Two tools that look similar and do opposite jobs
Monkeytype is one of the most popular typing sites on the internet, and for good reason. It's free, open source, beautifully minimal, and gives you instant feedback on your words-per-minute and accuracy. If you already touch type and you want to measure, track, and push your speed, it's hard to beat.
Typiq is a different kind of tool. It's a desktop typing tutor that teaches you how to type from scratch, showing you in real time which finger goes on which key. It's built for kids learning the keyboard, parents teaching them, and adults who never learned the home row.
The short version of the difference: Monkeytype tests you; Typiq teaches you. One assumes you can already type and helps you go faster. The other assumes you can't yet and walks you through it.
This comparison is written by the team behind Typiq, so treat the perspective accordingly — we've kept the facts straight and marked opinions as opinions. Monkeytype is genuinely excellent at what it does, and we'll say so where it's true.
Pricing: free vs. one-time
Let's start with the place Monkeytype clearly wins.
Monkeytype is completely free. There's no premium tier, no subscription, no paywall, and no feature locked behind payment. It's open source under the GPL-3.0 license. The project is funded by voluntary support — donations, merch, and opt-in ads (off by default; you choose to turn them on). Nothing is forced on you, and you can use every feature without paying a cent.
Typiq is €18.99, paid once, for a lifetime license — no subscription, ever. There's a free 30-minute trial with no card and no signup so you can try before you buy.
Being honest about this: free is a real Monkeytype strength, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. What you pay Typiq for is a different thing entirely — a structured curriculum, real-time finger guidance, a native offline app, and a promise of no ads and no tracking. If all you want is a speed test, you do not need to pay anyone. If you want to be taught how to type, that's where a one-time purchase earns its keep.
You can see Typiq's pricing on the buy page.
Platform and offline use
Monkeytype is a web app. Its own description calls it a typing website, and that's exactly what it is — you use it in a browser. There's no official desktop app and no official iOS or Android app. (You may find "Monkeytype" listings in app stores, but those are unofficial third-party wrappers, not builds from the Monkeytype team.) Because it runs in the browser, it doesn't advertise or document any offline mode.
Typiq is a native app you install on Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux, and Chromebook. After installation it works fully offline — no connection needed to run a lesson. That matters in classrooms with patchy Wi-Fi, on planes, or anywhere you'd rather not depend on a browser tab staying open.
To be precise: we're not claiming Monkeytype "doesn't work offline" as a hard fact. We're saying it's a browser-based site that offers no documented offline mode, while Typiq's offline-first design is a deliberate, defensible difference. One of the steps on the Typiq install guide is simply that once it's on your machine, it keeps working without the internet.
Learning approach: the core difference
This is the whole reason to read a comparison between these two.
Monkeytype is a test, not a tutor. It drops you into a passage of words and measures how fast and accurately you type them. There's no curriculum, no lesson progression, and — critically — no finger-placement guidance. It won't show you which finger to use, it won't put a hand or keyboard overlay on screen, and it won't correct your technique. It assumes you already know how to type and just want to get faster. Independent reviews put it plainly: it's not the right tool if you're learning to type from scratch.
Typiq is built around teaching technique. It gives you a structured path and, on every keystroke, shows real-time finger placement on a color-coded on-screen keyboard — which finger should hit which key, right now. That's the headline gap between the two products. If you've never learned the home row, Typiq is designed to fix how you type, not just clock how fast you type.
A useful way to think about it: Monkeytype is the stopwatch at the track. Typiq is the coach who teaches you to run. Once Typiq (or any tutor) has taught you the fundamentals, a tool like Monkeytype becomes a genuinely great place to keep pushing your numbers. If you're starting from zero, our guide on touch typing for beginners explains why technique has to come before speed.
Practice variety, customization, and "languages"
Here's another area where Monkeytype shines.
Monkeytype is enormously customizable and varied. Test modes include timed runs (15/30/60/120 seconds or custom), word-count modes (10/25/50/100), quotes, and your own custom text, with toggles for punctuation and numbers. You get live WPM, accuracy, a consistency metric, result replays, personal-best tracking, a global leaderboard, programming-language "code" practice modes, and fun challenge modifiers. On the cosmetic side there are well over a hundred community themes, plus fonts, caret styles, and sounds. For self-directed drilling, it's a playground.
It also ships practice text in a very large number of word lists — well over a hundred. One important clarification, though: those are test-text word lists, not translated interfaces or keyboard layouts. They give Monkeytype huge variety in what you type, but they're a different thing from a localized UI or a remapped keyboard.
Typiq's multilingual support is a different category. Typiq offers 9 UI languages and 9 real keyboard layouts — meaning the app itself is translated and the lessons match the physical layout you actually use. That's about learning on the keyboard in front of you, in a language you read, rather than the breadth of practice passages.
So don't compare these numbers head to head: Monkeytype's "100+ languages" are word lists for already-able typists; Typiq's nine are full UI translations plus matching keyboard layouts for learners.
Data and privacy
Monkeytype doesn't require an account to take a test — that's a nice low-friction entry, and it's optional sign-up only if you want to save history, keep personal bests, or appear on the leaderboard. Being a web app, it runs in your browser; if you turn on the optional ads, those bring the usual third-party ad behavior, but that's your choice and it's off by default.
