Understanding font licenses for your creative projects
Perfect for individual projects, personal websites, and non-commercial applications.
Suitable for business applications, commercial products, and professional projects.
Free to use, modify, and distribute. Common licenses include OFL, Apache, and MIT.
| License Type | Personal Use | Commercial Use | Web Embedding | Modification | Redistribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Personal | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free Commercial | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| OFL (SIL Open Font) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apache 2.0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MIT License | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GPL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓* |
* GPL requires derivative works to be licensed under GPL as well
The license information provided here is for general guidance only. Always check the specific license file included with each font download. License terms can vary between different versions of the same font family. When in doubt, contact the original font creator or foundry for clarification.
Web fonts require special consideration. When embedding fonts in websites using @font-face, ensure your license covers web usage. Most modern free fonts include web licensing, but it's important to verify:
When using fonts for commercial purposes, consider these important factors:
Many open-source font licenses require attribution. Here's how to properly credit font creators:
Example attribution:
/* Font: Roboto by Christian Robertson
License: Apache License 2.0
Source: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto */
Our team is here to help you navigate font licensing requirements
Contact SupportLearn more about font licensing from these authoritative sources: