Whether you’re creating a new app interface or refreshing a website, your font choices can make or break the user experience. Let’s explore the best fonts available for Figma designs, focusing on options such as a serif typefaces, monospace fonts, or open-source fonts, that work well across different screens, mobile apps, and different styles for both your UI and UX design projects.
Essential Font Categories for UI Design
Sans-Serif Fonts: The Modern Classic
1. Inter
Inter stands out as a remarkable achievement in modern typeface design, created by Rasmus Andersson in 2017 specifically for screens. Each letter has been carefully crafted for crystal-clear display on computers and phones. You can find Inter as a free Google Font, on Google Fonts and GitHub, where its perfect balance of letter height and thickness makes it easy to read at any size. Designers love it for UI work because it’s clear and friendly without drawing attention to itself.
2. SF Pro Display
Apple’s SF Pro Display has become the perfect font for modern user interface design. Apple created this font family to work perfectly across all their devices when using both upper and lowercase letters. What makes it special is how it automatically adjusts letter shapes based on size – something that’s incredibly useful when designing for different screen sizes. While you’ll need an Apple Developer account to use it, SF Pro Display works beautifully on high-resolution screens, making it a favorite among professional designers.
3. Roboto
Christian Robertson created Roboto for Google in 2011, and it’s since become one of the most flexible fonts in modern design. The font combines straight, structured lines with friendly curves, helping it convey information clearly while staying approachable across various sizes. As Android’s main font, it’s been tested on countless devices worldwide. You can get Roboto from Google Fonts, and its wide range of styles and character options makes it perfect for projects that need to work in multiple languages.
4. Open Sans
Steve Matteson designed Open Sans for Google, and since 2011, it’s become a favorite for web and app design. The font features straight, upright letters with open shapes that feel welcoming and easy to read. It works especially well on mobile screens thanks to its well-planned letter spacing and height. Designers often choose Open Sans because it remains clear and readable across all kinds of screens and sizes.
Serif Fonts: Adding Sophistication
5. Playfair Display
Claus Eggers Sørensen created Playfair Display in 2011, drawing inspiration from 18th-century letter design. This elegant font has a unique style that shines in headlines and branded elements, with its dramatic thick-and-thin letter strokes creating visual interest. Recent updates added variable font technology, letting designers fine-tune the appearance for different uses. While it’s free through Google Fonts, Playfair Display has the refined look of a premium typeface.
6. Merriweather
Eben Sorkin designed Merriweather to solve the challenge of reading long text on screens. Released through his Sorkin Type foundry, this font features subtle serifs that help guide the eye along each line of text. Its slightly blocky serifs and strong character make it stand out from typical serif fonts. What’s remarkable about Merriweather is how it maintains its personality even at small sizes, making it perfect for both headlines and body text.
Unique Font Choices for Brand Identity
7. Ubuntu Font Family
The Ubuntu font family, commissioned by Canonical Ltd. and designed by Dalton Maag in 2010, brings personality to tech-focused designs. This font carries the same friendly, open-source spirit as the Ubuntu operating system it was created for. With five different weights plus a monospace version, it offers enough variety for complete brand systems. The font’s slightly rounded corners and clean lines make it both modern and approachable.
8. Montserrat
Julieta Ulanovsky created Montserrat after being inspired by old posters and signs in the Montserrat neighborhood of Buenos Aires. This geometric sans-serif font captures the beauty of urban typography while meeting modern design needs. Available on Google Fonts, Montserrat includes a wide range of weights and styles. Its clean, confident letters work well in everything from logos to body text.
Contemporary Fonts for Modern UI Design
9. DM Sans
Colophon Foundry designed DM Sans for Google Design with a focus on making clean, readable interfaces. The font’s low contrast and geometric shapes make it particularly good for screen reading. With three weights and matching italics, DM Sans gives designers enough options to create clear visual hierarchies without overwhelming users. Its neutral character, especially at smaller sizes, makes it especially valuable for apps and websites where content needs to speak louder than the design.
10. Poppins
The Indian Type Foundry created Poppins as a fresh take and popular choice on geometric sans-serif fonts, drawing subtle inspiration from Devanagari script. Its consistent stroke width creates a clean, modern look that works beautifully in interfaces of modern designs. Poppins really shines in multilingual projects because it’s a versatile font, as it was designed to work harmoniously across different writing systems. The font’s friendly curves and precise geometry make it equally suitable for headlines and body text drawing in a user’s attention.
11. Work Sans
Wei Huang released Work Sans in 2015 to address the needs of modern interface design. The font features variable technology, letting designers fine-tune its appearance across different sizes and weights. What makes Work Sans special is its optimized screen display – letters remain crisp and clear even on low-resolution screens. The extensive weight range, from thin to black, gives designers plenty of options for creating contrast in their layouts.
12. Nunito
Vernon Adams originally designed Nunito, which Jacques Le Bailly later expanded into a full font family. The rounded terminals (end points of letters) give Nunito a warm, approachable feel while maintaining professionalism. Its variable font version lets designers adjust the weight precisely to match their needs. Nunito is a great font that works particularly well in educational apps and friendly interfaces where you want users to feel comfortable and welcome with your design style.
