Free fonts similar to Segoe UI
Segoe UI is what Windows looks like. Sites that list it in their font stack are asking for the native system font on Windows. To get its open, humanist feel on every platform, use a free relative.
Short answer: the closest free alternative to Segoe UI is Open Sans. Noto Sans is also worth a look. All are open source and free for commercial use.
Segoe UI 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.
/* Open Sans is open source. Self-host it or load it from Google Fonts. */ font-family: "Open Sans", "Segoe UI", system-ui, -apple-system, Roboto, sans-serif;
The alternatives in detail
1. Open Sans
Why it works. Also designed by Steve Matteson, with the same open, neutral and friendly structure.
What differs. A little wider with a taller x-height. Most readers will not notice the swap.
2. Noto Sans
Why it works. A close cousin of Open Sans with enormous language coverage, useful for multilingual interfaces.
What differs. Slightly more upright and formal in tone.
How to recognize Segoe UI
Developed for Microsoft with Steve Matteson and introduced with Windows Vista in 2006. It is the Windows system font.
- Open apertures and gently flared, humanist shapes.
- It appears in stacks next to
-apple-systemand Roboto, which signals a system font stack. - Text looks native on Windows and different everywhere else.
In a site’s CSS it may appear as Segoe UI Variable, Segoe UI Web, Segoe. Not sure what you are looking at? Identify the font on the live page first.
Is Segoe UI free?
Licensed with Windows and Microsoft products. It is not licensed for embedding on other websites, so pages only show it to visitors on Windows.
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 Open 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: "Open Sans";
src: url("/fonts/open-sans-400.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 400;
font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
font-family: "Open Sans";
src: url("/fonts/open-sans-700.woff2") format("woff2");
font-weight: 700;
font-display: swap;
}
body {
font-family: "Open Sans", "Segoe UI", system-ui, -apple-system, Roboto, 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 Segoe UI?+
Open Sans is the closest free alternative to Segoe UI. Also designed by Steve Matteson, with the same open, neutral and friendly structure. Noto Sans is also worth testing.
Is Segoe UI free to use?+
Licensed with Windows and Microsoft products. It is not licensed for embedding on other websites, so pages only show it to visitors on Windows.
What Google Font looks like Segoe UI?+
On Google Fonts, the nearest matches are Open Sans and Noto Sans. 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 Segoe UI?+
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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