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Source Sans Pro vs Work Sans
Source Sans Pro and Work Sans are both freely available sans-serif fonts often used as alternatives to the same premium typefaces. Source Sans Pro serves as a replacement for 15 premium fonts while Work Sans covers 34. This comparison helps you pick between two strong open-source options.
Design DNA
Design overlap:33%
Source Sans Pro
Work Sans
Highlighted traits are shared between both fonts
Visual Comparison
Source Sans Pro
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Work Sans
FreeAa Bb Cc 123
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !@#$%^&*()
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Source Sans Pro | Work Sans |
|---|---|---|
| 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, cyrillic, cyrillic-extended, greek, greek-extended, vietnamese | latin, latin-extended, vietnamese |
| Source | Google Fonts | Google Fonts |
Best Use Cases
Typography suited for magazines, newspapers, and long-form content. Editorial fo...
Fonts that establish strong brand identity with distinctive character and versat...
Typography for wayfinding, environmental graphics, and public signage. Signage f...
Typography for established businesses, enterprise software, and professional ser...
Typography optimized for user interfaces, design systems, and digital products. ...
Typography for print and digital publishing, book design, and editorial producti...
Typography designed specifically for titles, headers, and attention-grabbing tex...
Typography for advertising, marketing campaigns, and promotional materials. Adve...
Typography for sports brands, athletic apparel, and team identities. Sports font...
Typography for magazine design, periodicals, and print publications. Magazine fo...
Weight & Style Coverage
Performance Comparison
| Metric | Source Sans Pro | Work Sans |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 69/100 | 57/100 |
| File Size | 181.1 KB | 227.9 KB |
| Weights | 9 (var) | 9 (var) |
| Italics | Yes | Yes |
| Variable Font | Yes (1 axes) | Yes (1 axes) |
| Language Groups | 7 | 3 |
| CDN Delivery | Yes | Yes |
| x-Height Ratio | 0.486 | 0.5 |
| Cap Height Ratio | 0.66 | 0.66 |
Source Sans Pro is 21% lighter for the standard weight set (400, 400i, 700).
Which Should You Choose?
Recommended: Source Sans Pro
- Replaces 15 premium fonts
- professional, clean character
- Popular in enterprise-corporate and financial-services
- Variable font with continuous weight range
- Broader language and script support
Consider: Work Sans
- Replaces 34 premium fonts
- minimal, clean character
- Popular in healthcare-medical and enterprise-corporate
- Variable font with continuous weight range
- Free under OFL-1.1
Premium Font Coverage
Both replace (1)
Only Source Sans Pro (14)
Only Work Sans (33)
Source Sans Pro covers 15 premium fonts vs Work Sans's 34