Free fonts similar to Aktiv Grotesk
Aktiv Grotesk was drawn as a position between Helvetica and Univers: Helvetica without the quirks, Univers with a bit more warmth. It supports a very wide range of scripts, which makes it popular with global brands that need one voice in many languages.
Short answer: the closest free alternative to Aktiv Grotesk is Inter. Roboto is also worth a look. All are open source and free for commercial use.
Aktiv Grotesk is not installed on this device, so it cannot be drawn here. The free alternatives below are live. On a device that has it, this row shows the original and unlocks the overlay.
/* Inter is open source. Self-host it or load it from Google Fonts. */ font-family: "Inter", system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif;
The alternatives in detail
1. Inter
Why it works. The same brief, neutral and legible at every size, with a full variable weight range.
What differs. More open letterforms and a slightly wider set. It looks more like an interface font and less like print.
2. Roboto
Why it works. A widely available grotesque with a similar businesslike tone and good language coverage.
What differs. Narrower with more mechanical curves. It carries a strong Android association.
How to recognize Aktiv Grotesk
Designed at Dalton Maag under Bruno Maag and released in 2010.
- Horizontal stroke endings and an even, neutral texture in the Helvetica tradition.
- A large x-height and slightly more open apertures than Helvetica.
- On sites served by Adobe Fonts the CSS name is
aktiv-grotesk.
In a site’s CSS it may appear as aktiv-grotesk, Aktiv Grotesk Corp, Aktiv Grotesk Ex, Aktiv Grotesk Cd. Not sure what you are looking at? Identify the font on the live page first.
Is Aktiv Grotesk free?
Commercial, from Dalton Maag. It is included with Adobe Fonts, where its CSS name is aktiv-grotesk.
The alternatives on this page are open source, so you can use them on commercial sites, self-host the files and ship them in products. Read more in font licensing in plain English.
Use Inter in your CSS
Put the free font first and keep sensible fallbacks behind it. Self-hosting the files is the most private and usually the fastest option.
@font-face {
font-family: "Inter";
src: url("/fonts/inter-400.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 400;
font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
font-family: "Inter";
src: url("/fonts/inter-700.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 700;
font-display: swap;
}
body {
font-family: "Inter", system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif;
}Saw a font you can’t place, or can’t afford?
Font Inspector names the font on any website in one click. For popular paid and system fonts it suggests free look-alikes right in the panel.
Questions & answers
What is the closest free font to Aktiv Grotesk?+
Inter is the closest free alternative to Aktiv Grotesk. The same brief, neutral and legible at every size, with a full variable weight range. Roboto is also worth testing.
Is Aktiv Grotesk free to use?+
Commercial, from Dalton Maag. It is included with Adobe Fonts, where its CSS name is aktiv-grotesk.
What Google Font looks like Aktiv Grotesk?+
On Google Fonts, the nearest matches are Inter and Roboto. All are open source and free for commercial use. None is an exact copy, so compare them with your own text first.
How can I tell whether a website uses Aktiv Grotesk?+
Inspect the text. Browser DevTools show the rendered font in the Computed tab, and the Font Inspector extension shows the family, the rendered font and free look-alikes in one click.
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