Free Alternatives to San Francisco
About San Francisco
- Foundry
- Apple
- Classification
- sans-serif
- Style
- neo-grotesque
San Francisco is a versatile sans-serif typeface from Apple. With its clean lines and modern geometric proportions, San Francisco 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. Its neo-grotesque design philosophy emphasizes uniformity and clarity, following the tradition established by Helvetica.
Design Philosophy
San Francisco was created with a clear vision: to provide designers with a typeface that balances functionality with aesthetic appeal. Every curve, angle, and proportion has been carefully considered to ensure optimal performance across different applications and sizes. The design team focused on creating letterforms that would remain distinctive while being highly readable, achieving the difficult balance between personality and practicality.
Why People Replace San Francisco
- Licensing cost: San Francisco requires a paid license from Apple
- Per-seat pricing: Most premium fonts charge per user or device
- No variable font: Requires purchasing multiple weights separately
- Web font licensing: Additional fees for web embedding
Best Free Alternative
Inter is the closest free match at 92% similarity.
Excellent system font alternative with similar proportions
Quick Comparison
| Feature | San Francisco | Inter |
|---|---|---|
| License | Paid | OFL-1.1 |
| Weights | Multiple | Variable (100-900) |
| Variable | No | Yes |
| Cyrillic | Yes | Yes |
| Source | Apple | Google Fonts |
FAQ
Is San Francisco free?
No, San Francisco is a premium font from Apple. The best free alternative is Inter.
What is the best free alternative to San Francisco?
Inter is the closest free alternative at 92% similarity. Excellent system font alternative with similar proportions
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 San Francisco support Cyrillic?
Yes, San Francisco includes Cyrillic character support.
Free Alternatives (2)
Excellent system font alternative with similar proportions
How to Use Inter
Copy these code snippets to quickly add Inter to your project.
CSS Import
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@100..900&display=swap');HTML Link Tags
<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 CSS
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
fontFamily: {
'inter': ['Inter', 'sans-serif'],
},
},
},
}
// Usage in HTML:
// <p class="font-inter">Your text here</p>React / Next.js
// 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>Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to San Francisco?
Inter is the best free alternative to San Francisco with 92% similarity. 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 San Francisco?
There is no official free version of San Francisco. However, Inter is available under the OFL-1.1 open-source license and offers 92% visual similarity. It includes variable weights and supports latin, latin-extended.
What Google Font looks like San Francisco?
The Google Fonts most similar to San Francisco are Inter, Roboto. Among these alternatives, Inter offers the closest match at 92% similarity with 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 San Francisco?
Inter achieves 92% similarity to San Francisco. 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 San Francisco and its free alternatives?
Free alternatives to San Francisco may differ in subtle details like letter spacing, curve refinements, and available weights. Premium fonts typically include more OpenType features, extended language support, and optimized screen rendering. However, for most projects, these differences are negligible.
Where can I download free alternatives to San Francisco?
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.