Tahoma font
Tahoma is a humanist sans serif by Matthew Carter, first issued by Microsoft in 1994. It comes with Windows and macOS: use it on that computer, in documents and pictures, but its licence doesn’t let you put the font file on a website or pass it on. These 24 free sans serifs come closest to it, measured letter by letter, closest first.
Tahoma itself comes from your device, if it is installed
01 / Free alternatives to Tahoma — compared by measurements
The original · Tahoma, from your device
88match · #1
DejaVu Sans
Find the font. Find its kind.15% wider · 12% lighter
Differs most from Tahoma in I, J, and d
87match · #2
Amiko
Find the font. Find its kind.15% wider · 13% lighter · x-height 4% shorter
Differs most from Tahoma in I, j, and J
84match · #3
Clear Sans
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 6% shorter · 9% lighter
Differs most from Tahoma in C, j, and s
82match · #4
Telex
Find the font. Find its kind.7% wider · x-height 6% shorter
Differs most from Tahoma in C, I, and M
80match · #5
Radio Canada
Find the font. Find its kind.6% wider · x-height 6% shorter
Differs most from Tahoma in j, b, and s
80match · #6
79match · #7
76match · #8
Kanit
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 13% shorter · 6% wider · 10% heavier
Differs most from Tahoma in I, J, and l
75match · #9
Menbere
Find the font. Find its kind.12% wider · x-height 5% taller
Differs most from Tahoma in J, p, and d
75match · #10
Doppio One
Find the font. Find its kind.9% wider · 16% heavier · x-height 6% shorter
Differs most from Tahoma in I, Q, and 9
73match · #11
Inder
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 8% shorter · 7% wider · more stroke contrast
Differs most from Tahoma in 4, I, and q
73match · #12
73match · #13
Varela
Find the font. Find its kind.10% wider · x-height 6% shorter
Differs most from Tahoma in t, I, and O
72match · #14
71match · #15
Sansation
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 6% shorter · 5% wider · 8% lighter
Differs most from Tahoma in I, t, and 6
71match · #16
Prompt
Find the font. Find its kind.13% wider · x-height 12% shorter
Differs most from Tahoma in J, O, and I
70match · #17
Zamero Sans
Find the font. Find its kind.9% wider · x-height 8% shorter · 9% heavier
Differs most from Tahoma in l, j, and i
70match · #18
70match · #19
Maven Pro
Find the font. Find its kind.22% lighter · x-height 9% shorter · 5% wider
Differs most from Tahoma in J, I, and b
69match · #20
PT Sans Caption
Find the font. Find its kind.14% wider · 11% lighter · x-height 4% shorter
Differs most from Tahoma in l, J, and j
69match · #21
69match · #22
Martel Sans
Find the font. Find its kind.10% wider · 12% lighter
Differs most from Tahoma in g, I, and j
69match · #23
Amulya
Find the font. Find its kind.19% lighter · x-height 8% shorter · 7% wider
Differs most from Tahoma in g, I, and M
69match · #24
About Tahoma
- Designed by
- Matthew CarterSource: Wikipedia: Tahoma (typeface) , Microsoft: font list
- First issued
- Microsoft, 1994Source: Wikipedia: Tahoma (typeface) , Microsoft: font list
- Class
- Humanist sans serifSource: Wikipedia: Tahoma (typeface) , Microsoft: font list
- Comes with
- Windows 11: TahomaMicrosoft 365, as a cloud font: TahomamacOS Tahoe: TahomaSource: Microsoft: Windows 11 font list , Microsoft: cloud fonts in Office , Apple: fonts included with macOS Tahoe
Read by hand on 1 October 2026 from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), Microsoft’s and Apple’s lists of their fonts, Monotype’s list of its trademarks and the foundries’ and shops’ own pages. The references are linked beside each fact; a page that sells or hands out the font is not, so a fact read only there shows no link.
Typeface names may be trademarks of their owners. FontKind is not affiliated with Microsoft, and this page is an independent reference.
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Questions about Tahoma
Is Tahoma free?
Free to use where it is installed, not to pass on: Tahoma comes with Windows, and its licence doesn’t let you put it on a website or pass the file on. The 24 fonts on this page are free to use, commercially and on websites too: 22 under the SIL Open Font License, 1 under the Apache License and 1 under the ITF Free Font License.
Which free font is closest to Tahoma?
DejaVu Sans, at 88 out of 100 in our letter-by-letter match, then Amiko (87) and Clear Sans (84). Next to Tahoma, DejaVu Sans is 15% wider and 12% lighter.
Can I use a free Tahoma alternative in Word or Google Docs?
In Google Docs, most likely: Amiko, Telex, Radio Canada and 17 more of them can be added from the font menu, under More fonts.
Who designed Tahoma?
Tahoma was designed by Matthew Carter, and first issued by Microsoft in 1994.