Serif · Nikhil Ranganathan
Erode
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Erode', serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Erode is a free serif by Nikhil Ranganathan, from Fontshare. Among the 354 serifs on FontKind, Erode has an x-height shorter than 75%, is narrower than 80% and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 84%. Its thickest strokes are 1.9 times its thinnest: moderate stroke contrast.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Bona Nova SC
Erode on one light table with its two closest fonts, Bona Nova SC (88 out of 100) and Halant (84). Bona Nova SC is 16% heavier and 5% wider, with more stroke contrast; Halant has an x-height 12% taller.
Erode and Bona Nova SC laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with ErodeBona Nova SC…
Most different letters first; the figure is the share of ink the fonts have in common. Where the fonts agree the letters cancel to black: every white sliver is a real difference.
02 / Letters
The Erode alphabet
Capitals, lowercase, figures and signs · weight 400
Tap the letters you like, here and in other fonts, to find the fonts whose letters look most like them.
- &
- ?
- !
- @
- %
- (
- )
03 / Weights
Erode in 5 weights
5 weights, 300–700, with italics
- 300 Light, with its italic
- 400 Regular, with its italic
- 500 Medium, with its italic
- 600 Semibold, with its italic
- 700 Bold, with its italic
04 / Facts
Who made Erode, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Nikhil Ranganathan
- Kind
- Serif
- Styles
- 5 weights, 300–700, with italics
- From
- Fontshare
- Character sets
- latin
- Licence
- ITF Free Font License 2.0
Can I use it?
- Commercial use
- Yes.
- Logos
- Yes. Even registered as a trademark.
- Websites and apps
- Yes. Your own, not as a font others pick.
- PDFs and documents
- Yes. Embedded so that it can’t be pulled out.
- Changes
- No. Not even subsetting, without ITF’s written consent.
- Sharing the files
- No. Only within your organisation.
Erode is under the ITF Free Font License 2.0. This is a plain summary, not legal advice: the licence itself decides.
Already in your apps?
- Google Docs
- Not verified. Docs adds Google Fonts, and Erode comes from Fontshare. Google’s guide
- Word, PowerPoint
- No. Install it from Fontshare first. Microsoft’s list
- Figma
- No. Erode comes from Fontshare: install it first. Figma’s help
- Canva
- Not verified. Search its font menu for Erode, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Erode under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Erode, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 44.8% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 60.4% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.74lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 46.7% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 35%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.86 : 1moderate stroke contrast
Where it stands among serifs
Ranked against all 354 serifs on FontKind
x-heightSmaller than 75% of serifs
WidthNarrower than 80% of serifs
InkLighter than 84% of serifs
ContrastMore even than 63% of serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Erode
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Bona Nova SC8816% heavier · 5% wider · more stroke contrast
- Halant84x-height 12% taller
- Bona Nova8116% heavier · 5% wider · more stroke contrast
- Judson77more stroke contrast · 17% heavier
- Gambetta778% wider · more stroke contrast
- Gentium Plus7715% heavier · less stroke contrast
All 100 fonts similar to Erode →Compare side by side →Get Erode on Fontshare
07 / Swap
Swap Erode without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Gentium Plus77text 0.8% wider · x-height 1.4% taller
- Namdhinggo74text 1.4% wider · x-height 4.1% shorter
- UNAL Ancizar Serif74text 2.1% wider · same x-height
- Gentium Book Plus73text 2.9% wider · x-height 1.4% taller
- Tinos66text 2.3% narrower · x-height 2.5% taller
- Fenix66same text width · same x-height
Fallback while it loads
Until Erode loads, this sets Times New Roman in its place at 102.3% of its size, so running text keeps Erode’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Erode Fallback';
src: local('Times New Roman');
size-adjust: 102.35%;
ascent-override: 90.87%;
descent-override: 21.50%;
line-gap-override: 8.79%;
}
font-family: 'Erode', 'Erode Fallback', serif;08 / Questions
Questions about Erode
Answered from its licence, Fontshare and each app’s own font list
Is Erode free for commercial use?
Yes. Erode is under the ITF Free Font License 2.0 , which allows commercial use, logos you can register as trademarks and your own websites and apps. But its files may not be changed, not even subset, nor passed outside your organisation.
How do I download and install Erode?
FontKind doesn’t host Erode’s files: it comes free from Fontshare , Indian Type Foundry’s library, and only from there. Download it from its page there and unzip the file. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open.
Is Erode in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Erode isn’t one of Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts. Installed, it is in Word’s font menu and PowerPoint’s. On Windows, its weights beyond Regular and Bold show as fonts of their own, such as Erode Light and Erode SemiBold. For someone who hasn’t installed it, save it as a PDF, which carries the font with it.
Is Erode in Google Docs?
Probably not: the More fonts list in Docs draws on Google Fonts, and Erode comes from Fontshare. Docs can’t add a font of your own, so set it in an app on your computer, such as Word, instead.
Is Erode in Figma?
Not built in: Figma includes Google Fonts, and Erode comes from Fontshare. Install it on your computer and Figma lists it.
How many weights does Erode have?
Erode comes in five weights: Light (300), Regular (400), Medium (500), SemiBold (600) and Bold (700), each with an italic.
Who designed Erode?
Erode was designed by Nikhil Ranganathan.
What fonts are similar to Erode?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Bona Nova SC (88), Halant (84) and Bona Nova (81), out of 100. Next to Erode, Bona Nova SC is 16% heavier and 5% wider, with more stroke contrast. See all 100 fonts like Erode.