Sans serif · Mike Abbink
IBM Plex Sans
More axes (1)More axes (0)
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'IBM Plex Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
IBM Plex Sans is a free sans serif by Mike Abbink and Bold Monday, on Google Fonts since 2018. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, IBM Plex Sans has an average x-height, is of average width and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 71%. Its thickest strokes are 1.2 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Schibsted Grotesk
IBM Plex Sans on one light table with its two closest fonts, Schibsted Grotesk (81 out of 100) and Asta Sans (79). Schibsted Grotesk is 4% wider; Asta Sans has nearly identical proportions.
IBM Plex Sans and Schibsted Grotesk laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with IBM Plex SansSchibsted Grotesk…
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 IBM Plex Sans 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
IBM Plex Sans in 7 weights
7 weights, 100–700, with italics · variable from 100 to 700
Variable weight, 100 to 700
- 100 Thin, with its italic
- 200 Extra light, with its italic
- 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 IBM Plex Sans, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Mike Abbink, Bold Monday
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 7 weights, 100–700, with italics
- Variable axes
- Width 75–100, Weight 100–700
- On Google Fonts since
- 2018
- Character sets
- cyrillic, cyrillic-ext, greek, latin, latin-ext, vietnamese
- 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, under another name. Not as “Plex”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
IBM Plex Sans 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 IBM Plex Sans, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists IBM Plex Sans under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
IBM Plex Sans, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.6% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 69.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.74lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 50.5% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 39%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.21 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightNear the middle of sans serifs
WidthNear the middle of sans serifs
InkLighter than 71% of sans serifs
ContrastNear the middle of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to IBM Plex Sans
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
IBM Plex Sans's own familyIBM Plex Sans CondensedIBM Plex MonoIBM Plex Serif
- Schibsted Grotesk814% wider
- Asta Sans79Nearly identical proportions
- Phlatt Grotesk76x-height 8% shorter · less stroke contrast · 3% narrower
- Sarabun7610% heavier · 4% narrower · x-height 3% shorter
- Supreme74x-height 5% shorter
- Comme735% wider · more stroke contrast
All 100 fonts similar to IBM Plex Sans →Compare side by side →Get IBM Plex Sans on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap IBM Plex Sans without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Asta Sans79text 0.8% wider · x-height 2.1% shorter
- Clear Sans73text 0.7% wider · x-height 0.7% shorter
- Haskoy73text 1.5% narrower · x-height 3.1% shorter
- Miranda Sans71text 2.9% wider · x-height 0.8% taller
- Hanken Grotesk70same text width · x-height 4.5% shorter
- Aileron69text 0.5% narrower · x-height 2.7% taller
Fallback while it loads
Until IBM Plex Sans loads, this sets Arial in its place at 101.6% of its size, so running text keeps IBM Plex Sans’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'IBM Plex Sans Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 101.57%;
ascent-override: 100.92%;
descent-override: 27.08%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'IBM Plex Sans', 'IBM Plex Sans Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with IBM Plex Sans
Of the 37,668 home pages that load IBM Plex Sans, 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
- IBM Plex Mono11%4,103 sites · 41× chanceIBM Plex Sans’s own family
- Roboto9.2%3,484 sites · 0.5× chance
- Inter5.9%2,217 sites · 0.6× chance
- Montserrat5.7%2,164 sites · 0.4× chance
- Open Sans5.6%2,119 sites · 0.3× chance
- Poppins5.1%1,918 sites · 0.5× chance
More than chanceIBM Plex Sans Condensed 82×IBM Plex Serif 48×IBM Plex Mono 41×
Fonts that go with IBM Plex Sans: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerIBM Plex Sans + 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 IBM Plex Sans
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is IBM Plex Sans free for commercial use?
Yes. IBM Plex Sans is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 , which allows commercial use at any scale, logos, websites, apps and PDFs included; a changed version may not be called “Plex”.
How do I download and install IBM Plex Sans?
FontKind doesn’t host IBM Plex Sans’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 IBM Plex Sans in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: IBM Plex Sans 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 IBM Plex Sans Thin and IBM Plex Sans SemiBold. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is IBM Plex Sans in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for IBM Plex Sans under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is IBM Plex Sans in Figma?
Yes: IBM Plex Sans is in Figma’s font menu with all seven weights and their italics, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does IBM Plex Sans have?
IBM Plex Sans comes in seven weights, from Thin (100) to Bold (700), each with an italic. It is a variable font: it takes any weight from 100 to 700 and widths from 75% to 100%.
Who designed IBM Plex Sans?
IBM Plex Sans was designed by Mike Abbink and Bold Monday. It has been on Google Fonts since March 2018. Mike Abbink also made Lilex.
What fonts are similar to IBM Plex Sans?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Schibsted Grotesk (81), Asta Sans (79) and Phlatt Grotesk (76), out of 100. Next to IBM Plex Sans, Schibsted Grotesk is 4% wider. Its own family, listed apart, adds IBM Plex Sans Condensed, IBM Plex Mono and IBM Plex Serif. See all 100 fonts like IBM Plex Sans.