Font licensing explained: it's the one topic that makes even experienced designers reach for a legal dictionary. But the reality is simpler than most foundries want you to believe. There are a handful of common license types, a few practical rules, and a surprisingly large gray area where most designers actually work. We've been licensing fonts for website templates for years, and the pattern we keep seeing is that the mistakes are almost always the same: using a desktop font on a website, missing the pageview limit, or assuming free means unrestricted. This guide cuts through that confusion. Here's what you actually need to know.
One note before we start. This is a practical guide, not legal advice. For complex commercial projects, a font licensing attorney or the foundry's support team is always your safest resource.
What are the main types of font licenses?
There are four license types that cover almost every font a web designer will encounter: desktop licenses, web font licenses, open font licenses (OFL), and app or software licenses. Each one defines where and how the font files can be installed, embedded, and distributed. A single font family often has multiple licenses available at different prices, and buying the wrong one is the most common mistake we see.
Desktop licenses are for local use: design files, print, documents, and presentations. They explicitly do not allow you to embed the font in a website or app. Web font licenses are for embedding font files on websites, and they are almost always priced by monthly pageview tiers. Open font licenses, particularly the SIL Open Font License, allow free use, modification, and redistribution, including embedding in websites, but they have specific requirements about attribution and derivative naming. App licenses cover embedding in mobile or desktop applications, and they are separate from both desktop and web licenses.
The rule that matters most: the license type controls the delivery method, not the design tool. If a visitor's browser downloads the font file from your server, you need a web font license, even if you originally bought the font for Figma or Photoshop.
What is the SIL Open Font License (OFL)?
The SIL Open Font License is the most common open license for fonts, and it is the reason Google Fonts, Fontshare, and many other libraries exist. Under OFL, you can use the font for personal and commercial projects, embed it in websites, modify it, and even redistribute it. The only real restrictions are that you must keep the copyright notice with the font files, and if you modify the font, you must give it a different name to avoid confusion with the original.
For web designers, OFL fonts are the closest thing to worry-free. Google Fonts are all OFL-licensed, which is why you can embed them in client sites without tracking down individual licenses. We use OFL fonts in our own templates when we want the buyer to have zero licensing overhead. If you are looking for safe starting points, our Google font pairings guide covers combinations we use regularly in professional work. For more on variable fonts, see our variable fonts guide.
The only real trap with OFL fonts is font distribution. If you bundle the font files with a product you sell, like a website template or a desktop app, you need to include the license text file alongside the font files. It is a small step, but skipping it is technically a violation.
What does a commercial font license cover?
A commercial font license is any paid license that grants you rights beyond what free or open licenses offer. Commercial licenses come in several tiers, and pricing is usually based on usage metrics: number of users for desktop, monthly pageviews for web, and number of app installs for software. The license is a contract, and each foundry writes its own terms, so there is no universal standard.
What almost every commercial web font license includes: the right to self-host the font files on your own server or use a font delivery service, a specified maximum pageview limit, and coverage for a single website or project. What they usually do not include: the right to redistribute the font files to clients as a standalone product, the right to use the font in a logo or trademark, and the right to modify the font files. Those are often separate, more expensive licenses, if they are available at all.
We see the same mistake repeatedly: a designer buys a desktop license because they are working in Figma, then uses the font in a published website without upgrading to a web license. Foundries know this happens, and some actively audit high-traffic sites. The safest workflow is to check the web license price before committing to a font for a web project, not after.
What is the difference between free and paid fonts?
Free fonts are not all the same, and paid fonts are not automatically better. The difference is in the license, the support, and the design quality, not just the price.
Free fonts fall into three categories: public domain fonts with no restrictions, OFL fonts with attribution requirements, and freemium fonts where the free version has a limited character set or style count. Paid fonts offer broader licenses, more weights and styles, better language support, kerning quality, and ongoing updates. They also come with someone to email if you have a problem.
But many free fonts are genuinely excellent. Google Fonts and Fontshare both curate high-quality families that are professionally designed and suitable for commercial use. The trap is the random free font from a forum or sketchy download site, which may have no license at all, a hidden commercial restriction, or worse, a corrupted or stolen file. We only use free fonts from known, reputable sources. For professional work, the source matters more than the price tag.
