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Monkeytype
By Monkeytype (Miodec, open source). Visit Monkeytype
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A free, open-source typing test site popular with teens and keyboard fans. You type for a set time or word count and see words per minute, accuracy and a speed graph. Dozens of themes, modes and languages make it easy to practice in short bursts, and a public leaderboard ranks fast typists. It tests and builds speed rather than teaching finger placement from scratch.
Our take: Great for a teen who already touch-types and wants to get faster; beginners should learn the keys elsewhere first.
Checked in a browser
A browser check on 2026-10-25: what loads, the ads and trackers we saw, and what a child meets first. Not a hands-on test.
| Child safety: 2 out of 5 | Programmatic ads were set up through 17 ad networks (Playwire, Criteo, Taboola and others), and the site links to its Discord chat community. |
|---|---|
| Data: 1 out of 5 | The first visit contacted 17 ad networks and data brokers / ID-sync services (id5, LiveRamp/rlcdn, Tapad, Eyeota, Lotame/crwdcntrl, agkn, liadm), and set 80 cookies before any consent. |
| Ease: 3 out of 5 | A plain typing test that starts with a tap, but a cookie box covers half the phone screen and typing really needs a keyboard. |
| Cost honesty: 4 out of 5 | Free; a merch store banner sits at the top. |
What we found
- Contacted 61 outside sites; 17 were known ad networks and 9 trackers.
- Set 80 cookies, with third-party cookies from 29 domains, before the cookie box was answered.
- Data brokers / ID-sync services fired: id5-sync, rlcdn, tapad, eyeota, crwdcntrl, agkn, liadm.
- Links out to discord.gg and x.com; a 'Check out our merch store!' banner shows first.
From the test: A simple, free typing test, but the free version runs on heavy ad tracking; older children only, and an ad blocker or the parent's setup matters here.
| Ages it suits | about 10+ |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Not stated in terms. The terms only ban using the service in ways harmful to minors. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free; supported by donations, merch and optional ads (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | Web |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | Yes |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Free and open source
- Clean, quick speed practice
- Ads can be turned off
Watch for
- Does not teach touch typing from zero
- Public leaderboards show usernames
- Community and support run through Discord
- No children's privacy section
Data and privacy
With an account it stores email, username, optional Discord ID and every test result. It uses Google Analytics and Sentry (which may include an anonymized session replay); ads are optional and come from Playwire after a consent screen. No children's section. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study found.
In the Big Index
- On the list 14 best typing games for kids
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Bluebook
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CENTURY
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A sensible home or school add-on for UK families; families outside the UK curriculum will find less fit.
Where these facts come from
- https://monkeytype.com/about
- https://monkeytype.com/terms-of-service
- https://monkeytype.com/privacy-policy
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.