beautiful-web-type

Beautiful Web Type is a curated reference guide to high-quality open-source typefaces that can be used freely on websites. The project lives at beautifulwebtype.com and covers about 40 fonts, each selected because it meets a high standard of quality. All featured typefaces use the SIL Open Font License, meaning anyone can use them in personal or commercial projects at no cost.

Each typeface entry goes deeper than a simple preview. The site catalogs all available weights and styles, the full character set (called the glyph set), how well spacing between letters is handled (kerning quality), advanced typographic features such as ligatures and alternate letterforms (OpenType features), and suggestions for pairing two typefaces together well. A glyph inspector for each font lets visitors browse every individual character.

The GitHub repository holds the source code that powers the website. It runs on Next.js and stores authored content in a dedicated folder. Each typeface has its own subfolder containing a metadata file with details like weight options, the designer, the release date, and a text description, alongside an HTML sample layout. Adding a new font to the site follows that same folder structure.

The project is actively maintained. When a font stops being freely available, such as when the creator of Jost began charging for its variable font version in 2026, it is removed from the list. Suggestions for new typefaces can be submitted through GitHub issues, with the request that examples of the font in actual use be included so an initial quality check can be made.