Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	ALGER FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Mar. 01, 2020
Class A, C Shares | Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	ALGER WEATHERBIE SPECIALIZED GROWTH FUND
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fund Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in Class A Shares of the Alger Family of Funds, including the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Purchasing and Redeeming Fund Shares” on page 66 and in Appendix A – Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries on page A-1 in the Fund’s Prospectus, and in the sections “Right of Accumulation (Class A Shares)” and “Letter of Intent (Class A Shares)” on page 26 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 64.83% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	64.83%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	Purchases of $1 million or more of Class A Shares at net asset value may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% on redemptions made within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in Class A Shares of the Alger Family of Funds, including the Fund.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 25,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions you would pay the following expenses if you redeemed your shares at the end of each period:
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategy
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Fred Alger Management, LLC believes companies undergoing Positive Dynamic Change offer the best investment opportunities. Positive Dynamic Change refers to companies realizing High Unit Volume Growth or companies undergoing Positive Lifecycle Change. High Unit Volume Growth companies are traditional growth companies experiencing, for example, rapidly growing demand or market dominance. Positive Lifecycle Change companies are, for example, companies benefitting from new regulations, a new product innovation or new management. Weatherbie Capital, LLC (“Weatherbie”), an affiliate of Fred Alger Management, LLC, and the Fund’s sub-adviser, invests in smaller cap U.S. growth companies that Weatherbie believes have enduring earnings, reasonable valuations and a distinct competitive advantage. Weatherbie invests in Foundation growth stocks and Opportunity growth stocks. Foundation growth stocks are companies led by experienced management teams, with innovative business models and the potential for high sales and earnings growth. Opportunity growth stocks are companies whose earnings may be temporarily depressed, but Weatherbie believes change is underway that can reaccelerate earnings. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of smallcap and midcap companies. Equity securities include common or preferred stocks that are listed on U.S. or foreign exchanges. Smallcap or midcap companies are companies that, at the time of purchase, have total market capitalization within the range of companies included in the Russell 2500 Growth Index or the Russell Midcap Growth Index, respectively, as reported by the indexes as of the most recent quarter-end. At December 31, 2019, the market capitalization of the companies in these indexes ranged from $13 million to $78.61 billion. As a focus fund, the Fund intends to invest a substantial portion of its assets in a smaller number of issuers, and may focus its holdings in fewer business sectors or industries. Generally the Fund will own approximately 50 holdings. Fund holdings may occasionally exceed this number for a variety of reasons. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securities of companies conducting business within a single sector, including the information technology, healthcare, consumer discretionary, and industrials sectors. The Fund’s portfolio manager(s) may sell a stock when it reaches a target price, it fails to perform as expected, or other opportunities appear more attractive. As a result, the Fund may engage in active trading of portfolio securities. The Fund can invest in foreign securities, including emerging market securities.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	An investment in the Fund involves risks. The Fund’s share price may go down, which means you could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Investment Risk – An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. Market Risk – Your investment in Fund shares represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund. The value of these securities, like other investments, may move up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Your Fund shares at any point in time may be worth less than what you invested, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions. Equity Securities Risk – As with any fund that invests in stocks, your investment will fluctuate in value, and the loss of your investment is a risk of investing. The Fund’s price per share will fluctuate due to changes in the market prices of its investments. Also, the Fund’s investments may not grow as fast as the rate of inflation and stocks tend to be more volatile than some other investments you could make, such as bonds. Growth Stocks Risk – Prices of growth stocks tend to be higher in relation to their companies’ earnings and may be more sensitive to market, political and economic developments than other stocks, making their prices more volatile. An investment in the Fund may be better suited to investors who seek long-term capital growth and can tolerate fluctuations in their investment’s value. Small and Mid Cap Securities Risk – There may be greater risk in investing in companies with small or medium market capitalizations rather than larger, more established issuers due to such factors as more limited product lines or financial resources or lack of management depth. It may also be difficult or impossible to liquidate a security position at a time and price acceptable to the Fund because of the potentially less frequent trading of stocks of smaller market capitalization. Small Number of Holdings Risk – Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests in a small number of issuers. Therefore, the Fund’s performance may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer and more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political, or regulatory occurrence than a fund that has a higher number of holdings. Sector Risk – The Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within a single sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than a fund that has a more diversified portfolio. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility. Technology Companies Risk – The Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of technology companies. Many technology companies’ securities have historically been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term. Technology companies may also face increased competition, government regulation, and risk of obsolescence due to progress in technological developments. Healthcare Companies Risk – The Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of healthcare companies. At times, the performance of healthcare companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole, and the performance of such companies may be more volatile. Healthcare companies may also be significantly affected by intense competition, aggressive pricing, government regulation, technological innovations, product obsolescence, patent considerations, product compatibility and consumer preferences. Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk – The consumer discretionary sector may be affected by changes in domestic and international economies, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers’ disposable income, consumer preferences, social trends and marketing campaigns. Foreign Securities Risk – The Fund’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting investments in foreign companies. Special risks associated with investments in foreign companies include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, political instability and differing audit and legal standards. The securities of issuers located in emerging markets can be more volatile than those of issuers in more mature economies. Emerging Markets Risk – The Fund may invest in issuers located in emerging countries (such as Brazil, Russia, India and China), and therefore may be exposed to the economies, industries, securities and currency markets of such countries, which may be adversely affected by protectionist trade policies, a slow U.S. economy, political and social instability, regional and global conflicts, terrorism and war, including actions that are contrary to the interests of the U.S.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The Fund’s share price may go down, which means you could lose money.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and the table beneath it provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the indicated periods compare with those of an appropriate benchmark of market performance. From August 30, 2017 to September 30, 2019, the Fund was named "Alger SMid Cap Focus Fund." Prior to August 30, 2017, the Fund followed different investment strategies under the name “Alger SMid Cap Growth Fund” and prior to March 1, 2017 was managed by different portfolio managers. Accordingly, performance prior to those dates does not reflect the Fund’s current investment strategies and investment personnel. Performance in the bar chart does not reflect the effect of the sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A Shares of the Fund. If the bar chart reflected the applicable sales charges, returns would be less than those shown. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website www.alger.com.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The following bar chart and the table beneath it provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the indicated periods compare with those of an appropriate benchmark of market performance.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.alger.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Annual Total Return for Class A Shares as of December 31 (%)
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	Performance in the bar chart does not reflect the effect of the sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A Shares of the Fund. If the bar chart reflected the applicable sales charges, returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Best Quarter: Q1 2019 30.44%               Worst Quarter: Q4 2018 -24.50%
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2019
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown may not be relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns for Class C Shares, which are not shown, will vary from those shown for Class A Shares.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	A “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may sometimes be higher than the other two return figures; this happens when there is a capital loss on redemptions, giving rise to a tax benefit to the shareholder.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	In the foregoing table, after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown may not be relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns for Class C Shares, which are not shown, will vary from those shown for Class A Shares. A “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may sometimes be higher than the other two return figures; this happens when there is a capital loss on redemptions, giving rise to a tax benefit to the shareholder.
Class A, C Shares | Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a % of offering price	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	5.25%
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) as a % of purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Advisory Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.81%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.25%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.31%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 651
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	918
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,205
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 2,021
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	23.30%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	(4.19%)
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	14.10%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	32.15%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	4.26%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(2.11%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	3.52%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	37.88%
2018	rr_AnnualReturn2018	(4.17%)
2019	rr_AnnualReturn2019	39.17%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Mar. 31, 2019
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	30.44%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2018
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(24.50%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	31.88%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	12.04%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	12.61%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	May 08, 2002
Class A, C Shares | Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a % of offering price	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) as a % of purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%
Advisory Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.81%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.24%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	2.05%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 308
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	643
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,103
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	2,379
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	208
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	643
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	1,103
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 2,379
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	36.97%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	12.37%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	12.34%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	May 08, 2002
Class A, C Shares | Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	30.66%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.80%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	9.59%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	May 08, 2002
Class A, C Shares | Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	19.73%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.04%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	9.36%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	May 08, 2002
Class A, C Shares | Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund | Russell 2500 Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	32.65%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	10.84%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	14.01%

[1] Purchases of $1 million or more of Class A Shares at net asset value may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% on redemptions made within 12 months of purchase.