Helvetica vs Roboto
Choosing between Helvetica and Roboto comes down to whether you want the original tone or a practical open-source substitute. With 80% similarity, Roboto combines geometric forms with friendly curves, offering Helvetica-like neutrality with slightly more warmth. If your goal is neutrality, both fit, but Roboto tends to be optimized for contemporary screen rendering.
80% Similarity
Visual Comparison
Helvetica
PremiumPremium font preview not available
Visit the foundry website to see samples
Roboto
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Helvetica | Roboto |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Premium | Free |
| Classification | sans-serif | sans-serif |
| Variable Font | No | Yes |
| Weights | Multiple | Variable (100-900) |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| License | Commercial License Required | Apache-2.0 |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, greek | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, cyrillic-extended, greek, greek-extended, vietnamese |
| Source | Linotype | Google Fonts |
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Roboto
- Free to use with open-source license
- Variable font offers flexible weight adjustment
- Broader language support
- No licensing costs for commercial projects
- Can be self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts