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TypeSmith

Discover beautiful fonts and perfect pairings for your next project. Browse 8,500+ fonts with accessibility ratings.

© 2026 TypeSmith · Robert David Orr

  1. Fonts
  2. /
  3. Sans Serif
  4. /
  5. Raleway

Raleway

Raleway delivers clean, contemporary letterforms optimized for digital interfaces and modern design systems.

Scroll to explore
Sans Serifby Matt McInerney67% Accessible
Characters256
Glyphs307
Typography Tools

Best Ways to Use Raleway

01

Best Font Pairings for Raleway

TypeSmith curates 3 expert font pairings for Raleway, including combinations with Latinia, Quattrocento Roman and Andada.

Each pairing includes accessibility ratings, expert reasoning, and usage recommendations for web and print design.

Explore 3 Pairings for Raleway
02

Test Raleway Font Pairings Live

TypeSmith's interactive testing tool lets you preview Raleway with any font combination in real-time, optimized for sans serif characteristics.

Adjust font sizes, weights, and see live typography specimens including editorial layouts, code editors, and UI components.

Test Raleway Pairings Live
Premium Font Alternative

Raleway Is a Free Alternative To

Raleway operates as a verified free alternative to 39 premium typefaces across the sans-serif classification. As a Geometric sans-serif typeface, Raleway shares core design traits that make it a practical substitute in professional workflows. TypeSmith confirms each alternative using structural similarity analysis, comparing stroke weight, x-height ratio, and character width proportions to ensure typographic consistency when replacing a licensed font.

Trimby Letters from Sweden

Raleway shares Trim's foundational letterform geometry, matching its x-height ratio and stroke weight distribution across all weights.

94% matchstructural match$35-299
Malloryby Frere-Jones Type

The structural DNA of Raleway closely mirrors Mallory — comparable cap height, ascender length, and counter proportions make it a reliable stand-in.

94% matchstructural match$35-299
Sofia Proby Mostardesign

Raleway shares Sofia Pro's foundational letterform geometry, matching its x-height ratio and stroke weight distribution across all weights.

93% matchstructural match$35-299
Moderatby Tightype

Raleway reproduces Moderat's core metrics: matching x-height, similar descender depth, and equivalent stroke modulation create near-identical text color on the page.

91% matchstructural match$35-299
Monument Extendedby Pangram Pangram

Raleway shares Monument Extended's foundational letterform geometry, matching its x-height ratio and stroke weight distribution across all weights.

90% matchstructural match$35-299
GT Pressuraby Grilli Type

Raleway shares GT Pressura's foundational letterform geometry, matching its x-height ratio and stroke weight distribution across all weights.

90% matchstructural match$35-299
Futuraby Bauer Type Foundry

While not a metric clone, Raleway evokes Futura's distinctive character through similar terminal treatments, comparable letter spacing, and analogous weight distribution.

90% matchstylistic match$35-299
Circularby Lineto

Raleway performs the same typographic role as Circular — both excel at the same point sizes, column widths, and reading contexts with comparable legibility.

90% matchfunctional match$35-299
Acumin Proby Adobe

Raleway serves as a functional drop-in for Acumin Pro: similar metrics mean minimal layout reflow, consistent line breaks, and equivalent space efficiency.

88% matchfunctional match$35-299
Domaine Sansby Klim Type Foundry

Raleway mirrors Domaine Sans's design intent: both typefaces communicate the same visual tone, making Raleway an effective substitute in brand-sensitive contexts.

88% matchstylistic match$35-299
GT Haptikby Grilli Type

Raleway reproduces GT Haptik's core metrics: matching x-height, similar descender depth, and equivalent stroke modulation create near-identical text color on the page.

88% matchstructural match$35-299
Chaletby House Industries

The structural DNA of Raleway closely mirrors Chalet — comparable cap height, ascender length, and counter proportions make it a reliable stand-in.

88% matchstructural match$35-299
Geomanistby Atipo Foundry

While not a metric clone, Raleway evokes Geomanist's distinctive character through similar terminal treatments, comparable letter spacing, and analogous weight distribution.

86% matchstylistic match$35-299
Rotis Sansby Monotype

Raleway performs the same typographic role as Rotis Sans — both excel at the same point sizes, column widths, and reading contexts with comparable legibility.

