Optima vs Lato
Choosing between Optima and Lato comes down to whether you want the original tone or a practical open-source substitute. With 70% similarity, Lato offers humanist warmth approaching Optima's elegance in a more contemporary form. If you want the same structure with a friendlier vibe, Lato usually gets you there.
70% Similarity
Visual Comparison
Optima
PremiumPremium font preview not available
Visit the foundry website to see samples
Lato
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Optima | Lato |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Premium | Free |
| Classification | sans-serif | sans-serif |
| Variable Font | No | No |
| Weights | Multiple | 100, 300, 400, 700, 900 |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| License | Commercial License Required | OFL-1.1 |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended, greek | latin, latin-extended |
| Source | Linotype | Google Fonts |
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Lato
- Free to use with open-source license
- No licensing costs for commercial projects
- Can be self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts