Yes. Monkeytype is free and open-source. The source code is published on GitHub under an open license, and the site at monkeytype.com is free to use without an account, though signing in lets you save personal bests and customize themes.

What's the difference between a typing test and a typing game?

A typing test measures how fast and accurately you type a given passage, reporting WPM and accuracy at the end. A typing game uses typing as a core mechanic but adds game design on top — enemies to defeat, races to win, aesthetic modes, unlockable content, or constraints like no-backspace rules. Tests are for benchmarking; games are for fun.

What's the best typing game?

It depends on what you want. TypeRacer is the best for competitive multiplayer typing against real players. ZType is the best if you want arcade action — it plays like Space Invaders but with words. Vapor Type is the best short-session pick if you want an aesthetic-driven solo game with unlockable characters. Epistory is the best paid option, with full RPG-adventure depth.

Can I improve my WPM with typing games?

Yes, but they're usually slower than dedicated typing tests for raw speed gains. Typing games build typing stamina and accuracy under pressure, which transfers to benchmark scores. For fastest improvement, alternate: use a test like Monkeytype or Keybr for structured practice, and a game like TypeRacer or ZType for variety and engagement so you actually keep practicing.

Are there multiplayer typing games?

Yes. TypeRacer is the longest-running multiplayer typing game — you race cars by typing passages faster than opponents. NitroType uses the same core idea with a bigger progression system and cosmetic garage. Monkeytype itself has added multiplayer rooms where friends can race on the same text.

Games Like Monkeytype: Best Free Typing Tests and Typing Games

April 18, 2026 · By the Vibe Arcade Team · 9 min read

Monkeytype launched in 2020 and quickly became the benchmark typing test on the web — minimal interface, open-source code, obsessive theme customization, and a focus on pure measurement. If you're searching for alternatives, you probably fall into one of two camps: you want another benchmark-style tool to practice speed and accuracy, or you want something closer to a game — typing as a mechanic, not a metric.

This roundup splits the list by that distinction. Typing tests are measurement tools. Typing games are games that happen to use typing. Both are valid. Here are the best of each.

What Makes a Monkeytype-Like?

The Monkeytype formula is specific: passages of text that you type as fast and accurately as possible, with live WPM and accuracy readouts. Test duration options are usually 15, 30, or 60 seconds, with optional word-count modes. Themes and visual customization are a core feature — the minimal UI is a design philosophy, not a limitation. Leaderboards and personal-best tracking reward consistency.

The tools below all share that DNA. The games further down the list share none of it — they use typing but prioritize play.

Typing Tests Like Monkeytype

1. Monkeytype

The benchmark itself, at monkeytype.com. Open-source, free, no account required. It's the reference point everything else on this list is compared against. Multiple test modes (time, words, quote, zen, custom), a huge theme library, weak-word practice, and community leaderboards. If you're benchmarking your speed, this is still the one to beat.

2. 10FastFingers

Predates Monkeytype by over a decade. 10FastFingers offers typing tests in dozens of languages, which is its main edge — if you type in something other than English, this is often the better tool. The UI is dated compared to Monkeytype, but the multilingual depth and competition features have kept it relevant.

3. Keybr

Keybr is less of a test and more of a training system. It detects which keys you're slowest on and generates practice text weighted toward those letters. Over time it introduces new letters as your accuracy improves. If Monkeytype tells you what your speed is, Keybr helps you actually raise it.

4. TypeLit

TypeLit replaces random word lists with classic public-domain literature — you type your way through Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice, or Frankenstein. It's a typing test, but the content is substantive, and progress carries across sessions. If you want your practice to double as reading, this is a novel angle on the genre.

5. Typing.com

Typing.com is structured around lessons rather than freeform tests. It walks you through home-row exercises, builds up to full paragraphs, and includes tests at each stage. It's the best pick if you're learning to touch-type rather than benchmarking an existing skill. Schools use it heavily.

Typing Games (More Fun Than Measurement)

Everything below uses typing as a mechanic but cares more about being a game than being a benchmark. If you want your WPM to go up faster, use the tests above. If you want to actually enjoy yourself, use these.

6. Vapor Type

Vapor Type is our own typing game, and it is a game — not a benchmark tool. The core twist is a no-backspace rule: when you mistype, you can't correct it, so the pressure shifts from raw speed to accuracy under stress. There are four modes, a synthwave aesthetic, and unlockable characters tied to in-game progression. Sessions are short — a few minutes at a time. It's not a replacement for Monkeytype if your goal is WPM tracking, but if you want typing as arcade play rather than measurement, it's built for that.

7. TypeRacer

TypeRacer is the longest-running multiplayer typing game on the web. You and up to four opponents type the same passage, and your cars advance across the track at your typing speed. The competitive pressure of racing real people turns out to be a much better motivator than a solo timer. Quick to join, free, still busy after all these years.

8. NitroType

NitroType takes the TypeRacer formula and layers a full progression system on top — garages, car cosmetics, teams, seasons. It leans harder into the game-ification angle, which makes it stickier if you want typing practice that feels like a hobby rather than a drill.

9. ZType

ZType is Space Invaders where your gun is your keyboard. Words fall from the top of the screen, and you type them to shoot each enemy. Miss a word and it hits you. It's one of the cleanest executions of typing-as-action on the web, and it runs in any browser with no account.

10. Epistory — Typing Chronicles

The outlier on this list: Epistory is a paid indie game (Steam, various storefronts) that wraps typing into a full RPG-adventure. You ride a fox through a papercraft world, solve puzzles, and fight enemies by typing words. If you've ever wondered what a proper AAA-budget typing game would look like, Epistory is the closest answer. Not free, but worth mentioning because nothing else in the category reaches its production depth.

Which One Should You Use?

If you want to know your WPM, start with Monkeytype. If you want to raise your WPM, use Keybr. If you type in a language other than English, go to 10FastFingers. If you want structured lessons, Typing.com.

If you want to enjoy yourself — race friends on TypeRacer, shoot enemies in ZType, or play Vapor Type for a short-session arcade take with a no-backspace twist. Don't expect typing games to replace a proper test for benchmarking. Do expect them to make practice something you'll actually keep doing.

Want to try a typing game right now? Vapor Type runs free in your browser — four modes, synthwave aesthetic, no-backspace rule. No account required.