Free Alternatives to Circular
About Circular
- Foundry
- Lineto
- Classification
- sans-serif
- Style
- geometric
Circular is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Laurenz Brunner and released by Lineto in 2013. Known for its friendly yet professional character, Circular became the defining typeface of the tech startup era, adopted by companies like Spotify, Airbnb, and countless venture-backed startups.
History and Design
Laurenz Brunner designed Circular as a fresh take on geometric sans-serifs, drawing inspiration from early 20th-century designs like Futura while adding contemporary refinements. The typeface features perfectly circular forms in letters like 'o' and 'c', combined with subtle humanist touches that prevent it from feeling sterile.
Circular's proportions are carefully balanced to work well across all sizes, from small body text to large display headlines. The moderate x-height and open counters ensure excellent readability on screens, contributing to its widespread adoption in digital products.
Why Circular is Popular
Circular's rise coincided with the explosive growth of the startup ecosystem in the 2010s. Its geometric clarity communicates innovation and forward-thinking, while its warmth makes brands feel approachable. Spotify's adoption of Circular in 2015 brought widespread recognition, and many startups followed, seeking to project similar qualities.
Use Cases
Circular excels in:
- Tech products: Native feel for digital interfaces and apps
- Startup branding: Projects innovation and approachability
- Mobile applications: Excellent legibility across device sizes
- Marketing materials: Clean aesthetic for modern campaigns
Finding Free Alternatives
Inter provides the strongest free alternative, offering comparable screen optimization and a comprehensive feature set. Nunito captures Circular's friendly geometric character with rounded terminals, while Poppins delivers similar proportions with slightly more pronounced geometry.
FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Circular?
Inter is the best free alternative to Circular, designed specifically for screens by Rasmus Andersson. Both typefaces share modern geometric proportions optimized for digital interfaces, extensive OpenType features, and variable font support. Inter excels in UI design, applications, and websites where Circular would typically be used.
Can I use Inter commercially?
Yes, Inter is licensed under the SIL Open Font License (OFL-1.1), allowing unlimited commercial use at no cost. You can use it for products, branding, applications, and any commercial project. The license only requires attribution when redistributing the font files, not when using the font in designs.
How similar is Inter to Circular?
Inter achieves approximately 85% similarity to Circular, sharing the same modern geometric sensibility and screen-first design philosophy. Both feature similar x-heights, letter proportions, and clean contemporary aesthetics. Inter has slightly more neutral character shapes while Circular has rounder, friendlier forms.
What are the main differences between Circular and Inter?
Circular has more distinctively rounded geometric forms and a friendlier personality, while Inter prioritizes neutral screen readability with subtle optical corrections. Circular offers fewer weights but includes distinctive stylistic alternates. Inter provides more extensive OpenType features and wider language support.
Where can I download Inter for free?
Inter is available for free download from Google Fonts at fonts.google.com/specimen/Inter. The font includes a variable font version with full weight range from Thin to Black, plus Inter Display for large sizes. You can also download directly from rsms.me/inter.
Free Alternatives (3)
Similar modern aesthetic with excellent screen optimization and extensive features
Comparable rounded geometric forms with friendly character
Shares geometric foundations with similar weight distribution
How to Use Inter
Copy these code snippets to quickly add Inter to your project.
CSS Import
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@100..900&display=swap');HTML Link Tags
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@100..900&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">Tailwind CSS
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
fontFamily: {
'inter': ['Inter', 'sans-serif'],
},
},
},
}
// Usage in HTML:
// <p class="font-inter">Your text here</p>React / Next.js
// Using next/font (Next.js 13+)
import { Inter } from 'next/font/google';
const inter = Inter({
subsets: ['latin'],
weight: ['100', '200', '300', '400', '500', '600', '700', '800', '900'],
});
export default function Component() {
return (
<p className={inter.className}>
Your text here
</p>
);
}
// Or using inline styles with Google Fonts link:
// <p style={{ fontFamily: "'Inter'" }}>Your text</p>Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to Circular?
Inter is the best free alternative to Circular with 85% similarity. It shares similar proportions and characteristics while being available under the OFL-1.1 license for both personal and commercial use at no cost.
Can I use Inter commercially?
Yes, Inter can be used commercially. It is licensed under OFL-1.1, which allows free use in websites, applications, print materials, and commercial projects without purchasing a license or paying royalties.
Is Inter similar enough to Circular?
Inter achieves 85% similarity to Circular. While not identical, it offers comparable letterforms, proportions, and visual style. Most designers find it works excellently as a substitute in web and print projects.
What are the main differences between Circular and its free alternatives?
Free alternatives to Circular may differ in subtle details like letter spacing, curve refinements, and available weights. Premium fonts typically include more OpenType features, extended language support, and optimized screen rendering. However, for most projects, these differences are negligible.
Where can I download free alternatives to Circular?
Download Inter from Google Fonts. Click the "Get Font" button on any alternative above to visit the official download page. Google Fonts also provides embed codes for easy web integration.