# Free alternatives to News Gothic

News Gothic is a commercial grotesque sans from Monotype (https://www.myfonts.com/collections/news-gothic-font-monotype-imaging). Commercial; licensed from Monotype. The name is used only to identify the typeface; BrandSweets does not host or embed it. Below: the 8 closest free, open-licensed families, ranked by a published deterministic score (https://brandsweets.com/fonts/alternatives/methodology).

## Reference profile

- Slug: `news-gothic`
- Category: sans · Class: grotesque
- Traits: classic, neutral, editorial, industrial, monoline
- Roles: body, heading
- Metrics: x-height 0.52, cap height 0.70, normal width, low contrast (approximate, publicly documented)
- Languages: latin, latin-ext · Variable: no
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/alternatives/news-gothic

## Score

`score = 0.35·classification + 0.25·metrics + 0.20·traits + 0.10·useCase + 0.05·language + 0.05·variable`; every axis in [0, 1]. A family gate runs first: specialist families (blackletter, script, glyphic, stencil, monospace, pixel) only list same-family fonts; elsewhere a cross-family mismatch is capped at 0.2. Curated picks are listed first, then pure formula; ties break on popularity, then slug.

## Ranked alternatives

### 1. Hanken Grotesk — 87%

- Slug: `hanken-grotesk` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Alfredo Marco Pradil, Hanken Design Co. · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/hanken-grotesk · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/hanken-grotesk/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.94 — x-height 0.49 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (close); cap height 0.70 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (near-identical); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.60 — Shares industrial, monoline, neutral (3 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 2. Instrument Sans — 87%

- Slug: `instrument-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Rodrigo Fuenzalida, Jordan Egstad · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/instrument-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/instrument-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.93 — x-height 0.51 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (near-identical); cap height 0.72 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (close); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.60 — Shares industrial, monoline, neutral (3 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 3. Libre Franklin — 87%

- Slug: `libre-franklin` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Impallari Type · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/libre-franklin · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/libre-franklin/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.87 — x-height 0.53 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (near-identical); cap height 0.74 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (close); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.67 — Shares classic, industrial, monoline, neutral (4 of 6 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 4. Spline Sans — 86%

- Slug: `spline-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/spline-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/spline-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.88 — x-height 0.55 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (close); cap height 0.73 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (close); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.60 — Shares industrial, monoline, neutral (3 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 5. IBM Plex Sans — 85%

- Slug: `ibm-plex-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Mike Abbink, Bold Monday · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/ibm-plex-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/ibm-plex-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.99 — x-height 0.52 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (near-identical); cap height 0.70 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (near-identical); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.43 — Shares industrial, monoline, neutral (3 of 7 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 6. Hedvig Letters Sans — 85%

- Slug: `hedvig-letters-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/hedvig-letters-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/hedvig-letters-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 1.00 — x-height 0.52 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (near-identical); cap height 0.70 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (near-identical); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.40 — Shares industrial, monoline (2 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 7. Asap — 85%

- Slug: `asap` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Omnibus-Type · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/asap · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/asap/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.99 — x-height 0.52 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (near-identical); cap height 0.70 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (near-identical); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.40 — Shares industrial, monoline (2 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 8. IBM Plex Sans Arabic — 84%

- Slug: `ibm-plex-sans-arabic` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Mike Abbink, Bold Monday, Khajag Apelian, Wael Morcos · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/ibm-plex-sans-arabic · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/ibm-plex-sans-arabic/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: grotesque.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.99 — x-height 0.52 vs 0.52 for News Gothic (near-identical); cap height 0.70 vs 0.70 for News Gothic (near-identical); both normal width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.40 — Shares industrial, monoline (2 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of News Gothic's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like News Gothic.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

## Self-host Hanken Grotesk (woff2)

- 100 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-100.woff2
- 200 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-200.woff2
- 300 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-300.woff2
- 400 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-400.woff2
- 500 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-500.woff2
- 600 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-600.woff2
- 700 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-700.woff2
- 800 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-800.woff2
- 900 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-900.woff2
- 100 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-100i.woff2
- 200 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-200i.woff2
- 300 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-300i.woff2
- 400 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-400i.woff2
- 500 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-500i.woff2
- 600 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-600i.woff2
- 700 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-700i.woff2
- 800 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-800i.woff2
- 900 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/hanken-grotesk/hanken-grotesk-900i.woff2

## Connect an agent

Point any MCP client at the BrandSweets fonts endpoint to get this list with scores, or search the catalog:

- Endpoint: https://mcp.brandsweets.com/fonts/mcp
- Tools: `find_alternatives` (e.g. `find_alternatives({ commercialFont: "news-gothic", limit: 8 })`), `list_commercial_fonts`, `list_fonts`, `suggest_fonts`.