Helvetica should be available with the free plan at http://webfonts.fonts.com/

Different in detail, but at least it has a decent light cut: http://www.google.com/webfonts/specimen/Lato

Thanks for pointing out that option Riccard0.

Thanks Birdseeding - that is a good option.

Why not use a Helvetica version that is free for everybody?
Like TeX Gyre Heros
http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/TeX-Gyre-Heros

Does anyone know where I can purchase Helvetica neue 45 light web font format without paying subscription fees or pay per page view?

MyFonts has pay-once web font licenses: http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/neue-helvetica/helvetica-neue-pro-...

Edit: Ah, sorry, it seems like they are counting pageviews.

Of course, there are open-source typefaces that closely resemble old Helvetica. Something so close that it's closer to Helvetica Neue than it is to Helvetica is perhaps not reasonable to hope for.

Incidentally, other than an imitation of Helvetica, or Arial - which is basically Monotype Grotesque altered to have the same metrics as Helvetica - or Akzidenz Grotesk (also known as Standard), or Mercator... I've just come across another typeface which, although not an imitation of Helvetica, would stand as a legitimate alternative to it.

I came across it when searching for more information about Egizio, as it is by the same designer - Forma.

Here is info on Forma http://www.fontbureau.com/blog/finding-forma/

This list by Stephen Coles is good, these are not free alternatives but worth looking at regardless: http://next.fontshop.com/people/stephen-coles/fontlists/helvetica-altern...