Free open-source alternative to Bembo

A Renaissance serif based on the roman Aldus Manutius printed in 1495, a classic of book publishing.

Recommended replacement

Cardo

SerifSIL Open Font Licensefree for commercial use

Cardo is modelled on the same Aldine roman that Bembo comes from, and adds a large character set for scholarly work.

Bembo proprietary

Not installed on this device

Bembo is a commercial serif font by Monotype, so we can't load it here. The sample only renders when the font is installed locally.

Cardo open source

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Use Cardo instead of Bembo on your website

Add this to your page's <head>:

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Cardo&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

Then use it in your CSS. Bembo stays in the list as a fallback for visitors who have it installed:

font-family: 'Cardo', Bembo, serif;

More open-source alternatives to Bembo

Ranked by visual and metric similarity.

#1
55% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 76% Visual: 45% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Spectral

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 76% Visual: 41% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Joan

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#3
51% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 69% Visual: 42% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Wittgenstein

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#4

Libertinus Serif Display

51% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 68% Visual: 42% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Libertinus Serif Display

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 72% Visual: 38% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Lora

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#6
49% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 78% Visual: 36% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Libertinus Math

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#7
48% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 69% Visual: 38% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Libertinus Serif

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#8
47% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 63% Visual: 39% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Petrona

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#9
47% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 61% Visual: 39% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

EB Garamond

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#10
46% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 61% Visual: 38% SIL Open Font License
Bembo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Crimson Text

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a free alternative to Bembo?

Cardo is the best free, open-source alternative to Bembo. It is released under the SIL Open Font License, so you can use it in personal and commercial projects without paying a license fee.

Is Bembo free to use?

No. Bembo is a proprietary serif font by Monotype that requires a commercial license. You can use Cardo instead at no cost.

Can I use Cardo instead of Bembo?

Yes, for most uses. Cardo has a similar look, but its character widths differ from Bembo, so text can reflow slightly. Check line breaks and spacing after switching.