Free fonts similar to Bodoni
Bodoni is the Italian counterpart to Didot: high contrast, vertical and dramatic, with a touch more solidity. You will find it on posters, fashion brands and editorial headlines.
Short answer: the closest free alternative to Bodoni is Bodoni Moda. Playfair Display is also worth a look. All are open source and free for commercial use.
Bodoni 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.
/* Bodoni Moda is open source. Self-host it or load it from Google Fonts. */ font-family: "Bodoni Moda", "Bodoni 72", "Bodoni MT", Didot, serif;
The alternatives in detail
1. Bodoni Moda
Why it works. An open source Bodoni with a variable optical size axis, so it works from headline down to larger text sizes.
What differs. A modern interpretation, so details will not match any specific commercial cut exactly.
2. Playfair Display
Why it works. A widely used high-contrast display serif with a similar sense of drama.
What differs. Softer, with bracketed serifs and more rounded shapes.
How to recognize Bodoni
Based on the types of Giambattista Bodoni, Parma, around 1798. Dozens of revivals exist.
- Strong thick and thin contrast with vertical stress.
- Thin, flat serifs that meet the stems at a sharp angle.
- Ball terminals on letters such as a, c, f and r.
In a site’s CSS it may appear as Bodoni 72, Bauer Bodoni, ITC Bodoni, Bodoni MT. Not sure what you are looking at? Identify the font on the live page first.
Is Bodoni free?
Depends on the version. Bodoni 72 ships with macOS and Bodoni MT with Microsoft Office. Professional cuts such as Bauer Bodoni are commercial.
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 Bodoni Moda 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: "Bodoni Moda";
src: url("/fonts/bodoni-moda-400.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 400;
font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
font-family: "Bodoni Moda";
src: url("/fonts/bodoni-moda-700.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 700;
font-display: swap;
}
body {
font-family: "Bodoni Moda", "Bodoni 72", "Bodoni MT", Didot, 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 Bodoni?+
Bodoni Moda is the closest free alternative to Bodoni. An open source Bodoni with a variable optical size axis, so it works from headline down to larger text sizes. Playfair Display is also worth testing.
Is Bodoni free to use?+
Depends on the version. Bodoni 72 ships with macOS and Bodoni MT with Microsoft Office. Professional cuts such as Bauer Bodoni are commercial.
What Google Font looks like Bodoni?+
On Google Fonts, the nearest matches are Bodoni Moda and Playfair Display. 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 Bodoni?+
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.
Times New Roman
Try Tinos, Source Serif 4 and Newsreader
TRANSITIONAL SERIF FOR SCREENSGeorgia
Try Gelasio, Merriweather and Source Serif 4
OLD-STYLE (GARALDE) SERIFGaramond
Try EB Garamond, Cormorant Garamond and Crimson Pro
DIDONE (MODERN) SERIFDidot
Try Playfair Display and Bodoni Moda
NEO-GROTESQUE SANS SERIFHelvetica
Try Inter, Arimo and Roboto
NEO-GROTESQUE SANS SERIFHelvetica Neue
Try Inter, Arimo and Hanken Grotesk