Sans serif · Element Type
Host Grotesk
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Host Grotesk', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Host Grotesk is a free sans serif by Element Type, Doğukan Karapınar and İbrahim Kaçtıoğlu, on Google Fonts since 2024. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Host Grotesk has an x-height shorter than 72%, is wider than 62% and, at its regular weight, is darker than 66%. Its thickest strokes are 1.2 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Zalando Sans
Host Grotesk on one light table with its two closest fonts, Zalando Sans (83 out of 100) and Rethink Sans (82). Zalando Sans has an x-height 4% taller; Rethink Sans is 7% lighter.
Host Grotesk and Zalando Sans laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Host GroteskZalando Sans…
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 Host Grotesk 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
Host Grotesk in 6 weights
6 weights, 300–800, with italics · variable from 300 to 800
Variable weight, 300 to 800
- 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
- 800 Extra bold, with its italic
04 / Facts
Who made Host Grotesk, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Element Type, Doğukan Karapınar, İbrahim Kaçtıoğlu
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 6 weights, 300–800, with italics
- Variable axes
- Weight 300–800
- On Google Fonts since
- 2024
- Character sets
- latin, latin-ext
- Licence
- SIL Open Font License 1.1
Can I use it?
- Commercial use
- Yes.
- Logos
- Yes.
- Websites and apps
- Yes. Self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts.
- PDFs and documents
- Yes.
- Changes
- Yes.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Host Grotesk is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. This is a plain summary, not legal advice: the licence itself decides.
Already in your apps?
- Google Docs
- Most likely. Under More fonts, in Sheets and Slides too. Google’s guide
- Word, PowerPoint
- No. Install it from Google Fonts first. Microsoft’s list
- Figma
- Yes. Built in, nothing to install. Figma’s help
- Canva
- Not verified. Search its font menu for Host Grotesk, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Host Grotesk under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Host Grotesk, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 49.6% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.0% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.71lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 52.1% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 44%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.20 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightSmaller than 72% of sans serifs
WidthWider than 62% of sans serifs
InkDarker than 66% of sans serifs
ContrastNear the middle of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Host Grotesk
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Zalando Sans83x-height 4% taller
- Rethink Sans827% lighter
- Overused Grotesk816% narrower
- Zalando Sans SemiExpanded818% wider · x-height 4% taller
- Liter81x-height 5% taller · 4% narrower
- Poppins80x-height 10% taller · 8% wider · 8% lighter
All 100 fonts similar to Host Grotesk →Compare side by side →Get Host Grotesk on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Host Grotesk without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Zalando Sans83text 0.5% narrower · x-height 3.6% taller
- Rethink Sans82same text width · same x-height
- Varela76text 2.1% wider · x-height 2.8% taller
- Miranda Sans75text 1.1% narrower · x-height 4.8% taller
- Instrument Sans74text 2.3% narrower · x-height 2.8% taller
- Hedvig Letters Sans73text 2.6% narrower · x-height 4.8% taller
Fallback while it loads
Until Host Grotesk loads, this sets Arial in its place at 105.7% of its size, so running text keeps Host Grotesk’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Host Grotesk Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 105.69%;
ascent-override: 96.04%;
descent-override: 29.81%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Host Grotesk', 'Host Grotesk Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Host Grotesk
Of the 2,131 home pages that load Host Grotesk, the share that load each font too, and how that compares with chance.
Same page, not which sets the headings · HTTP Archive , 1 September 2026
- Inter11%225 sites · 1× chance
- Roboto4.6%98 sites · 0.2× chance
- DM Sans4.5%96 sites · 2.3× chance
- Poppins3.6%77 sites · 0.3× chance
- Montserrat3.1%65 sites · 0.2× chance
- Geist2.7%57 sites · 8.4× chance
More than chanceVarela Round 13×Geist 8.4×DM Sans 2.3×
Pair checkerHost Grotesk + any fontHow many of the 6,276,350 home pages counted load the two together, and how that compares with chance.Check this font with any other09 / Questions
Questions about Host Grotesk
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Host Grotesk free for commercial use?
Yes. Host Grotesk is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 , which allows commercial use at any scale, logos, websites, apps and PDFs included.
How do I download and install Host Grotesk?
FontKind doesn’t host Host Grotesk’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds two variable files, one for the uprights and one for the italics, and a static folder with a file per style: install one set or the other, not both. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Host Grotesk in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Host Grotesk 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 Host Grotesk Light and Host Grotesk ExtraBold. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Host Grotesk in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Host Grotesk under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Host Grotesk in Figma?
Yes: Host Grotesk is in Figma’s font menu with all six weights and their italics, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Host Grotesk have?
Host Grotesk comes in six weights, from Light (300) to ExtraBold (800), each with an italic. It is a variable font: it takes any weight from 300 to 800.
Who designed Host Grotesk?
Host Grotesk was designed by Element Type, Doğukan Karapınar and İbrahim Kaçtıoğlu. It has been on Google Fonts since November 2024.
What fonts are similar to Host Grotesk?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Zalando Sans (83), Rethink Sans (82) and Overused Grotesk (81), out of 100. Next to Host Grotesk, Zalando Sans has an x-height 4% taller. See all 100 fonts like Host Grotesk.