Free fonts similar to Circular
Circular is the friendly geometric sans behind a wave of 2010s startup branding. It combines near-perfect circles with small quirks that keep it from feeling sterile. Several well-known tech brands used it before commissioning custom typefaces.
Short answer: the closest free alternative to Circular is DM Sans. Plus Jakarta Sans and Outfit are also worth a look. All are open source and free for commercial use.
Circular 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.
/* DM Sans is open source. Self-host it or load it from Google Fonts. */ font-family: "DM Sans", system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif;
The alternatives in detail
1. DM Sans
Why it works. Low-contrast geometric forms with the same approachable tone, designed for small text as well as headings.
What differs. Slightly narrower, with a larger x-height. The circles are a little less pure.
2. Plus Jakarta Sans
Why it works. A modern geometric with a similar friendly confidence and a good weight range.
What differs. Taller x-height and sharper details give it a more contemporary, less classic feel.
3. Outfit
Why it works. Very round letterforms that echo Circular’s geometry in headlines.
What differs. Lighter in personality, and its thin weights are thinner than anything in Circular.
How to recognize Circular
Laurenz Brunner, 2013, published by Lineto.
- Almost perfectly circular o, b, d, p and q.
- Round dots and a warm, slightly bouncy rhythm.
- A geometric look that still reads comfortably at text sizes.
In a site’s CSS it may appear as Circular Std, CircularXX, LL Circular, Lineto Circular. Not sure what you are looking at? Identify the font on the live page first.
Is Circular free?
Commercial, sold only by Lineto. It is not on Adobe Fonts or any system, and web licenses are priced for companies rather than hobby projects.
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 DM Sans 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: "DM Sans";
src: url("/fonts/dm-sans-400.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 400;
font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
font-family: "DM Sans";
src: url("/fonts/dm-sans-700.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 700;
font-display: swap;
}
body {
font-family: "DM Sans", 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 Circular?+
DM Sans is the closest free alternative to Circular. Low-contrast geometric forms with the same approachable tone, designed for small text as well as headings. Plus Jakarta Sans and Outfit are also worth testing.
Is Circular free to use?+
Commercial, sold only by Lineto. It is not on Adobe Fonts or any system, and web licenses are priced for companies rather than hobby projects.
What Google Font looks like Circular?+
On Google Fonts, the nearest matches are DM Sans, Plus Jakarta Sans and Outfit. 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 Circular?+
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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