Typiq runs locally on your device. No ads, no tracking, and the 30-minute trial needs no card and no signup. Your practice stays on your machine because the app works offline. For families especially, "nothing leaves the device" is a meaningful default.
Both products keep the barrier to starting low. We won't overclaim an advantage on first-run friction — opening Monkeytype in a browser and opening Typiq's trial are both genuinely easy.
Who Monkeytype is better for
Be fair: there are real, good reasons to pick Monkeytype.
- You already touch type and want to measure and improve your speed.
- You want it free and open source, with no purchase decision at all.
- You love customization — themes, fonts, carets, sounds, custom text.
- You're a competitive typist chasing leaderboard scores and personal bests.
- You're a programmer who wants to drill on code-style word lists.
- You prefer a browser tab over installing software.
If that's you, Monkeytype is an excellent fit and you probably don't need anything else.
Who Typiq is better for
- You're learning to type from scratch and need to be shown which finger goes where.
- You're a kid (or teaching one) — Typiq is built for ages 6–14 and the parents guiding them.
- You're an adult who never learned the home row and wants real technique, not just a speed score.
- You want a native app that works fully offline, not a browser-dependent site.
- You want zero ads and no tracking, with everything running locally.
- You want lessons in your language on your keyboard layout (9 UI languages, 9 layouts).
If you can't yet type without looking down, a speed test will only tell you that you're slow. A tutor will fix it.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Monkeytype | Typiq |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Typing test (measure speed) | Typing tutor (teach technique) |
| Real-time finger placement | No | Yes — color-coded, every keystroke |
| Structured curriculum / lessons | No | Yes |
| For true beginners / kids | No (assumes you can type) | Yes (ages 6–14, plus adults) |
| Price | Free (open source, GPL-3.0) | €18.99 one-time, lifetime |
| Free entry | Fully free | 30-min trial, no card, no signup |
| Platform | Web (browser only) | Native: Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook |
| Offline use | No documented offline mode | Works fully offline after install |
| Ads | Opt-in (off by default) | None, ever |
| Tracking | Browser-based; optional account | Runs locally, no tracking |
| Speed/accuracy tracking | Extensive (WPM, consistency, leaderboard) | Focused on lesson progress |
| Customization (themes/fonts) | Extensive (100+ themes) | Focused, learning-first UI |
| Practice text variety | Huge (100+ word lists, incl. code) | Structured lessons |
| UI languages / keyboard layouts | Web UI; word lists ≠ layouts | 9 UI languages + 9 keyboard layouts |
The bottom line
Monkeytype and Typiq aren't really competitors — they're tools for two different stages of the same journey.
If you already touch type, Monkeytype is a fantastic, free, open-source way to measure your speed, drill, and compete. We'd recommend it without hesitation for that job. There's no curriculum and no finger guidance, but that's by design: it's a test, and a very good one.
If you can't yet type properly — if you hunt and peck, or you're teaching a child, or you never learned the home row — a speed test won't teach you. That's the gap Typiq fills: a structured tutor that shows real-time finger placement on every keystroke, runs natively and offline, costs €18.99 once, and never shows you an ad. Learn the fundamentals first; then, if you like, go measure your gains on Monkeytype.
Curious where to start? Read how to type faster, or try Typiq free for 30 minutes from the Typiq homepage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Monkeytype a typing tutor?
No. Monkeytype is a typing test, not a tutor. It measures your speed and accuracy on passages of text, but it has no structured curriculum and no finger-placement guidance. It assumes you already know how to type. If you're learning from scratch, you'll want a dedicated tutor like Typiq instead.
Can I learn to touch type with Monkeytype?
Not really. Monkeytype doesn't teach the home row, doesn't show you which finger to use, and doesn't correct your technique — it only measures what you can already do. It's excellent for getting faster once you already touch type, but for learning the fundamentals you need a tool that actually teaches finger placement.
Is Monkeytype free?
Yes, completely. Monkeytype is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license, with no premium tier, subscription, or paywall. It's funded by voluntary support — donations, merch, and opt-in ads that are off by default. Free is a genuine strength of Monkeytype.
How much does Typiq cost, and is there a free version?
Typiq is €18.99 as a one-time purchase for a lifetime license, with no subscription. There's also a free 30-minute trial that needs no card and no signup, so you can try it before deciding. See the buy page for details.
Does Monkeytype work offline?
Monkeytype is a browser-based website and offers no documented offline mode, so it's best to treat it as an online tool. Typiq, by contrast, is a native app that works fully offline after you install it — useful in classrooms with weak Wi-Fi or anywhere without a reliable connection.
Does Monkeytype have a desktop app?
No official one. Monkeytype is a web app you use in a browser; there's no official desktop, iOS, or Android app. Any app-store listings using the Monkeytype name are unofficial third-party wrappers. Typiq is a native app you install on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chromebook.
Should I use Monkeytype or Typiq?
Use Monkeytype if you already touch type and want a free, customizable way to measure and improve your speed. Use Typiq if you're learning to type from scratch, teaching a child, or never learned the home row — it teaches technique with real-time finger placement, works offline, and costs €18.99 once. Many people end up using both: learn with Typiq, then track your speed on Monkeytype.
