Install FontSwap
Zalando Sans is an e-commerce brand font turned open-source. Inter is the most widely used free UI font. Both are free variable sans-serifs with modern proportions. Here’s how to decide between them.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Zalando Sans | Inter |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Zalando (KH Type) | Rasmus Andersson |
| License | OFL | OFL |
| Variable axes | wght | wght, opsz |
| Weight range | 100-900 | 100-900 |
| Optical sizing | No | Yes |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| Language support | Latin, Cyrillic | Latin, Cyrillic, Greek |
Character Differences
Zalando Sans carries deliberate brand personality. Its letterforms have slightly more geometric construction with distinctive details in characters like a, g, and t that differentiate it from generic grotesques. It was designed to be recognizable — a brand font rather than a systems font.
Inter is designed to be invisible. Its proportions, spacing, and details are optimized for maximum readability with minimum personality. This makes it ideal for interfaces where the typography should serve the content, not itself.
When to Choose Zalando Sans
- E-commerce and retail products where brand warmth matters
- Projects where you want a distinctive font that isn’t Inter
- Consumer-facing platforms in fashion, lifestyle, or retail verticals
- Design systems that need personality beyond neutrality
When to Choose Inter
- UI-heavy products where the font should be invisible
- Projects requiring optical sizing for responsive typography
- Enterprise or B2B products where neutrality is a feature
- Teams that want the most community support and documentation
The Brand Association Question
Using Zalando Sans is legally permitted under OFL, but it carries brand associations. If your target audience shops on Zalando, they may subconsciously associate your product with the platform. In fashion/retail contexts this could be positive; in unrelated industries it might feel odd.
Inter has the opposite situation: it’s so widely used that it carries no specific brand association, which is both its strength and limitation.
FAQ
Is Zalando Sans on Google Fonts? Yes, it’s available on Google Fonts under the OFL license, free for all uses.
Which has better screen rendering? Inter has more comprehensive hinting due to years of iteration. Zalando Sans renders well on modern displays but has less testing on older Windows systems.
Can I use both together? There’s no typographic reason to combine two sans-serifs with similar proportions. Choose one for your UI and pair with a serif or monospace if you need contrast.