font inspectorWhat font does The Verge use?
The Verge’s redesign made typography the main visual element: four distinct typefaces, each with a clear job. The short CSS names, such as `polySans`, are aliases created by the site’s font loader.
Short answer: The Verge uses PolySans for headlines and interface text, the serif FK Roman Standard for story text, PolySans Mono for labels and Manuka for its huge display lettering.
PolySans
Self-hosted50.5%- CSS name
polySans- Weights
- 300, 400, 500, 700, 800
- Sizes
- 24px · 20px · 18px · 16px · 13px · 11px
- Served from
- www.theverge.com
FK Roman Standard
Self-hosted46.6%- CSS name
fkRomanStandard- Weights
- 400
- Sizes
- 24px · 20px · 16px
- Served from
- www.theverge.com
PolySans Mono
Self-hosted2.4%- CSS name
polySansMono- Weights
- 300, 400, 500, 600, 700
- Sizes
- 24px · 14px · 12px · 11px
- Served from
- www.theverge.com
Sizes, weights and spacing by role
These are computed values from the live page, which is what the Font Inspector panel shows when you click each element.
| Role | Font | Size | Weight | Line height | Letter spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline | PolySans | 24px | 700 | 1.1 | 0.01em |
| Button | PolySans Mono | 12px | 600 | 2 | 0.125em |
| Small text | PolySans | 13px | 400 | 1.5 | normal |
The main font stack in the CSS:
font-family: polySans, "polySans Fallback", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;- Manuka, a condensed black display face from Klim Type Foundry, appears at 90px for masthead-style lettering. It is under 1% of the text but a big part of the look.
- Monospaced labels are uppercase with wide tracking, 0.125em.
- Serif and sans serif carry almost equal shares of the page, 47% and 51%.
Check any site yourself in one click.
Sites change their type without notice. Font Inspector shows the rendered font, size, weight and spacing of any text on theverge.com or anywhere else, and lists every font on the page. Free, no account.
About the fonts, and whether you can use them
PolySans
A contemporary geometric grotesque with a wide range of weights, used for headlines and navigation.
Can you use it? PolySans is a commercial typeface. Space Grotesk and Inter are free alternatives with a similar modern edge.
On Google Fonts: Space Grotesk, Inter.
FK Roman Standard
A sharp, contemporary serif from Florian Karsten Typefaces, used for story summaries and reading text.
Can you use it? FK Roman Standard is a commercial typeface. Newsreader and Source Serif 4 are free text serifs.
On Google Fonts: Newsreader, Source Serif 4.
PolySans Mono
The monospaced companion to PolySans, used for uppercase labels and timestamps.
Can you use it? Also commercial. JetBrains Mono and IBM Plex Mono are free.
On Google Fonts: JetBrains Mono, IBM Plex Mono.
Finding a font does not license it. More in how to get a font you found, legally.
Get a similar look with a free font
This starter uses Space Grotesk, which is open source, with the sizes and spacing measured above. It is an approximation, not a copy of The Verge’s brand typeface.
/* Approximates the The Verge look with a free font */
body {
font-family: "Space Grotesk", system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif;
}
h1 {
font-size: 1.5rem; /* 24px */
font-weight: 700;
line-height: 1.1;
letter-spacing: 0.01em;
}How we checked
We opened theverge.com in Chrome on September 21, 2026 and read the computed styles of its visible text: the declared font stack, the font actually rendered, and how much of the page’s text each family sets. That is the same data the Font Inspector extension shows under Fonts on this page. We re-check these pages periodically, and the date above shows the last inspection.
The Verge and its typefaces are trademarks of their respective owners. Font Inspector is not affiliated with The Verge.
Questions & answers
What font does The Verge use on its website?
The Verge uses PolySans for headlines and interface text, the serif FK Roman Standard for story text, PolySans Mono for labels and Manuka for its huge display lettering.
Can I use the The Verge font?
PolySans is a commercial typeface. Space Grotesk and Inter are free alternatives with a similar modern edge.
What is a free font similar to PolySans?
Space Grotesk and Inter are free on Google Fonts and give a similar feel. No free font is an exact match, so compare it with your own text first.
How can I check what font The Verge uses myself?
Open theverge.com, then click any text with the Font Inspector extension, or right-click, choose Inspect and look at Rendered Fonts in the Computed tab. Sites change their typography, so checking the live page is the only way to be sure.