86% matchfunctional match$35-299
Universby Linotype

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to Univers across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

85% matchfunctional match$35-299
Gotham Narrowby Hoefler & Co.

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to Gotham Narrow across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

85% matchfunctional match$35-299
Nexaby Fontfabric

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to Nexa across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

84% matchfunctional match$35-299
Gothamby Hoefler & Co.

Raleway channels Gotham's architectural, geometric spirit with an elegant edge. Both fonts draw from geometric sans-serif traditions, and Raleway's thin weights reveal nearly identical structural DNA — flat-sided bowls, consistent stroke weight, and balanced proportions. At display sizes, Raleway's characteristic 'W' with its crossed strokes adds distinction. The 9-weight range with italics provides solid coverage of Gotham's weight spectrum.

82% matchstylistic match$35-299
TWK Everettby TypeWorkshop

Raleway mirrors TWK Everett's design intent: both typefaces communicate the same visual tone, making Raleway an effective substitute in brand-sensitive contexts.

81% matchstylistic match$35-299
Cocogooseby Zetafonts

Raleway reproduces Cocogoose's core metrics: matching x-height, similar descender depth, and equivalent stroke modulation create near-identical text color on the page.

80% matchstructural match$35-299
Bliss Proby Jeremy Tankard Typography

Raleway serves as a functional drop-in for Bliss Pro: similar metrics mean minimal layout reflow, consistent line breaks, and equivalent space efficiency.

80% matchfunctional match$35-299
Trade Gothicby Linotype

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to Trade Gothic across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

80% matchfunctional match$35-299
Verbby Yellow Design Studio

Raleway serves as a functional drop-in for Verb: similar metrics mean minimal layout reflow, consistent line breaks, and equivalent space efficiency.

80% matchfunctional match$35-299
Omnesby Darden Studio

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to Omnes across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

78% matchfunctional match$35-299
Core Sansby S-Core

The structural DNA of Raleway closely mirrors Core Sans — comparable cap height, ascender length, and counter proportions make it a reliable stand-in.

78% matchstructural match$35-299
Craft Gothicby ProFonts

Raleway reproduces Craft Gothic's core metrics: matching x-height, similar descender depth, and equivalent stroke modulation create near-identical text color on the page.

75% matchstructural match$35-299
TT Firs Neueby TypeType

Raleway reproduces TT Firs Neue's core metrics: matching x-height, similar descender depth, and equivalent stroke modulation create near-identical text color on the page.

73% matchstructural match$35-299
Syntaxby Linotype

Raleway reproduces Syntax's core metrics: matching x-height, similar descender depth, and equivalent stroke modulation create near-identical text color on the page.

73% matchstructural match$35-299
ABC Gravityby Dinamo

Raleway shares ABC Gravity's foundational letterform geometry, matching its x-height ratio and stroke weight distribution across all weights.

73% matchstructural match$35-299
Neutrafaceby House Industries

Raleway performs the same typographic role as Neutraface — both excel at the same point sizes, column widths, and reading contexts with comparable legibility.

71% matchfunctional match$35-299
Gill Sansby Monotype

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to Gill Sans across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

71% matchfunctional match$35-299
Antennaby Font Bureau

The structural DNA of Raleway closely mirrors Antenna — comparable cap height, ascender length, and counter proportions make it a reliable stand-in.

71% matchstructural match$35-299
Objectivityby Alexander Slobzheninov

Raleway performs the same typographic role as Objectivity — both excel at the same point sizes, column widths, and reading contexts with comparable legibility.

70% matchfunctional match$35-299
TT Lakes Neueby TypeType

Raleway serves as a functional drop-in for TT Lakes Neue: similar metrics mean minimal layout reflow, consistent line breaks, and equivalent space efficiency.

69% matchfunctional match$35-299
TT Commonsby TypeType

Raleway captures the same visual personality as TT Commons — both share a comparable design philosophy that produces a similar emotional response in readers.

68% matchstylistic match$35-299
Aeonikby CoType Foundry

The structural DNA of Raleway closely mirrors Aeonik — comparable cap height, ascender length, and counter proportions make it a reliable stand-in.

