Verdana font
Verdana is a humanist sans serif by Matthew Carter, first issued by Microsoft in 1996. 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.
Verdana itself comes from your device, if it is installed
01 / Free alternatives to Verdana — compared by measurements
The original · Verdana, from your device
92match · #1
DejaVu Sans
Find the font. Find its kind.Nearly identical proportions
Differs most from Verdana in I, J, and j
87match · #2
83match · #3
Biryani
Find the font. Find its kind.Nearly identical proportions
Differs most from Verdana in Q, I, and 9
80match · #4
Varela
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 6% shorter · 4% narrower
Differs most from Verdana in t, I, and o
79match · #5
Telex
Find the font. Find its kind.7% narrower · x-height 6% shorter · 6% heavier
Differs most from Verdana in C, j, and I
77match · #6
Clear Sans
Find the font. Find its kind.11% narrower · x-height 6% shorter
Differs most from Verdana in C, j, and e
77match · #7
Radio Canada
Find the font. Find its kind.7% narrower · x-height 6% shorter
Differs most from Verdana in b, j, and a
75match · #8
Prompt
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 12% shorter · 15% heavier
Differs most from Verdana in J, I, and j
74match · #9
74match · #10
Kanit
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 13% shorter · 22% heavier · 7% narrower
Differs most from Verdana in 1, I, and l
74match · #11
Menbere
Find the font. Find its kind.11% heavier · x-height 5% taller
Differs most from Verdana in J, q, and p
74match · #12
Inder
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 8% shorter · 7% narrower · 8% heavier
Differs most from Verdana in 4, l, and I
73match · #13
Sansation
Find the font. Find its kind.8% narrower · x-height 6% shorter
Differs most from Verdana in B, I, and 4
72match · #14
Encode Sans Expanded
Find the font. Find its kind.10% lighter
Differs most from Verdana in j, J, and I
72match · #15
Amulya
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 8% shorter · 7% narrower · 10% lighter
Differs most from Verdana in g, I, and j
71match · #16
Zamero Sans
Find the font. Find its kind.22% heavier · x-height 8% shorter · 5% narrower
Differs most from Verdana in l, j, and a
71match · #17
71match · #18
71match · #19
70match · #20
Encode Sans Semi Expanded
Find the font. Find its kind.5% narrower · 8% lighter
Differs most from Verdana in j, J, and I
70match · #21
PT Sans Caption
Find the font. Find its kind.x-height 4% shorter
Differs most from Verdana in l, j, and Q
70match · #22
70match · #23
Maven Pro
Find the font. Find its kind.9% narrower · x-height 9% shorter · 13% lighter
Differs most from Verdana in J, b, and I
70match · #24
About Verdana
- Designed by
- Matthew CarterSource: Wikipedia: Verdana , Microsoft: font list
- First issued
- Microsoft, 1996Source: Wikipedia: Verdana , Microsoft: font list
- Class
- Humanist sans serifSource: Wikipedia: Verdana , Microsoft: font list
- Comes with
- Windows 11: VerdanaWindows 11, as an optional font: Verdana ProMicrosoft 365, as a cloud font: VerdanamacOS Tahoe: VerdanaSource: 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.
Hold rights in Verdana? Write to rights@fontkind.com: we answer within two working days, and take down what is disputed while we look into it.
Questions about Verdana
Is Verdana free?
Free to use where it is installed, not to pass on: Verdana 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 Verdana?
DejaVu Sans, at 92 out of 100 in our letter-by-letter match, then Amiko (87) and Biryani (83). Next to Verdana, DejaVu Sans has nearly identical proportions.
Can I use a free Verdana alternative in Word or Google Docs?
In Google Docs, most likely: Amiko, Biryani, Varela and 16 more of them can be added from the font menu, under More fonts.
Who designed Verdana?
Verdana was designed by Matthew Carter, and first issued by Microsoft in 1996.