# Free alternatives to Verdana

Verdana is a commercial humanist sans from Microsoft (Matthew Carter) (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/font-list/verdana). Bundled with Windows/macOS under those EULAs; web use needs a license 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: `verdana`
- Category: sans · Class: humanist
- Traits: neutral, wide, clean, technical, monoline
- Roles: ui, body
- Metrics: x-height 0.55, cap height 0.73, wide width, low contrast (approximate, publicly documented)
- Languages: latin, latin-ext, cyrillic, greek · Variable: no
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/alternatives/verdana

## 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. Open Sans — 81%

- Slug: `open-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Steve Matteson · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/open-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/open-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.80 — x-height 0.54 vs 0.55 for Verdana (near-identical); cap height 0.71 vs 0.73 for Verdana (near-identical); normal width vs wide for Verdana; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.29 — Shares monoline, neutral (2 of 7 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Verdana's subsets (cyrillic, greek, latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 2. Red Hat Text — 78%

- Slug: `red-hat-text` · sans · OFL-1.1 · MCKL · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/red-hat-text · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/red-hat-text/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.67 — x-height 0.49 vs 0.55 for Verdana (noticeably different); cap height 0.70 vs 0.73 for Verdana (close); normal width vs wide for Verdana; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.43 — Shares clean, monoline, neutral (3 of 7 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 0.50 — Covers latin, latin-ext; lacks cyrillic, greek.
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 3. PT Sans — 78%

- Slug: `pt-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · ParaType · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/pt-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/pt-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.70 — x-height 0.50 vs 0.55 for Verdana (close); cap height 0.70 vs 0.73 for Verdana (close); normal width vs wide for Verdana; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.33 — Shares monoline, neutral (2 of 6 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 0.75 — Covers cyrillic, latin, latin-ext; lacks greek.
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 4. Lexend Giga — 77%

- Slug: `lexend-giga` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Bonnie Shaver-Troup, Thomas Jockin, Santiago Orozco, Héctor Gómez, Superunion · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/lexend-giga · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/lexend-giga/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.87 — x-height 0.53 vs 0.55 for Verdana (close); cap height 0.70 vs 0.73 for Verdana (close); both wide width; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.29 — Shares monoline, wide (2 of 7 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 0.50 — Covers latin, latin-ext; lacks cyrillic, greek.
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 5. Mulish — 76%

- Slug: `mulish` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Vernon Adams, Cyreal, Jacques Le Bailly · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mulish · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mulish/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.71 — x-height 0.50 vs 0.55 for Verdana (close); cap height 0.70 vs 0.73 for Verdana (close); normal width vs wide for Verdana; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.22 — Shares clean, monoline (2 of 9 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 0.75 — Covers cyrillic, latin, latin-ext; lacks greek.
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 6. Source Sans 3 — 76%

- Slug: `source-sans-3` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Paul D. Hunt · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/source-sans-3 · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/source-sans-3/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.57 — x-height 0.49 vs 0.55 for Verdana (noticeably different); cap height 0.66 vs 0.73 for Verdana (noticeably different); normal width vs wide for Verdana; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.50 — Shares clean, monoline, neutral (3 of 6 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Verdana's subsets (cyrillic, greek, latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 7. Nunito Sans — 76%

- Slug: `nunito-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Vernon Adams, Jacques Le Bailly, Manvel Shmavonyan, Alexei Vanyashin · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/nunito-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/nunito-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.68 — x-height 0.49 vs 0.55 for Verdana (noticeably different); cap height 0.70 vs 0.73 for Verdana (close); normal width vs wide for Verdana; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.25 — Shares clean, monoline (2 of 8 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 1.00 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 0.75 — Covers cyrillic, latin, latin-ext; lacks greek.
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

### 8. Fira Sans — 76%

- Slug: `fira-sans` · sans · OFL-1.1 · Carrois Apostrophe · static
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/fira-sans · font.md: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/fira-sans/font.md
- Classification (×0.35): 1.00 — Same class: humanist.
- Metrics (×0.25): 0.72 — x-height 0.53 vs 0.55 for Verdana (near-identical); cap height 0.69 vs 0.73 for Verdana (close); normal width vs wide for Verdana; both low stroke contrast.
- Traits (×0.20): 0.29 — Shares monoline, technical (2 of 7 traits).
- Role (×0.10): 0.67 — Both suit body, ui.
- Language (×0.05): 1.00 — Covers all of Verdana's subsets (cyrillic, greek, latin, latin-ext).
- Variable (×0.05): 1.00 — Static instances, like Verdana.
- Family gate: pass — Same family: sans.

## Self-host Open Sans (woff2)

- 300 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-300.woff2
- 400 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-400.woff2
- 500 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-500.woff2
- 600 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-600.woff2
- 700 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-700.woff2
- 800 normal: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-800.woff2
- 300 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-300i.woff2
- 400 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-400i.woff2
- 500 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-500i.woff2
- 600 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-600i.woff2
- 700 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-700i.woff2
- 800 italic: https://fonts.brandsweets.com/open-sans/open-sans-800i.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: "verdana", limit: 8 })`), `list_commercial_fonts`, `list_fonts`, `suggest_fonts`.