Install FontSwap
Open Sans vs Verdana
This comparison helps you decide whether Open Sans can replace Verdana without changing the overall typographic feel. With 78% similarity, Open Sans shares Verdana's screen-first design philosophy with similar generous x-height, wide letterforms, and optimized hinting. Bonus: Open Sans is available as a variable font, which makes weight tuning and file size easier.
78% Similarity
Visual Comparison
Open Sans
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Verdana
Premium
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Open Sans | Verdana |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Free | Premium |
| Classification | sans-serif | sans-serif |
| Variable Font | Yes | No |
| Weights | Variable (100-900) | Multiple |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Commercial License Required |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, cyrillic-extended, greek, greek-extended, vietnamese | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, greek |
| Source | Google Fonts | Microsoft |
Performance Comparison
| Metric | Open Sans | Verdana |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 54/100 | N/A |
| File Size | 706.8 KB | N/A |
| Weights | 9 (var) | N/A |
| Italics | Yes | N/A |
| Variable Font | Yes (1 axes) | N/A |
| Language Groups | 7 | N/A |
| CDN Delivery | Yes | N/A |
| x-Height Ratio | 0.535 | N/A |
| Cap Height Ratio | 0.714 | N/A |
Where You'll See These Fonts
Verdana
- IKEA (historical)
- Early web design
- Email signatures
- Microsoft applications
- Corporate intranets
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Open Sans
- Shares Verdana's readable character
- Particularly suited for web applications and corporate communications
- Variable font with continuous weight adjustment
- Supports 7 scripts including cyrillic and cyrillic-extended
- Delivers a clean, professional, friendly aesthetic
Consider: Verdana
- Original design with refined typographic details
- Designed specifically for web and ui
- Used by IKEA (historical), Early web design
- Commercial license with professional support
Browse by Context
Free Alternatives to Consider
Other free alternatives to Verdana