67% matchstructural match$35-299
F37 Bellaby Face37

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to F37 Bella across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

66% matchfunctional match$35-299
Centra No.2by Sharp Type

In practical use, Raleway delivers equivalent readability to Centra No.2 across screen and print. Line lengths, paragraph density, and text color remain consistent when swapping.

64% matchfunctional match$35-299
FK Groteskby Florian Karsten

Raleway reproduces FK Grotesk's core metrics: matching x-height, similar descender depth, and equivalent stroke modulation create near-identical text color on the page.

62% matchstructural match$35-299
Recommended For

Raleway is recommended for 5 use cases

TypeSmith includes Raleway in curated font recommendations for 5 design tools and creative use cases. Each recommendation reflects tested rendering quality and readability characteristics specific to that platform or workflow.

Design ToolCanvaElegant thin weights for display headings paired with sturdy regular weights for body text.Design ToolIllustratorElegant thin-to-bold weight range for scalable brand identity systems.Design ToolPowerPointElegant display weights for title slides with functional regular weights for content slides.Creative ProjectBrochures & FlyersElegant display weights for brochure cover headings with functional regular weights for interior text.Creative ProjectPosters & SignageWide range from hairline to black enables dramatic typographic poster compositions.
Featured In

Recommendation Lists

By Classification

Top 10 Geometric Sans Fonts

Ranked #3
Free Alternatives

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Ranked #3
By Use Case

Top 10 Ecommerce Fonts

Ranked Honorable Mention
By Use Case

Top 10 Branding Fonts

Ranked #3
By Use Case

Top 10 Wedding Fonts

Ranked #10
By Use Case

Top 10 Social Media Fonts

Ranked #7
By Tool

Top 10 Figma Fonts

Ranked Honorable Mention
By Tool

Top 10 Canva Fonts

Ranked #5
Pairing Guides

Top 10 Display & Body Font Pairings

Ranked Honorable Mention
Pairing Guides

Top 10 Google Fonts Pairings

Ranked #7
Specialty

Top 10 Fonts With the Most Weights

Ranked #8

In Context

Raleway Specimen Gallery

EditorialUI ComponentsPosterWordmark

Raleway Editorial Specimen

Raleway in Editorial Context

Raleway is a sans serif typeface by Matt McInerney suited for editorial layouts and long-form reading.

Matt McInerney

Typeface Designer • Sans Serif

Raleway demonstrates editorial readability through balanced proportions and consistent stroke weight. As a sans serif typeface, it delivers clear letterforms that sustain reader engagement across extended passages of text.

The weight range of Raleway supports typographic hierarchy within editorial layouts. Headline weights establish visual anchors while lighter weights maintain comfortable reading rhythm in body text columns.

Designed by Matt McInerney, Raleway balances personality with function — providing enough character to establish visual identity without compromising the legibility that editorial contexts demand.

Raleway
ProductsSolutionsResourcesPricing

Raleway Typography

A sans serif typeface for UI components.

Active2 weights available
DefaultInfoSuccessWarningError
Raleway Specimen

Raleway

Raleway is a sans serif typeface by Matt McInerney built for display contexts.

2 WeightsSans Serif Typeface
Available on TypeSmith

Wordmark Explorations

Raleway
Raleway
RALEWAY
RALEWAYTYPE
R

Tagline Pairings

Raleway— sans serif typeface
RalewayBy Matt McInerney
RalewayTYPE

Editorial

Magazine-style headline and body text layout

Character Set

Raleway Glyphs & Characters

Size48
Showing 62 of 187 charactersDouble-click to copy • Click for details
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Type Scale

Heading Styles with Raleway

Heading Level 1<h1>
64px
Bold
72px
Raleway primary headline
Heading Level 2<h2>
48px
SemiBold
56px
Raleway section heading
Heading Level 3<h3>
32px
Medium
40px
Raleway subsection title
Heading Level 4<h4>
24px
Regular
32px
Raleway content heading
Heading Level 5<h5>
18px
Regular
26px
Raleway minor heading
Heading Level 6<h6>
14px
Medium
20px
Raleway smallest heading
Font SizeWeightLine Height
Body Copy

Raleway Body Typography

TypeSmith provides optimized body text specifications for Raleway, including recommended sizes, line heights, and letter spacing for long-form content. These settings ensure maximum readability across devices and screen sizes.

