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Inter: the free UI sans-serif, explained

Inter is a free, open-source neo-grotesque sans-serif designed by Rasmus Andersson for screens. It ships in nine weights with italics plus a variable version, and covers a wide range of languages. Inter is available on Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License, so commercial use, modification and self-hosting are all permitted.

Inter specimen: a neo-grotesque drawn for small text on screens.

Designer	Rasmus Andersson
Foundry	Independent open-source release (rsms.me)
Released	2016, expanded through Inter 4.0
Classification	Neo-grotesque sans-serif
Weights	9 weights (Thin 100 to Black 900) plus italics
Variable font	Yes, with weight and optical size axes
License	SIL Open Font License 1.1
Google Fonts	Yes
Language support	Latin, Greek, Cyrillic and more

Name	Best for	Free or paid	Note
Inter	Product UI, dashboards, documentation	Free (SIL OFL)	The default choice for dense interfaces; even spacing at small sizes.
Geist	Developer-tool marketing and product UI	Free (SIL OFL)	Wider and cooler than Inter, with a more technical voice.
IBM Plex Sans	Enterprise products and long documentation	Free (SIL OFL)	Warmer, more humanist curves that read well in long text.
Public Sans	Civic, neutral institutional interfaces	Free (SIL OFL)	Less geometric, plainer personality than Inter.
SF Pro	Native Apple apps	Free for Apple platforms only	Apple's system font; not licensed for general web embedding.

Why Inter ended up in so many products

Inter was drawn for interfaces, not for print. Rasmus Andersson designed it while working on tools where small text had to stay legible on ordinary screens, and that constraint shaped everything: a tall x-height, open apertures, and spacing that holds together at 13 to 16 pixels.

It also arrived at the right moment. It is open source, it shipped with a variable font early, and it looks neutral enough to sit behind almost any brand. That combination made it the default for design systems, dashboards and documentation.

Screens first. Tight vertical metrics and a large x-height keep small text readable.
Nine weights. Thin through Black, with italics, so hierarchy rarely needs a second family.
Variable font. One file covers every weight, which keeps page weight down.
Open license. The SIL OFL lets you self-host, modify and ship it inside a product.

Inter vs Geist vs SF Pro

Font	Feel	Best for	License
Inter	Neutral neo-grotesque, slightly condensed	Product UI, dashboards, docs	SIL OFL
Geist	Wider, cooler, technical	Developer-tool marketing	SIL OFL
SF Pro	Soft, humanist, Apple-tuned	Native iOS and macOS apps	Apple platforms only
IBM Plex Sans	Warmer, more humanist	Enterprise, long documentation	SIL OFL

How to use Inter without the default-font look

Tighten large headings. Inter is spaced for small text, so at 32px and up set letter-spacing to roughly -0.02em.
Try the stylistic sets. font-feature-settings: "cv11", "ss01" switches to a single-storey a and a more geometric feel. Test it before committing.
Keep body text at 16px or above with a line-height near 1.6.
Set a real fallback stack so the layout does not jump while loading.
Do not pair it with another grotesque. Use a serif or a mono for contrast instead.

Where to get it

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Google Fonts
Free download plus the embed code for Google Fonts.
rsms.me/inter
The official release, with the variable font and every format.
@fontsource/inter
Self-hosted files for React and other bundlers.

Copy the CSS

css

/* Inter variable font from Google Fonts */
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@100..900&display=swap');

body {
  font-family: "Inter", ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", sans-serif;
  font-feature-settings: "cv11", "ss01";
  letter-spacing: -0.011em;
}

h1, h2, h3 {
  letter-spacing: -0.02em;
}

Frequently asked questions

Is Inter free for commercial use?

Yes. Inter is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which allows commercial use, modification, embedding in websites and apps, and self-hosting. You can ship it inside a paid product without paying a licence fee.

Who designed Inter?

Inter was designed by Rasmus Andersson, a designer and software engineer, and first released in 2016. It has continued as an independent open-source project rather than a commercial foundry release.

Is Inter good for long body text?

It is fine for interface copy and short to medium paragraphs. For long reading passages, many designers prefer a text face with more generous spacing or a serif, because Inter is tuned for compact UI rather than continuous reading.

Inter or Helvetica and Arial?

Inter is designed for screens, with a taller x-height, tighter vertical metrics and many more weights. Helvetica and Arial are system fonts with limited web licensing and fewer weights, so Inter is usually the safer choice for a modern product interface.

Does Inter support languages beyond English?

Yes. Inter covers the Latin script extensively, plus Greek and Cyrillic, and later versions add further language support. If you need Arabic, Hebrew or CJK scripts you will want a companion family.