Free open-source alternative to Courier

The 1955 IBM typewriter face, still the standard for screenplays.

Recommended replacement

Courier Prime

MonospaceSIL Open Font Licensefree for commercial use

Courier Prime was made for screenwriters as a better-looking Courier with the same fixed character width, so script page counts stay the same.

Courier proprietary

Not installed on this device

Courier is a commercial monospace font by IBM, so we can't load it here. The sample only renders when the font is installed locally.

Courier Prime open source

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Use Courier Prime instead of Courier on your website

Add this to your page's <head>:

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

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

font-family: 'Courier Prime', Courier, monospace;

More open-source alternatives to Courier

Ranked by visual and metric similarity.

#1
42% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 54% Visual: 36% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Thabit

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#2
26% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 68% Visual: 14% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Anonymous Pro

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 43% Visual: 17% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Sono

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#4
24% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 73% Visual: 11% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Cutive Mono

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#5

Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono

23% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 39% Visual: 17% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#6
23% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 28% Visual: 21% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Thabit

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#7
22% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 71% Visual: 10% GPL with font exception
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

FreeMono

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#8
22% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 56% Visual: 12% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Cousine

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#9
21% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 56% Visual: 11% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Red Hat Mono

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

#10
20% match
Poor match Perfect match
Metrics: 48% Visual: 11% SIL Open Font License
Courier

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Overpass Mono

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a free alternative to Courier?

Courier Prime is the best free, open-source alternative to Courier. 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 Courier free to use?

No. Courier is a proprietary monospace font by IBM that requires a commercial license. You can use Courier Prime instead at no cost.

Can I use Courier Prime instead of Courier?

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