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Helvetica Compressed vs Barlow
Barlow is a popular open-source alternative to Helvetica Compressed's condensed design. At 78% similarity, Barlow delivers a clean, modern aesthetic. Compare which works better for headlines and editorial projects.
Design DNA
Design overlap:14%
Helvetica Compressed
Barlow
Highlighted traits are shared between both fonts
Visual Comparison
Helvetica Compressed
PremiumPremium font preview not available
Visit the foundry website to see samples
Barlow
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Helvetica Compressed | Barlow |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Premium | Free |
| Classification | sans-serif | sans-serif |
| Variable Font | No | No |
| Weights | Multiple | 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| License | Commercial License Required | OFL-1.1 |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic | latin, latin-extended, vietnamese |
| Source | Linotype | Google Fonts |
Best Use Cases
Typography designed specifically for titles, headers, and attention-grabbing tex...
Typography suited for magazines, newspapers, and long-form content. Editorial fo...
Fonts that establish strong brand identity with distinctive character and versat...
Typography for advertising, marketing campaigns, and promotional materials. Adve...
Typography for news publications, journalism, and current affairs content. News ...
Typography for magazine design, periodicals, and print publications. Magazine fo...
Typography designed to grab attention at large sizes. Display fonts feature dist...
Typography for product packaging, labels, and consumer goods. Packaging fonts mu...
Typography for wayfinding, environmental graphics, and public signage. Signage f...
Performance Comparison
| Metric | Helvetica Compressed | Barlow |
|---|---|---|
| Score | N/A | 63/100 |
| File Size | N/A | 133.8 KB |
| Weights | N/A | 9 |
| Italics | N/A | Yes |
| Variable Font | N/A | No |
| Language Groups | N/A | 3 |
| CDN Delivery | N/A | Yes |
| x-Height Ratio | N/A | 0.506 |
| Cap Height Ratio | N/A | 0.7 |
Which Should You Choose?
Consider: Helvetica Compressed
- Shares Helvetica Compressed's minimal character
- 9 weight options for flexible typography
- Delivers a clean, modern, simple aesthetic
- Popular in healthcare-medical and enterprise-corporate design
- Versatile enough to replace 11+ premium fonts
Recommended: Barlow
- Original design with refined typographic details
- Designed specifically for headlines and editorial
- Commercial license with professional support
Free Alternatives to Consider
Other free alternatives to Helvetica Compressed