Futura is a classic sans serif font based on a set of simple geometric forms. It's considered very easy to read, but rarely comes with desktop publishing software and usually has a hefty price tag when you have to buy it separately. A number of fonts with similar features are available for free.
N.O. Movement
N.O. Movement
One of the key features of the Futura typeface is its heavy geometric feel โ even in thin weights. N.O. Movement mimics that feel, with fairly thick strokes making up the letters. You will notice some differences, between the fonts, of course: letters like 'm' and 'n' have slanted embellishments, as does the crossbar of a lower-case 't'. These differences serve to create a font with a slightly more modern feel than the Bauhaus style of the N.O. Movement font, but reminiscent of Futura.
Florencesans
Florencesans
Florencesans offers the same flexibility of Futura: you can purchase Futura in a wide variety of weights, along with bold, italicized, outlined and other variations. Florencesans also has such a wide variety of versions, but is available as a fee download. Its' character set is complete, making this typeface an ideal choice if your chief criteria is adaptability across a wide variety of projects.
London Between
London Between
For the crisp clean appearance of Futura, London Between offers a good alternative. It's available in light, medium and heavy weights. Some characters have an even more geometric appearance than Futura โ the lower-case 'i' and 'j' are dotted with squares โ but others have a slightly softer feel, like the lower-case 'y' with a curve added to its tail. While London Between is not a perfect clone of Futura, the font does fit well with many projects where you might otherwise use Futura.
Petita
Petita
Petita, in its medium weight, has a solid similarity to Futura. A few softer angles have crept in, deviating from Futura's harder edges, but Petita is generally a good match. In addition to having a full character set, Petita is available in three weights. The font can be used for almost any project where you need a hint of Futura.
Other Futura Fonts
Because of the copyright laws affecting fonts, it isn't legal to download an identical copy of Futura for free. However, there are many fonts available that have at least some level of similarity to Futura. Depending on the feel you're going for in your desktop publishing project, a Futura-like font may wind up being a better fit than Futura itself. By browsing Dafont's san serif section, you can find many fonts reminiscent of Futura.