Font license comparison table
| License type | Best for | Cost | Can embed on web? | Can use in client work? | Key restrictions |
| ------------ | -------- | ---- | ----------------- | ---------------------- | ---------------- |
| OFL / Open Source | Websites, apps, open projects | Free | Yes | Yes | Must include license text; rename if modified |
| Desktop license | Figma, Photoshop, print, local docs | $20–$200+ | No | Yes | Cannot embed in websites or apps |
| Web font license | Self-hosted or CDN web fonts | $30–$500+ | Yes | Usually yes | Pageview limits apply; one project per license |
| App license | Mobile or desktop software | $200–$1,000+ | Yes | Varies | Priced by app installs; separate from web license |
| Extended / Enterprise | Large sites, multiple clients, resellers | Custom quote | Yes | Usually yes | Negotiated terms; often includes all formats |
This table is a summary, not a substitute for reading the actual license you purchase. Foundry terms vary.
What are the most common font licensing traps?
The traps we see most often are avoidable with a few simple checks.
Desktop on web. This is the single most common violation. The desktop license you bought for Figma does not cover web embedding. The font files look identical, but the license is different. If you self-host a font, you need a web font license, period.
Pageview limits. Web font licenses are usually sold in tiers: up to 10K monthly pageviews, up to 100K, up to 1M, and so on. If your site exceeds the tier, the license requires you to upgrade. Most foundries do not actively monitor this, but enterprise clients and audits do exist. Track your traffic and plan an upgrade path if you are near a boundary.
Client handoffs. When you build a website for a client and hand over the files, the font license needs to cover the client's use, not just yours. Some licenses are per-project, some are per-designer. If the client will self-host the site or manage it independently, make sure the license is in their name or covers their use.
Font in a logo. Most standard licenses, even commercial ones, do not explicitly allow trademark use. If you are using a font in a logo, read the license or contact the foundry. Some have a separate logo license, and some prohibit it entirely.
Modified fonts. Changing a font file, even for a small tweak, often violates the license unless you have explicit permission. OFL allows modification with a rename, but commercial licenses almost always prohibit it. Subsetting for web performance is a gray area; some licenses allow it, some do not. When in doubt, ask.
How do you check if a font is licensed correctly for a project?
The checklist is simple, and we run through it on every project before shipping.
- Identify the source: did the font come from Google Fonts, Fontshare, a reputable foundry, or an unknown site?
- Download the license file or open the license text included with the font.
- Match the license type to the project: desktop for local design, web for embedding, app for software.
- Check the pageview limit or user limit against the project's actual traffic or team size.
- Verify the client is covered: is the license in their name, or does it permit transferring to a client?
- Save the license file in the project folder alongside the font files for future reference.
- If anything is unclear, email the foundry before using the font in production.
This seven-step process takes about five minutes per font and has saved us from licensing problems on dozens of client projects.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Google Fonts for commercial projects?
Yes, all fonts on Google Fonts are licensed under the SIL Open Font License or similarly permissive licenses, and they are free for commercial use. You can embed them in websites, use them in client work, and even include them in products you sell. The only requirement is that you include the license text if you redistribute the font files themselves. Google Fonts handles this automatically if you use their CDN link.
Do I need a separate web font license if I bought the desktop version?
Yes, almost always. Desktop licenses and web font licenses are separate products. The desktop license covers installation on your computer for design work. The web font license covers embedding the font files on a website so visitors can download and display them. If you are using a font on a live website, check that you have a web font license or that the font is under an open license like OFL that permits web embedding. Foundries typically do not bundle these together at the entry price tier.
What happens if I use a font without the right license?
In practice, most foundries start with a cease-and-desist letter or an invoice for the correct license rather than legal action. But the risk is real, especially for high-traffic sites or brands with visible public presence. Audits do happen, and some foundries and their representatives actively monitor commercial usage. The fix is usually simple: purchase the correct license or swap the font for an alternative. The reputational risk for a client is often bigger than the cost of the license itself.
Get the license right from day one
Font licensing is one of those topics that seems intimidating until you spend an hour with it, then it becomes second nature. The four license types cover almost everything you will encounter: desktop for local design, web for embedding, OFL for open-source projects, and app for software. The most common mistake is using a desktop license on a website, and the most common fix is simply checking the license before you commit to a font for a project.
We design templates for a wide range of industries, and the font choices we make are always filtered through this same licensing checklist. If you want to see fonts that are already cleared for commercial web use, our Google font pairings guide and our fonts for SaaS websites post are built entirely from OFL and freely licensed families. Our free serif fonts guide is another good starting point for projects that need classical elegance. The right font, with the right license, removes one entire category of worry from your project. That is worth five minutes of reading before you hit purchase.
