Free typing tutors compared: our recommendation

Free does not mean the same thing for every typing tutor. Some tools show ads, others ask you to create an account before the first lesson, and a few charge for extras such as an ad-free account or a school version. We recommend typando: you get a complete course with no account and no ads, built for both US and UK keyboards. typando is our own trainer. We still compare fairly and tell you when another tool is the better fit.

For this comparison, we read what each tool says on its official website, as of October 31, 2026. Prices and features change, so the provider’s current site is what counts.

Our recommendation: typando

typando is a course, not a game. It takes you through four phases, from the home row to fluent typing, and then keeps your level up with a two-minute weekly test. The next lesson unlocks only once you finish the previous one with at least 97% accuracy. Speed does not count in phase 1. Later, you get a personal speed goal: the average of your last five exercises plus 5%, never a fixed number for everyone.

You won’t drill meaningless letter strings. As soon as you know six keys including a vowel, you type syllables and real words, and keys you struggle with come back inside words. While you type, you see no live speed, only your progress through the text. Mistakes turn red right away, with no sound and no interruption. Why we put accuracy before speed is explained in How to type faster: what the research says.

The trainer supports 13 keyboard layouts in six languages, including US and UK English, and most of them also work with Mac keyboards. In phase 3, you copy passages from public-domain books instead of repeating letter patterns. The typing test runs for one, three, or five minutes. If you like, you can take a five-minute test and earn a certificate in one of four tiers, with a number anyone can verify on typando.com. Finish the whole course and reach 40 WPM at 97% in the final test, and you also get the diploma. The typing certificate page lists what it takes.

An account is optional. Without one, your progress stays in your browser; with one, it is stored in a database in Zurich and follows you to other devices. There are no ads in the trainer, and we count page views without cookies. How much practice time to plan for is covered in How long does it take to learn touch typing? You will find every lesson with your progress in the lesson overview.

The tools at a glance

When another tool is a better fit

For children who need games, stars, and badges to keep going, TypingClub is the better choice. It is free for individuals and schools, and you can start without an account. Each lesson awards up to five stars, and if you turn on the voice option, every word is read aloud as you type it. Schools can add an optional paid School Edition.

If you can already type without looking and only want to measure your speed, use Monkeytype. It is a typing test with many modes and no lessons. Ads are optional there. The project is funded by donations and its own merch store.

If you like working with numbers, keybr.com suits you well. It measures how fast you hit each key and builds the next exercise around the letter that gives you the most trouble. You practice with made-up but pronounceable words, and both US and UK layouts are available. The site shows ads; a premium account, paid once, removes them along with the trackers.

Tipp10 comes from Germany and, according to its website, is used by many schools and universities. The online version is free but needs an account with an email address and password, or a sign-in through Google, Apple, or Microsoft. It runs in English and German, and its privacy policy rules out ads and web tracking. A desktop version can still be downloaded, but the site says it is no longer maintained.

Do you teach a class? Then look at AgileFingers. Teachers can create classes, assign typing tasks, and follow student progress, while individual learners can start without logging in. Besides the course, it has typing games and lessons for practicing code. The site shows ads.

typista is a German-language web app that works without signing up and calls itself completely free. Its exercises adapt to the keys you struggle with, and the site is marked as beta. For English speakers it is of limited use. It fits best if you are learning to type in German.

How to choose

Start with what you need. Do you want to learn the keys, or only find out how fast you already are? A course does the first job and a typing test the second. Next comes your keyboard. US and UK layouts put the @ sign and the quotation mark in different places, so practice on the one you actually use; Touch typing keyboard layout: US, UK, international helps you find out which that is. Last, decide whether an account or ads would bother you.

If you want a course for a US or UK keyboard with no account and no ads, start with typando. In the trainer, you choose your layout and go straight to the first lesson.