Last updated: March 2026
Every font you download from Leslez is free. But “free” doesn’t mean “no rules.” Each font ships with a license that tells you exactly what you can and can’t do with it. We only list fonts that are cleared for personal and commercial use, but the fine print varies depending on which source library the font comes from and which license covers it.
Below is a breakdown of the three license types you’ll encounter on this site, written so you don’t have to parse legal documents to figure out if you can use a font in a client project.
SIL Open Font License 1.1 (OFL)
Apache License 2.0
A smaller number of Google Fonts are released under Apache 2.0 instead of the OFL. Roboto is probably the most well-known example. Apache 2.0 is a general-purpose open-source software license — it wasn’t built specifically for fonts, but it works for them.
What you can do:
Everything the OFL allows, plus more flexibility on derivatives. You can modify the font, rename it, and release the modified version under any license you choose — including a proprietary one. You can sell the modified font as a standalone commercial product if you want. There’s no Reserved Font Name restriction.
What you can’t do:
Remove the original copyright and license notices from the font files. If you distribute the font (original or modified), you need to include the Apache 2.0 license text and the original copyright notice. You can’t claim you wrote it from scratch if you didn’t.
How it differs from the OFL:
The big difference is derivative works. Under the OFL, any modified version has to stay under the OFL. Under Apache 2.0, you can take a modified version and release it under a completely different license. That matters more for type designers and font studios than for people who just want to use a font in a project — but it’s worth knowing if you’re the kind of developer who forks and customizes font files.
ITF Free Font License (FFL)
This one is exclusive to certain fonts on Fontshare. The Indian Type Foundry designed and owns these fonts. They’re not open source — they’re proprietary freeware released under ITF’s own license terms. The word “free” here means free to use, not free to do anything you want with the underlying files.
What you can do:
Use the font in any personal or commercial project at any scale. Web, print, apps, video, products — no restrictions on the type of work or number of users. Embed it on websites using @font-face or through Fontshare’s API. Use it in ebooks, PDFs, software, templates, and any other digital or physical format.
What you can’t do:
Redistribute the font files. Don’t upload them to another font directory, bundle them in a template you’re selling, or share them outside your own work. Don’t modify the font and distribute the modified version. Don’t sell the font in any form. These fonts are exclusive to Fontshare — you won’t find legitimate copies anywhere else, and ITF intends it to stay that way.
How it differs from the OFL and Apache 2.0:
The FFL is more restrictive on redistribution and modification. With OFL and Apache fonts you can share the files freely and modify them. With FFL fonts, you use them in your projects but you don’t pass the font files along to other people or alter them. Think of it as “free to use, not free to redistribute.”
Which License Applies to Which Font?
Every ZIP you download from Leslez includes the license file for that specific font. Open the ZIP, check the .txt file inside, and you’ll see whether it’s OFL, Apache 2.0, or FFL. If you want to verify before downloading, check the font’s detail page on its original source:
- Google Fonts — fonts.google.com (nearly all OFL, a few Apache 2.0)
- Bunny Fonts — fonts.bunny.net (mirrors Google Fonts under the same licenses)
- Fontshare — fontshare.com (mix of OFL and ITF FFL)
We display the source library on each font listing so you always know where it’s coming from.
For Type Designers and Font Developers
You have created a typeface, and you want to be listed on Leslez, we are interested in communication.
We welcome both open source and commercially-licensed fonts by independent type designers, small foundries and solo developers. When it is open-source under OFL or Apache 2.0 then it fits perfectly into our existing catalog and download system. In case it is a paid font and you wish to provide as a free download on our platform, or you desire to utilize Leslez as a distribution and discovery platform with your own license conditions then we can find some ground.
We can also create special font pages in your catalog; preview cards, weight selectors and style selectors, specimen pages and direct downloads with your name as a foundry and licensing and attribution in the front page.
What we are not going to do is host fonts whose ownership is unclear or whose metadata has been removed or their licensing may lead our users into legal issues. In case of a provenance that is clean and a licensing agreement, which has the terms, we would like to hear from you.
Contact us by the contact page or write an email. Write what you have created, what is the license of it and how would you wish it shared. We’ll take it from there.