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Public Sans vs Source Sans 3
Public Sans and Source Sans 3 are both freely available sans-serif fonts often used as alternatives to the same premium typefaces. Public Sans serves as a replacement for 3 premium fonts while Source Sans 3 covers 4. This comparison helps you pick between two strong open-source options.
Design DNA
Design overlap:67%
Public Sans
Source Sans 3
Highlighted traits are shared between both fonts
Visual Comparison
Public Sans
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Source Sans 3
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Public Sans | Source Sans 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Free | Free |
| Classification | sans-serif | sans-serif |
| Variable Font | Yes | Yes |
| Weights | Variable (100-900) | Variable (100-900) |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| License | OFL-1.1 | OFL-1.1 |
| Language Support | latin, latin-extended | latin, latin-extended, cyrillic, cyrillic-extended, greek, greek-extended, vietnamese |
| Source | Google Fonts | Google Fonts |
Best Use Cases
Fonts that establish strong brand identity with distinctive character and versat...
Typography suited for magazines, newspapers, and long-form content. Editorial fo...
Typography for established businesses, enterprise software, and professional ser...
Typography optimized for user interfaces, design systems, and digital products. ...
Typography for wayfinding, environmental graphics, and public signage. Signage f...
Typography for product packaging, labels, and consumer goods. Packaging fonts mu...
Typography for automotive brands, vehicle interfaces, and transportation design....
Typography for navigation systems, directional signage, and environmental graphi...
Weight & Style Coverage
Performance Comparison
| Metric | Public Sans | Source Sans 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 59/100 |
| File Size | 134.3 KB | 380.1 KB |
| Weights | 9 (var) | 9 (var) |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| Variable Font | Yes (1 axes) | Yes (1 axes) |
| Language Groups | 2 | 7 |
| CDN Delivery | Yes | Yes |
| x-Height Ratio | 0.517 | 0.486 |
| Cap Height Ratio | 0.723 | 0.66 |
Public Sans is 65% lighter for the standard weight set (400, 400i, 700).
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Public Sans
- Replaces 3 premium fonts
- professional, neutral character
- Popular in government-public-sector and enterprise-corporate
- Variable font with continuous weight range
- Free under OFL-1.1
Consider: Source Sans 3
- Replaces 4 premium fonts
- professional, clean character
- Popular in enterprise-corporate and government-public-sector
- Variable font with continuous weight range
- Broader language and script support
Premium Font Coverage
Both replace (3)
Only Source Sans 3 (1)
Public Sans covers 3 premium fonts vs Source Sans 3's 4