What is the best font for a logo?

One that suits the brand and looks like no other brand’s. We can measure the second half: each pick here is among the fifth of its kind least like any other font on FontKind, K2D first, its closest match scoring 78 of 100. Set your name in a few of them before you choose.

Can I use a free font in a logo?

Yes, every licence here allows it: 23 come under the SIL Open Font License and 1 under the Apache License. The SIL Open Font License says a document made with the font need not come under the licence itself. Each font’s page links its licence.

How do you measure how distinctive a font is?

Our lab compares 62 letters and figures of every font with the same characters of every other and scores each pair from 0 to 100; a font’s closest match is its highest score, and how we measure explains the scale. The picks have the lowest closest matches of their kind, and no variant or copy of their own.

Should a logo use a serif, a sans serif or a script?

Choose by the voice you want; distinctiveness then narrows it. 96 sans serifs, 33 serifs, 53 scripts and 62 display faces pass our rule, the six most used of each shown, so sans serifs give the widest choice.

How do I try my brand name in these fonts?

Open the compare tool with up to six fonts and type the name: it sets them in a line-up, side by side or on top of each other. For a picture of the name to try on a mock-up, the font generator saves a PNG.

Best fonts for logos

A logo font should not look like other brands’ fonts. We compare every font with every other, letter by letter, and keep the fifth of each kind least like the rest, with no family or copy of its own: K2D, Instrument Serif, Zeyada and Comfortaa lead, all free for logos.

Pass the rule: 244 of 2,035; of all the fonts we measured
Shown: 24; the most used first, one of a family
Commercial use: 24 of 24; every licence here allows it
In Google Docs: 24 of 24; most likely, under More fonts; Slides too

01 / The picks

24 fonts for logos

In each kind, the fifth whose closest match on FontKind scores lowest, with no family or copy of their own.

Sans serif marks

Closest match 78 / 100 or less · 96 pass · 6 shown

Set these 6 in your own words

Serif marks

Closest match 79 / 100 or less · 33 pass · 6 shown

Set these 6 in your own words

Script marks

Closest match 82 / 100 or less · 53 pass · 6 shown

Set these 6 in your own words

Display marks

Closest match 75 / 100 or less · 62 pass · 6 shown

Set these 6 in your own words

02 / Questions

Logo fonts, answered

What is the best font for a logo?: One that suits the brand and looks like no other brand’s. We can measure the second half: each pick here is among the fifth of its kind least like any other font on FontKind, K2D first, its closest match scoring 78 of 100. Set your name in a few of them before you choose.
Can I use a free font in a logo?: Yes, every licence here allows it: 23 come under the SIL Open Font License and 1 under the Apache License. The SIL Open Font License says a document made with the font need not come under the licence itself. Each font’s page links its licence.
How do you measure how distinctive a font is?: Our lab compares 62 letters and figures of every font with the same characters of every other and scores each pair from 0 to 100; a font’s closest match is its highest score, and how we measure explains the scale. The picks have the lowest closest matches of their kind, and no variant or copy of their own.
Should a logo use a serif, a sans serif or a script?: Choose by the voice you want; distinctiveness then narrows it. 96 sans serifs, 33 serifs, 53 scripts and 62 display faces pass our rule, the six most used of each shown, so sans serifs give the widest choice.
How do I try my brand name in these fonts?: Open the compare tool with up to six fonts and type the name: it sets them in a line-up, side by side or on top of each other. For a picture of the name to try on a mock-up, the font generator saves a PNG.