Pros and cons of using free fonts

You only have to do a quick Google search to know there is an amazing selection of great quality free fonts available (and it's only growing). For example, check out the article featuring my favourite 10 free handwriting fonts.

You might be wondering "why can't I just use a free font for everything?". Although they are free, it's not always a free for all. There are a few advantages and disadvantages to consider when using a free font, and we've listed them here:

The upsides of using a free font:

✅ Test and prototype quickly.

Free fonts allow you to try the font in your designs without any upfront monetary investment.

✅ Good for personal projects.

If you only need to use the font for personal projects, the licensing will most likely cover this use.

✅ Large range of unique fonts.

Free fonts are often created by typographers to test the boundaries and experiment with their skills, so you might find a font that is really unique and perfect for your project.

The downsides of using a free font:

🔻 Limited character set.

Free fonts often have a limited character set so if you need multi-lingual characters, you may be out of luck (especially if it's a handwritten font).

🔻 Limited weights.

You may find that your free font only comes with a regular weight. Free fonts often have more weights available in their full (paid) versions.

🔻 Limited licensing.

Free fonts are often accompanied by limited licensing agreements. So if you need the font for any commercial use, you may need to purchase the full license (if there is one).

🔻 Questionable quality.

Some free fonts are amazing quality, and some are... not so much. The quality can vary quite a bit so you will have to be vigilant in your choice of free fonts and ensure it looks they way you need it to in the programs or platforms you are using.

🔻 Limited technical support.

As the free fonts are often offered as a 'try before you buy' scenario or even a side project from 10 years ago, you may find that it's tricky to get ahold of someone if you run into any issues. When foundries update their paid typefaces, more often than not they will provide the update for free if you have purchased it from them.

Takeaways:

While free fonts offer unbeatable pricing and unique styles, it's good to be aware of the potential limitations in character sets, licensing agreements and quality. Ensure that your free font aligns with the requirements and goals of the your project and keep in mind if, down the track, your usage exceeds the licensing agreements.

Typeheist free and paid fonts 👇🏼

Manic is a paid handwriting font and it includes 650+ glyphs and ligatures (including multi-linguals).

I offer a demo version of Lore for free which has a basic character set and personal use licensing.