Last updated 4 May 2025
Did you know that there are 1,816 FREE Google fonts and they’ve been downloaded an incredible 84 trillion times!
Crazy right?
Typography is so important with how your brand shows up online (and offline), and there is a certain art to creating the perfect font pairing. The general rule is to stick to a maximum of three fonts: one for headings, one for body text and a third for accents or subheadings. However, with the use of CAPITALS, bold, italics, and underline variations, two fonts is usually more than enough.
I spend a lot of time scrolling Google Fonts for client projects and have built up quite the collection. So as always my mantra is sharing is caring and here we are!
Here are 20 of my favourite Google Font pairings. Best part? They’re all licensed under the Open Font License, which means they’re 100% free to use in personal and commercial projects.
WOOHOO!
1. DM Serif Display & Work Sans
Vibe: Elegant and contemporary
Perfect for: Portfolios, service-based businesses, minimalist brands
Download here: DM Serif Display | Work Sans
2. Josefin Sans & Open Sans
Vibe: Geometric meets approachable
Perfect for: Blogs, online stores, creative entrepreneurs
Pro tip: Use a line-height of 1.6+ for better readability with Josefin Sans.
Download here: Josefin Sans | Open Sans
3. Kanchenjunga & Lato
Vibe: Bold Himalayan character with a modern twist
Perfect for: Niche brands, adventure blogs, standout headings
Download here: Kanchenjunga | Lato
4. Raleway & Lora
Vibe: Clean and elegant
Perfect for: Wellness brands, lifestyle websites, personal blogs
5. Space Grotesk & DM Sans
Vibe: Techy, modern, and clean
Perfect for: SaaS sites, tech portfolios, landing pages
Download here: Space Grotesk | DM Sans
6. Alice & Montserrat
Vibe: Whimsical meets structured
Perfect for: Creative agencies, branding studios, storytelling sites
Download here: Alice | Montserrat
7. Bangers & Antic
Vibe: Comic-style energy with a calm base
Perfect for: Event posters, creative projects, kids’ brands
Download here: Bangers | Antic
8. Cal Sans & Inter
Vibe: Sharp and modern
Perfect for: Startups, UI-heavy sites, clean branding
Download here: Cal Sans | Inter
9. Chakra Petch & IBM Plex Sans
Vibe: Futuristic but grounded
Perfect for: Tech brands, portfolios, dev blogs
Pro tip: Avoid using Chakra Petch at very small sizes because it can feel cramped.
Download here: Chakra Petch | IBM Plex Sans
10. Arya & Antic
Vibe: Clean and minimalist
Perfect for: Service businesses, coaching websites, neutral brands
11. Finger Paint & Cabin
Vibe: Playful and casual
Perfect for: Kid-focused brands, handmade products, craft blogs
Pro tip: Finger Paint works best in all lowercase or all caps, sentence case can look a bit unbalanced.
Download here: Finger Paint | Cabin
12. Francois One & Roboto
Vibe: Strong and reliable
Perfect for: Corporate brands, CVs, online publications
Download here: Francois One | Roboto
13. Fredoka & Hubballi
Vibe: Rounded, bubbly, and modern
Perfect for: Health, wellness, or education brands
Download here: Fredoka | Hubballi
14. Gloock & Plus Jakarta Sans
Vibe: Stylish contrast of editorial serif + minimal sans
Perfect for: Creative businesses, portfolios, lifestyle brands
Download here: Gloock | Plus Jakarta Sans
15. Libre Baskerville & Libre Franklin
Vibe: Timeless and trustworthy
Perfect for: Long-form blogs, media, consultants
Download here: Libre Baskerville | Libre Franklin
16. Merriweather & PT Sans
Vibe: Traditional but readable
Perfect for: Education, nonprofits, thought leadership sites
Download here: Merriweather | PT Sans
17. Parisienne & Quicksand
Vibe: Feminine and modern
Perfect for: Creative businesses, wedding websites(and invites), beauty brands, florists
Pro tip: Don’t use Parisienne for long lines — it’s best kept to names or short phrases.
Download here: Parisienne | Quicksand
18. Permanent Marker & Rubik
Vibe: Bold and creative
Perfect for: Youth-focused brands, fun campaigns, DIY brands
Pro tip: Use sparingly, Permanent Marker is bold and best for short, punchy headings.
Download here: Permanent Marker | Rubik
19. Sacramento & Lora
Vibe: Signature-style elegance
Perfect for: Personal brands, service-based businesses, luxury creatives
Pro tip: Great for names or short accents, avoid using Sacramento in full sentences.
Download here: Sacramento | Lora
20. Special Gothic Expanded One & Nunito
Vibe: Bold retro with a friendly twist
Perfect for: Brands with personality, packaging, modern-retro content
Download here: Special Gothic Expanded One | Nunito
There you have it! 20 Google Font pairings that actually work (and won’t make your designs look like they were stuck in 2013). Whether you’re designing for a client, updating your own brand, or just hoarding fonts like I do, I hope this list gave you some fresh inspo.
Want a copy to keep on hand?
I’ve put together a handy PDF version of all 20 pairings, so you can refer back to it whenever you’re stuck in font limbo.
Pop your name and email in the form below to get the font guide + occasional friendly emails full of tips, resources, and behind-the-scenes business stuff. No spam. Just the good bits.
Happy font pairing!