Premium Alternative Fonts
13. Neue Haas Grotesk
Max Miedinger’s original design, digitally restored by Christian Schwartz, represents the true spirit of classic Swiss typography. This is actually the original Helvetica, brought back to its pure form. Available through Linotype, Neue Haas Grotesk offers optical sizes that help it look great whether used tiny or huge. The font’s careful balance and neutral character make it worth the investment for professional projects that demand the highest quality.
14. Aktiv Grotesk
Dalton Maag designed Aktiv Grotesk as a fresh alternative to overused neutral sans-serifs. While it maintains a professional appearance, subtle details give it more personality than typical corporate fonts. Available through Dalton Maag’s website, it includes extensive licensing options for businesses. The font’s clean lines and careful spacing make it especially good for complex interfaces where clarity matters most.
Best Free Google Fonts for Figma
15. Lato
Łukasz Dziedzic created Lato in 2010, combining serious professionalism with subtle warmth. The semi-rounded details become visible at larger sizes, adding personality to headlines while maintaining clarity in body text. Lato means “Summer” in Polish, and this warmth shows in its friendly character. The extensive weight range makes it versatile enough for complete design systems.
16. Source Sans Pro
As Adobe’s first open-source font, designed by Paul D. Hunt, Source Sans Pro brings professional type design expertise to everyone. The font builds on the heritage of classic American gothics while adding modern touches for screen display. Its clear shapes work especially well in user interfaces, where every pixel matters. The six weights with matching italics provide enough variety for complex typographic systems.
17. Raleway
Matt McInerney started Raleway as a single thin weight, which Pablo Impallari and Rodrigo Fuenzalida later expanded into a full family. The distinctive ‘w’ and other unique characters give Raleway personality without sacrificing readability. Available in nine weights plus italics, Raleway works beautifully for both headlines and shorter text. The variable font version lets designers fine-tune the weight to match their exact needs.
18. Quicksand
Andrew Paglinawan designed Quicksand with rounded terminals inspired by geometric sans-serifs. Thomas Jockin later updated it for better screen display and added more features. The font’s geometric shapes and friendly rounded details make it perfect for modern interfaces that need to feel welcoming. Quicksand’s clean lines help maintain readability even when space is tight making it an excellent choice.
Specialized Display Fonts
19. Bebas Neue
Ryoichi Tsunekawa created Bebas Neue as a free version of the popular Bebas font family. Its condensed uppercase letters pack a punch in headlines and logos. While it only comes in one weight, that’s actually an advantage – it knows what it’s good at and does that job perfectly. The font’s tall letters and tight spacing help create strong visual impact even in small spaces if you are working with that type of design.
20. Abril Fatface
TypeTogether designed Abril Fatface as a modern take on 19th-century advertising fonts. The high contrast between thick and thin strokes creates drama and elegance in large sizes. While it’s not suited for body text, it excels in headlines and titles where you want to grab attention. The font’s careful balance of classic and modern details helps it pair well with many contemporary sans-serifs.
Setting Up Fonts in Figma
Getting these fonts to work well in Figma requires a few simple steps:
1. Google Fonts Integration
- Access directly through Figma’s font menu
- No installation needed
- Sync automatically across team projects
2. Local Fonts Installation
- Use Figma font installer on your computer
- Follow system-specific installation guides
- Restart Figma after installation
3. Font Management Best Practices
- Keep your font list organized
- Use consistent fonts across team projects
- Create a shared font library for your team
Best Practices for Font Selection
When picking fonts for your UI projects, keep these points in mind:
1. Readability First
- Test fonts at different sizes
- Ensure clarity on various screens
- Check legibility in different contexts
2. Design Consistency
- Match fonts to your project’s style
- Maintain consistent hierarchy
- Use font families strategically
3. Technical Considerations
- Check loading times for web fonts
- Consider fallback fonts
- Verify license compatibility
4. Accessibility
- Ensure sufficient contrast
- Consider dyslexic-friendly options
- Test with screen readers
Font Pairing Tips
Creating effective font combinations can elevate your design. Here are some proven pairs from our list:
1. Professional Combinations
- Inter + Playfair Display
- SF Pro Display + Merriweather
- Roboto + Abril Fatface
2. Modern Pairings
- DM Sans + Work Sans
- Poppins + Montserrat
- Nunito + Open Sans
A Variety of Options to Match Your Modern Style
Choosing the right font can transform your UI design from basic to exceptional. Whether you pick modern sans-serifs, classic serifs, or eye-catching display fonts, make sure they match your project’s goals and help users interact easily with your design. These font choices give you the tools to create interfaces that both look great and work well.
Remember that great typography in UI design isn’t just about picking beautiful fonts – it’s about creating experiences that users can navigate effortlessly. Start with these recommendations, experiment with different combinations, and always test with real users to ensure your choices work in practice.