Sans serif · Christian Robertson
Roboto
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CSSfont-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Roboto is a free sans serif by Christian Robertson, ParaType and Font Bureau, on Google Fonts since 2013. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Roboto has an x-height taller than 71%, is of average width and, at its regular weight, is darker than 70%. Its thickest strokes are 1.2 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Spline Sans
Roboto on one light table with its two closest fonts, Spline Sans (81 out of 100) and Hedvig Letters Sans (80). Spline Sans is 4% wider, with an x-height 3% taller; Hedvig Letters Sans is 8% lighter and 4% wider.
Roboto and Spline Sans laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with RobotoSpline 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 Roboto 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
Roboto in 9 weights
9 weights, 100–900, with italics · variable from 100 to 900
Variable weight, 100 to 900
- 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
- 800 Extra bold, with its italic
- 900 Black, with its italic
04 / Facts
Who made Roboto, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Christian Robertson, ParaType, Font Bureau
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 9 weights, 100–900, with italics
- Variable axes
- Width 75–100, Weight 100–900
- On Google Fonts since
- 2013
- Character sets
- cyrillic, cyrillic-ext, greek, greek-ext, latin, latin-ext, math, symbols, 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.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Roboto 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 Roboto, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Roboto under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Roboto, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 52.8% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 71.1% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.74lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 49.9% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 45%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.22 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightLarger than 71% of sans serifs
WidthNear the middle of sans serifs
InkDarker than 70% of sans serifs
ContrastNear the middle of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Roboto
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
Roboto's own familyRoboto CondensedRoboto FlexRoboto MonoRoboto SlabRoboto Serif
- Spline Sans814% wider · x-height 3% taller
- Hedvig Letters Sans808% lighter · 4% wider
- Asta Sans7910% lighter · x-height 4% shorter
- Clear Sans7810% lighter · x-height 3% shorter
- Supreme78x-height 8% shorter · 13% lighter
- Ranade7820% wider · more stroke contrast · 13% lighter
All 100 fonts similar to Roboto →Compare side by side →Get Roboto on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Roboto without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Spline Sans81text 2.1% wider · x-height 3.3% taller
- Hedvig Letters Sans80text 2.3% wider · x-height 1.6% shorter
- Asta Sans79text 1.9% wider · x-height 4.4% shorter
- Clear Sans78text 1.7% wider · x-height 3.0% shorter
- Vend Sans78text 1.3% wider · x-height 4.0% taller
- Aileron77same text width · same x-height
Fallback while it loads
Until Roboto loads, this sets Arial in its place at 100.5% of its size, so running text keeps Roboto’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Roboto Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 100.54%;
ascent-override: 92.27%;
descent-override: 24.28%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Roboto', 'Roboto Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Roboto
Of the 1,275,246 home pages that load Roboto, 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
- Open Sans14%179,940 sites · 0.8× chance
- Montserrat10%128,080 sites · 0.8× chance
- Poppins9%115,185 sites · 0.8× chance
- Google Sans6.8%86,526 sites · 2.6× chance
- Lato5.1%64,688 sites · 0.6× chance
- Inter4.6%58,109 sites · 0.4× chance
Not all of Roboto with Google Sans is design: Google’s maps and other widgets load Roboto and Google Sans into the pages they sit on.
More than chanceGoogle Sans 2.6×Roboto Slab 2.3×Roboto Condensed 2.2×
Fonts that go with Roboto: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerRoboto + 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 Roboto
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Roboto free for commercial use?
Yes. Roboto 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 Roboto?
FontKind doesn’t host Roboto’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 Roboto in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Roboto 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 Roboto Thin and Roboto Black. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Roboto in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Roboto under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Roboto in Figma?
Yes: Roboto is in Figma’s font menu with all nine weights and their italics, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Roboto have?
Roboto comes in nine weights, from Thin (100) to Black (900), each with an italic. It is a variable font: it takes any weight from 100 to 900 and widths from 75% to 100%.
Who designed Roboto?
Roboto was designed by Christian Robertson, ParaType and Font Bureau. It has been on Google Fonts since January 2013. Christian Robertson also made Gotho.
What fonts are similar to Roboto?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Spline Sans (81), Hedvig Letters Sans (80) and Asta Sans (79), out of 100. Next to Roboto, Spline Sans is 4% wider, with an x-height 3% taller. Its own family, listed apart, adds Roboto Condensed, Roboto Flex, Roboto Mono and two more. See all 100 fonts like Roboto.