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Lato vs Johnston
Lato is a popular open-source alternative to Johnston's humanist design. At 82% similarity, Lato delivers a friendly, professional aesthetic. Compare which works better for transit and signage projects.
Design DNA
Design overlap:0%
Lato
Johnston
Visual Comparison
Lato
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Johnston
Premium
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Lato | Johnston |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Free | Premium |
| Classification | sans-serif | sans-serif |
| Variable Font | No | No |
| Weights | 100, 300, 400, 700, 900 | Multiple |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| License | OFL-1.1 | Commercial License Required |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended | latin, latin-extended |
| Source | Google Fonts | ITC |
Best Use Cases
Typography for wayfinding, environmental graphics, and public signage. Signage f...
Fonts that establish strong brand identity with distinctive character and versat...
Typography for navigation systems, directional signage, and environmental graphi...
Typography for established businesses, enterprise software, and professional ser...
Typography suited for magazines, newspapers, and long-form content. Editorial fo...
Fonts optimized for mobile interfaces with excellent small-size legibility, clea...
Typography for medical, wellness, and healthcare applications. Healthcare fonts ...
Typography optimized for online retail, marketplaces, and shopping experiences. ...
Typography for startups, tech companies, and venture-backed businesses. Startup ...
Performance Comparison
| Metric | Lato | Johnston |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 60/100 | N/A |
| File Size | 85.9 KB | N/A |
| Weights | 5 | N/A |
| Italics | Yes | N/A |
| Variable Font | No | N/A |
| Language Groups | 2 | N/A |
| CDN Delivery | Yes | N/A |
| x-Height Ratio | 0.506 | N/A |
| Cap Height Ratio | 0.717 | N/A |
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Lato
- Delivers a friendly, professional, clean aesthetic
- Popular in education-academia and healthcare-medical design
- Versatile enough to replace 13+ premium fonts
- Free under OFL-1.1 license
Consider: Johnston
- Original design with refined typographic details
- Designed specifically for transit and signage
- Commercial license with professional support
Free Alternatives to Consider
Other free alternatives to Johnston