Red Hat Text
- Foundry
- MCKL
- Classification
- sans-serif
- Variable
- Yes
- Style
- text
Red Hat Text is a versatile sans-serif typeface designed by MCKL for Red Hat, free on Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License (OFL-1.1). With its clean lines and modern geometric proportions, Red Hat Text works effectively across digital interfaces, print materials, and brand identities. The typeface balances neutral character shapes with subtle personality, making it adaptable to many design contexts.
Why People Search for Alternatives
Red Hat Text is free, so the reasons to look elsewhere have nothing to do with licensing:
- Brand association: it is Red Hat's corporate text face, and some teams prefer a font without that link
- A wider weight range: Red Hat Text runs from Light (300) to Bold (700)
- Cyrillic or Greek: it covers Latin and extended Latin only
Best Free Alternative
Inter is the closest match at 85% similarity. Both are free under OFL-1.1.
Similar readable tech sans
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Red Hat Text | Inter |
|---|---|---|
| License | OFL-1.1 | OFL-1.1 |
| Weights | 300–700 | 100–900 |
| Variable | Yes (weight) | Yes (weight, optical size) |
| Cyrillic | No | Yes |
| Source | Google Fonts | Google Fonts |
FAQ
Is Red Hat Text free?
Yes. Red Hat Text is on Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License (OFL-1.1), with italics and a variable weight axis. It is free for commercial use.
Why does this page exist if Red Hat Text is free?
People who like its open, readable shapes often want them without the Red Hat association, or with Cyrillic support. The similar fonts here are free too.
What is the closest alternative to Red Hat Text?
Inter is the closest at 85% similarity. Similar readable tech sans
Can I use Inter commercially?
Yes, Inter is licensed under OFL-1.1, which permits commercial use without fees.
Is Inter on Google Fonts?
Yes, Inter is available for free on Google Fonts.
Does Red Hat Text support Cyrillic?
No, Red Hat Text does not include Cyrillic support. However, Inter does support Cyrillic.
Is Red Hat Text on Google Fonts?
Yes, Red Hat Text is available on Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. You can use it freely in any personal or commercial project.
Free Alternatives (2)
Compare the alternatives
See how Red Hat Text compares to its top alternatives — and how those alternatives compare to each other — side by side.
See where Red Hat Text is used in the wild and swap to free alternatives live.
Install FontSwap →Performance Guide
Production performance metrics for each alternative.
How to Use Inter
Copy these code snippets to quickly add Inter to your project.
CSS code for Inter
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@100..900&display=swap'); HTML code for Inter
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@100..900&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> Tailwind code for Inter
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
fontFamily: {
'inter': ['Inter', 'sans-serif'],
},
},
},
}
// Usage in HTML:
// <p class="font-inter">Your text here</p> Next.js code for Inter
// Using next/font (Next.js 13+)
import { Inter } from 'next/font/google';
const inter = Inter({
subsets: ['latin'],
weight: ['100', '200', '300', '400', '500', '600', '700', '800', '900'],
});
export default function Component() {
return (
<p className={inter.className}>
Your text here
</p>
);
}
// Or using inline styles with Google Fonts link:
// <p style={{ fontFamily: "'Inter'" }}>Your text</p> Expo and React Native code for Inter
// Install: npx expo install @expo-google-fonts/inter expo-font
import { useFonts, Inter_400Regular } from '@expo-google-fonts/inter';
export default function App() {
const [fontsLoaded] = useFonts({
Inter_400Regular,
});
if (!fontsLoaded) return null;
return (
<Text style={{ fontFamily: 'Inter_400Regular' }}>
Your text here
</Text>
);
} Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to Red Hat Text?
Inter is the best free alternative to Red Hat Text with a FontAlternatives similarity score of 85%. It shares similar proportions and characteristics while being available under the OFL-1.1 license for both personal and commercial use at no cost.
Is there a free version of Red Hat Text?
Yes. Red Hat Text itself is free: it is open source under the SIL Open Font License on Google Fonts, so you can use it in personal and commercial projects at no cost. If you want a similar font with a different character, the closest is Inter (85% similarity).
What Google Font looks like Red Hat Text?
The Google Fonts most similar to Red Hat Text are Inter, Open Sans. Among these alternatives, Inter offers the closest match with a FontAlternatives similarity score of 85% and includes variable weights for flexible typography options.
Can I use Inter commercially?
Yes, Inter can be used commercially. It is licensed under OFL-1.1, which allows free use in websites, applications, print materials, and commercial projects without purchasing a license or paying royalties.
Is Inter similar enough to Red Hat Text?
Inter achieves a FontAlternatives similarity score of 85% compared to Red Hat Text. While not identical, it offers comparable letterforms, proportions, and visual style. Most designers find it works excellently as a substitute in web and print projects.
What are the main differences between Red Hat Text and its free alternatives?
Red Hat Text and the alternatives listed here are all free, so the choice is about design rather than licensing: letter widths, x-height, weight range, italics and language coverage differ between them. Compare the top matches side by side above before switching.
Where can I download free alternatives to Red Hat Text?
Download Inter directly from Google Fonts. Click the "Get Font" button on any alternative listed above to visit the official download page. Google Fonts also provides convenient embed codes for seamless web integration.