# Free alternatives to Tiempos

Tiempos is a commercial contemporary-serif serif from Klim Type Foundry (https://klim.co.nz/retail-fonts/tiempos-text/). Commercial; licensed from Klim. 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: `tiempos`
- Also searched as: Tiempos Text, Tiempos Headline
- Category: serif · Class: contemporary-serif, transitional
- Traits: editorial, modern, refined, elegant
- Roles: body, longform, heading
- Metrics: x-height 0.48, cap height 0.68, normal width, medium contrast (approximate, publicly documented)
- Languages: latin, latin-ext · Variable: no
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/alternatives/tiempos

## 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. Source Serif 4 — 82% (curated)

- Slug: `source-serif-4` · serif · OFL-1.1 · Frank Grießhammer · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/source-serif-4 · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/source-serif-4/font.md
- Why (curated): Contemporary transitional serif with Tiempos' crisp, editorial feel.
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: contemporary-serif, transitional.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.96 — x-height 0.47 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (near-identical); cap height 0.67 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (near-identical); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.33 — Shares editorial, refined (2 of 6 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, longform; Source Serif 4 is not tagged for heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

### 2. Newsreader — 77% (curated)

- Slug: `newsreader` · serif · OFL-1.1 · Production Type · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/newsreader · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/newsreader/font.md
- Why (curated): Editorial serif with optical sizes covering Tiempos Text and Headline.
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: transitional.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.86 — x-height 0.43 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (close); cap height 0.67 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (near-identical); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.00 — No shared traits.
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, heading, longform.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

### 3. Lora — 81% (curated)

- Slug: `lora` · serif · OFL-1.1 · Cyreal · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/lora · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/lora/font.md
- Why (curated): Contemporary text serif with Tiempos' moderate contrast and warmth.
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: contemporary-serif, transitional.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.91 — x-height 0.50 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (near-identical); cap height 0.70 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (near-identical); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.33 — Shares editorial, refined (2 of 6 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, longform; Lora is not tagged for heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

### 4. Spectral — 86%

- Slug: `spectral` · serif · OFL-1.1 · Production Type · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/spectral · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/spectral/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: contemporary-serif, transitional.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.89 — x-height 0.45 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (close); cap height 0.66 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (close); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.60 — Shares editorial, modern, refined (3 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, longform; Spectral is not tagged for heading.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

### 5. Gelasio — 83%

- Slug: `gelasio` · serif · OFL-1.1 · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/gelasio · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/gelasio/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: transitional.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.97 — x-height 0.48 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (near-identical); cap height 0.69 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (near-identical); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.20 — Shares editorial (1 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, heading, longform.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

### 6. Faustina — 82%

- Slug: `faustina` · serif · OFL-1.1 · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/faustina · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/faustina/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: contemporary-serif.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.89 — x-height 0.49 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (near-identical); cap height 0.65 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (close); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.25 — Shares editorial (1 of 4 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, heading, longform.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

### 7. Literata — 81%

- Slug: `literata` · serif · OFL-1.1 · TypeTogether · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/literata · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/literata/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: contemporary-serif.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.89 — x-height 0.51 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (close); cap height 0.70 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (close); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.20 — Shares editorial (1 of 5 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, heading, longform.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

### 8. Petrona — 81%

- Slug: `petrona` · serif · OFL-1.1 · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/petrona · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/petrona/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: contemporary-serif.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.83 — x-height 0.44 vs 0.48 for Tiempos (close); cap height 0.64 vs 0.68 for Tiempos (close); both normal width; both medium stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.25 — Shares editorial (1 of 4 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, heading, longform.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Tiempos's subsets (latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Tiempos.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: serif.

## Self-host Source Serif 4 (woff2)

- 200 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-200.woff2
- 300 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-300.woff2
- 400 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-400.woff2
- 500 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-500.woff2
- 600 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-600.woff2
- 700 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-700.woff2
- 800 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-800.woff2
- 900 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-900.woff2
- 200 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-200i.woff2
- 300 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-300i.woff2
- 400 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-400i.woff2
- 500 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-500i.woff2
- 600 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-600i.woff2
- 700 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-700i.woff2
- 800 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-800i.woff2
- 900 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/source-serif-4/source-serif-4-900i.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: "tiempos", limit: 8 })`), `list_commercial_fonts`, `list_fonts`, `suggest_fonts`.