My font sources shortlist
The type sources I keep coming back to. Heavy hitters, display bangers, and yes, some free ones too, sorted by vibe and budget.
High End · Kitchen Sink · Funky · Beachy · Designer Made · Free-ish
High End
Premium fonts for premium clients. Beautifully constructed super families. Timeless creations you can use with confidence. Brands stand apart for implementing these.
Kitchen Sink
We all know this one. Countless fonts ranging from premium to passable. Good for hunting when you know roughly what you want.
The Amazon of type. Everything’s in here, just know how to filter
Funky
Looking for something with extra flair? Well-constructed and timely. Some solid text workhorses in here too for that banging body copy.
Some of these are available with an Adobe Fonts subscription — worth checking before you buy.
Beachy
Organic and a little trippy. Perfect for one-off creations — just know you might not get a complete glyph set for a full brand system.
Designer Made
These designers made the fonts they wished existed. Prices are friendly, quality is real — just check the glyph set before going all in on a brand system.
Free-ish
Excellent fonts, but ubiquitous. Great for clients without the budget for high-end. The tradeoff is everyone else is using them too.
free with Adobe CC
free
Free to download, and you won’t find anything boring.
free but a donation is appreciated
Know a font source I'm missing?
I update this list when something earns a spot. If you've found a gem worth sharing, send it my way.
These are personal recommendations based on my own experience. I have no formal relationship with any foundry listed.