Raleway demonstrates exceptional body text performance with balanced proportions and consistent stroke widths that enhance readability across paragraph lengths.

When setting Raleway for body copy, TypeSmith recommends these optimized specifications. The carefully tuned metrics ensure comfortable reading at extended lengths while maintaining the typeface's distinctive character.

Raleway small text sizes retain legibility through well-defined letterforms. Caption and footnote applications benefit from the font's clear x-height and open counters.

ElementWeightSizeLine HeightTrackingPreview
Body TextRegular16px24px0.5pxRaleway delivers excellent readability for body copy
ItalicizedRegular Italic16px24px0.5pxRaleway italic provides elegant emphasis
BoldBold16px24px0.5pxRaleway bold creates strong visual hierarchy
Small CapsRegular16px24px0.5pxRaleway typography specimen
Secondary TextMedium14px20px0.5pxRaleway typography specimen
.your-class { font-family: 'Raleway'; }

Quick Start

Integrating Raleway

HTML Link Tag

Add to your <head> section

<link href="https://fonts.bunny.net/css?family=Raleway:400,700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

CSS @import

Add at top of your stylesheet

@import url('https://fonts.bunny.net/css?family=Raleway:400,700&display=swap');

CSS @font-face

Self-host the font files

@font-face {
  font-family: 'Raleway';
  src: url('https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Raleway');
  font-display: swap;
}

Implementation

Raleway CSS Implementation

Standard CSS

css

Apply directly to any CSS class or selector.

1.my-text {
2 font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif;
3 font-weight: 400;
4}

SCSS Variable

scss

Define once, use throughout your stylesheet.

1$font-primary: 'Raleway', sans-serif;
2
3.my-text {
4 font-family: $font-primary;
5}

Tailwind CSS

config

Configure once, apply with utility classes.

1// tailwind.config.js
2module.exports = {
3 theme: {
4 extend: {
5 fontFamily: {
6 'raleway': ['Raleway', 'sans-serif'],
7 },
8 },
9 },
10}
11
12// Usage in HTML
13<p class="font-raleway">Your text here</p>

About

The Story of Raleway

Matt McInerney
Sans Serif
Open Source

Raleway establishes modernist clarity and refined neutrality, making it well-suited for web content. Its modern aesthetic and no decorative strokes contribute to its versatile character. Particularly effective for web content and mobile applications, Raleway adapts confidently across design contexts. Extended language coverage includes Raleway is a versatile font that supports a wide range of languages, including most Western European....

Raleway was created by Matt McInerney at The League of Moveable Type. The typeface's thin strokes and elegant proportions reflect a design philosophy optimized for 2010s elegant web design, adopted for Fashion and lifestyle websites.

As a Geometric sans-serif in the Vox-ATypI Lineal family, Raleway geometric tradition with elegant thin-weight origins. Its no serif extensions on stroke terminals and stroke contrast ranging from monolinear to subtly modulated make it a strong fit for screen-first digital products and web applications.

Raleway is available in a single weight, offering focused typographic consistency spanning screen and print contexts, with 3 font pairings curated. Raleway also serves as a free alternative to premium typefaces, offering comparable typographic quality under open licensing.

Raleway

Typography Judgment

Expert Analysis of Raleway

TypeSmith evaluates every font across classification, accessibility, and design heritage. This analysis helps designers understand Raleway's strengths and ideal use cases before committing to a typography decision.

1

Classification

Geometric sans-serif classification. Raleway exhibits thin strokes, elegant proportions, distinctive W glyph. Originally a single thin weight by Matt McInerney in 2010, expanded by Pablo Impallari and Rodrigo Fuenzalida. Notable adoption includes Fashion and lifestyle websites.

2

Accessibility

Readability assessment (grade: 67). Raleway offers acceptable readability for standard design contexts, though specialized accessibility projects may benefit from higher-rated alternatives.

3

Design Heritage

Designed by Matt McInerney at The League of Moveable Type. Raleway geometric tradition with elegant thin-weight origins, delivered as a single focused weight.

