Monkeytype earned its place as the default typing test: minimal, fast, endlessly configurable. But the best Monkeytype alternatives each do something it deliberately does not, whether that is racing real people, teaching touch typing from zero, or typing your way through an entire novel. Here are seven worth your time, described honestly, including one of our own at the end, clearly disclosed. None of the external links here are affiliate links; these are just good sites.
1. TypeRacer, for racing real people
The classic multiplayer typing game. You race a short quote against other live typists, watch the little cars crawl across the screen, and feel your accuracy collapse under pressure in a way solo tests never trigger. Quotes come from books, films, and songs, so you practice punctuation and capitalization, not just lowercase word streams. The interface shows its age and the quote pool gets repetitive at high skill levels, but nothing else delivers the same competitive adrenaline.
2. keybr, for actually learning technique
keybr is a teacher, not a stopwatch. It generates pseudo-words from a limited letter set and only unlocks new letters once your accuracy earns them, building muscle memory letter by letter with detailed per-key statistics. If your speed has plateaued because of a few weak fingers, this is the tool that finds and fixes them. The trade-off: typing algorithmically generated non-words for weeks is genuinely boring. Treat it like practicing scales, then go play music elsewhere.
3. TypingTest.com, the mainstream standard
The name says it. Simple timed tests on plain prose passages, one to a few minutes long, with a straightforward words-per-minute and accuracy result at the end, plus linked lessons if you want structure. It is the test schools and offices reach for, and the passages of ordinary sentences arguably reflect everyday typing better than word-list sprints do. Expect a more commercial, ad-supported experience than the minimalist tools on this list.
4. 10FastFingers, for word sprints
The original one-minute sprint over the most common words in your language, with competitions where thousands of typists grind the same word set. Because common short words are easy, scores here run flattering compared to quote-based tests; do not compare a 10FastFingers result with a TypeRacer one. The design is dated, but as a quick daily warm-up and a leaderboard to chase, it still works.
5. Entertrained, for typing through books
Entertrained turns public-domain books into typing practice: you retype the text, it tracks your speed and accuracy as you progress through chapters. The genius is motivational. You are not doing a test, you are reading Sherlock Holmes with your fingers, and wanting to know what happens next keeps you practicing far longer than any streak counter would.
6. TypeLit, literature as practice
The same core idea with a different library and feel: pick a classic like Moby Dick or Crime and Punishment and type it cover to cover, with progress saved per book. Compared with Entertrained it feels a little more utilitarian and a little less gamified; which one you prefer mostly comes down to interface taste and which catalog has the book you actually want to read. Both are excellent answers to the "typing practice is boring" problem.
7. Our typing test, for hearing switches while you type (yes, this one is ours)
Full disclosure: this last pick is our own tool, so weigh this paragraph accordingly. The angle is different from everything above: our typing test plays a simulated mechanical switch sound on every keystroke, and you can swap between dozens of switches from the switch library mid-session. Type a one-minute test on a clicky Kailh Box Jade, retake it on a silent tactile, and you learn two things at once: your speed, and which switch sound you can tolerate at full typing rhythm. The sounds are honestly labeled as simulations synthesized from real switch specs, not recordings; we explain the whole system in how our switch sounds are made. As a pure trainer it is simpler than Monkeytype, and it does not try to compete on stats depth. It exists for the sound.
Which one should you pick?
Racing people: TypeRacer. Fixing technique: keybr. A conventional benchmark: TypingTest.com. Sprint leaderboards: 10FastFingers. Making practice fun: Entertrained or TypeLit. Auditioning switch sounds while you test: ours. And Monkeytype itself remains a superb default for configurable solo practice. While you are here, if any key on your current board feels flaky, run it through the keyboard tester before blaming your fingers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Monkeytype still worth using?
Yes. Monkeytype remains an excellent minimalist typing test with deep configuration and a strong community. This list is not a takedown: it is for people who want something Monkeytype deliberately does not offer, like head-to-head racing, structured lessons, typing through books, or keystroke sound.
Which Monkeytype alternative is best for learning touch typing from scratch?
keybr. It starts you on a small set of letters and only unlocks new ones as your accuracy on the current set improves, which forces correct finger habits instead of letting you speed through familiar words.
Which alternative is best for competitive typing?
TypeRacer for live races against other people, and 10FastFingers if you prefer short common-word sprints and leaderboard chasing. Both give a competitive push that solo tests cannot.
Why would I want a typing test with keyboard sounds?
If you are shopping for switches, typing a real test while hearing a simulated version of each switch tells you how it sounds at your actual typing rhythm, not in a ten-second demo tap. It turns a speed test into a low-stakes way to audition switches before buying.