I’d say it’s more about the vibe you want to give. But some free fonts I’ve been enjoying for interface work recently would be;
🏀 Helvetica Neue - My all time favorite
I think helvetica is like the happy guy in the room that tries to get along with everyone.
It’s perfect for headings and I particularly like it because it looks good without any any extra work (unlike inter for example)
Tip: if you’re using a serif typeface and you are in doubt what San-serif to pair it with, helvetica neue is a very good bet.
The only problem with is that; it was not particularly made for ui work in mind. Maybe print.
I’d say Geist is just like helvetica neue, but for made with screens in mind.
🎱 Inter Tight
I really like how this font look on websites because It has a dense structure.
Inter, by default, is kinda loose. You can hardly use it on a headline without having to adjust the tracking. Inter tight fixes that.
It looks like the characters are slimmer too. That gives it a more minimal and modern feel.
🎾 Archivo
San serifs generally look very friendly. Most, a little too friendly.
Whenever you’d like to have that clean San serifs feel but with a more corporate/serious vibe, archivo is definitely your pick.
Most other fonts I’ve seen that pass off this vibe are tall fonts. But somehow, archivo maintained the average x-height:cap-height ratio while giving a more corporate feel still.
🏈 PT-Serif
If you’ve ever used merriweather, PT serif is just a more polite version. Just a little more polite.
Merriweather has a lot of character, and sometimes you don’t need all that much character, that’s when I use PT serif.
That said, they are two of my favorite serif fonts because they sit pretty on the page without so much work, and they look great on title and body.
They both have a lot of weights which makes them suitable for interface work.
Merriweather, not only has various weight but various widths.
Notable mentions
SF Mono
Kaisei decol
Gochi hand (for scribble)
Newreader
Roboto Condensed
⚾️🥎🏐⚽️🧶
I tried to mention typefaces with minimal personality.
In some cases you may need some typefaces with so much personality. Like Wise, Discord, and others have done.
But one thing to keep in mind is, the more personality a typeface has to fit in a particular scenario, the less it can fit into other scenarios.
So I tried to mention typefaces that can almost fit into every scene with a couple of adjustments.