The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Best free alternatives to
Means
Means was drawn by Greg Gazdowicz at Commercial Type as a custom typeface for Mailchimp's 2018 rebrand with the agency Collins. Developed from Oswald Cooper's soft, round Cooper Oldstyle, it pairs stubby serifs and gentle bowed strokes with just enough quirk to feel hand-made — the typographic voice behind Mailchimp's winking, irreverent brand. It proved a warm serif could carry an entire tech identity. These free typefaces work in that tradition.
The closest font to MeansThe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Display + body that work together
Quiet type that does the work
The display sets the register; the body follows through. When both halves of a pair pull in the same direction, the design disappears and the words come forward.
Pages that earn the read
Body type does the heavy lifting. Get it right and the reader never thinks about it; get it wrong and they feel it before they can name what is off.
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Common questions about Means alternatives
- Is Means free?
- No — Means is a commercial typeface from Commercial Type. Means is a proprietary typeface commissioned by Mailchimp (now part of Intuit) and is not available for public licensing. The closest free alternative is Fraunces, available on Google Fonts.
- What font is similar to Means?
- Fraunces is the closest free match. The standout free choice — a self-described 'wonky' old-style soft-serif inspired by early-20th-century faces like Windsor and Cooper, the same lineage as Means. Its SOFT and WONK variable axes let you dial in exactly the plush, quirky warmth Mailchimp trades on.
- Can I use Fraunces in commercial projects?
- Yes — Fraunces is published under a free license on Google Fonts and can be used in commercial work. Confirm the license text at the source before shipping.