Overview

About Raleway

Raleway is classified as a Geometric sans-serif in the Vox-ATypI Lineal family, designed during the 2010s elegant web design era. Built with thin strokes and elegant proportions, Raleway serves as a standard typeface for screen-first digital products and web applications, with notable adoption in Fashion and lifestyle websites. TypeSmith catalogs Raleway in a single weight variant and 3 curated font pairings. Raleway also serves as a verified free alternative to premium typefaces.

Font Pairings Available
3 curated pairings for Raleway
View Pairings

Categories

Browse by Classification

DisplayHandwritingMonospaceSans SerifSerif

Explore More

Alternatives to Raleway

View all fonts

TypeSmith identifies 5 fonts with similar visual characteristics to Raleway based on classification, x-height ratio, and stroke weight. These alternatives maintain the same typographic personality while offering different weight options and language support.

Aa
Galdeano
Sans Serif
Aa
Aclonica
Sans Serif
Aa
Encode Sans
Sans Serif
Aa
Encode Sans Expanded
Sans Serif
Aa
Advent Pro
Sans Serif

Inclusive Design

Accessibility & Usability

67
Accessibility Score
Good Accessibility

Using Raleway Accessibly

Raleway falls in the moderate accessibility tier, working best at medium-to-large sizes where its letterforms remain clearly differentiated. Grotesques with ambiguous letterforms (I/l/1) reduce accessibility. Choose designs with distinct character differentiation and open apertures for inclusive typography.

Legibility Analysis: Raleway

Raleway draws legibility from its no serif extensions on stroke terminals and stroke contrast ranging from monolinear to subtly modulated. These characteristics help readers distinguish similar glyphs such as I, l, and 1 at a range of sizes.

How Readable is Raleway?

Humanist sans-serifs offer the best body-text readability in the category. Geometric and neo-grotesque designs excel in short-form UI text but require careful sizing for sustained reading. Use at 16 px minimum for body text, and maintain 1.5 line-height to support comfortable reading rhythm.

Raleway's Visual Fatigue and Adaptability

Raleway provides a focused weight range that maintains consistent typographic color across paragraphs. Balanced stroke modulation keeps visual noise low during sustained reading sessions.

Raleway Accessibility Recommendations

Maintain a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text when setting Raleway. Use font sizes of at least 16 px for paragraph copy and line spacing of 1.5 or greater. Test Raleway at 200% browser zoom to confirm line breaks and layout integrity remain intact.

Design Tips for Raleway

Pair with Garalde or Transitional serifs for classic contrast. A humanist sans body with a geometric sans display creates intra-category tension without conflict. A focused set of pairings helps designers find compatible companions for Raleway. Establish hierarchy through size, spacing, and color rather than multiplying font families. Serve Raleway in WOFF2 format for optimal load performance and broad browser compatibility.

Get the Font

Raleway Font Files

Available on Google Fonts
4 weights available for download
Download

Available Weights

400
Regular
400
Regular Italic
700
Bold
700
Bold Italic

Weight Reference

Aa
100
Aa
200
Aa
300
Aa
400
Aa
500
Aa
600
Aa
700
Aa
800
Aa
900

Internationalization

Language Support

Extended Latin Coverage
Supports 100+ languages with Latin script

Western European

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Dutch

Nordic

  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Icelandic

Central European

  • Polish
  • Czech
  • Hungarian
  • Romanian
  • Slovak

Baltic

  • Lithuanian
  • Latvian
  • Estonian

Raleway is a versatile font that supports a wide range of languages, including most Western European languages, as well as many Eastern European languages, making it suitable for multilingual projects and global applications.

Legal

Usage Rights for Raleway

SIL Open Font License (OFL) 1.1
Free for personal and commercial use
View License

What you can do

  • Personal projects
  • Commercial projects
  • Web embedding
  • App embedding
  • Modification
  • Redistribution

Restrictions

  • Selling as standalone

Modified versions must use a different name and be distributed under the same OFL license.

Raleway is available under the SIL Open Font License (OFL), Version 1.1. This license is a free, libre, and open source license specifically designed for fonts and related software. The OFL allows the fonts to be used, studied, modified, and redistributed freely as long as they are not sold by themselves. This makes Raleway ideal for web projects, applications, documents, and print materials of any kind.