Best typing programs for kids: 12 compared honestly

We make Bumpy Keys, one of the typing programs on this page. That is why it is listed first, and you should weigh that when you read what we say about it.

For the other eleven, we read each maker's own site or store listing on 2 October 2026 and wrote down what it says. This is a comparison of what the makers state, not a hands-on review. Prices and plans change, so check the maker's site before you pay.

Typing programs for kids at a glance

Ages and grades are the makers' own starting points. A child's skill matters more than their age, so treat them as a rough guide.

Made by Click Clack Labs, who make Bumpy Keys. We quote each maker's own words where we can. If a row is out of date, tell us and we will fix it. TypingClub's site blocks automated checks, so its row comes from its Chrome Web Store listing, EdClub's store and the App Store.

Free typing programs for kids

Most typing websites for kids are free to start. Free usually comes with one of three things: ads, an account, or a smaller set of lessons. Here is what each maker says.

Bumpy Keys

This one is ours. Bumpy Keys is a typing game for ages 4 to 9. It starts with the home row and puts accuracy before speed. Cartoon hands show which finger to use for each key.

It plays in any browser on a Chromebook, Windows PC or Mac at play.bumpykeys.com, and as an app on iPad and Mac. On iPad it works with on-screen keys or a real keyboard.

All 100 lessons are free in two worlds, Puppy Park and Dino Dash. An optional one-time $4.99 purchase adds all twenty worlds. Browser and Apple purchases are separate. There is no subscription, there are no ads, and there are no player accounts. Progress is stored on the device.

Who it suits: beginners who would rather play a game than follow a course. Where another program fits better: a child who already types whole sentences may want one of the longer courses below. With no player accounts, progress does not move from one device to another.

Typing.com

Typing.com is a full lesson course with games and timed tests. Its maker describes grade-based lessons "from kindergarten through high school," and the site also covers subjects beyond typing, such as digital citizenship and coding.

It is free, and it runs in a web browser with an internet connection. Nothing is installed. The teacher portal is free too. The paid PLUS edition is ad-free and adds more units and reports. Its price "varies based on the type of subscription," and there is a 30 day free trial. The site says "Students never need an email" and that it "never shares or sells any data, ever."

Who it suits: a child who can read the instructions and is ready for a long, structured course. Also a class that needs a free teacher portal. We compare it with its closest rival in TypingClub vs Typing.com for kids.

TypingClub

TypingClub's own Chrome Web Store listing calls it a "free game / educational program" for learning touch typing. Lessons are scored with stars, and the listing suggests repeating a lesson until you "get all three stars." It also says TypingClub "includes a school portal available for free."

EdClub, the company behind it, sells a one year Premium gift card for $35. That page says Premium is "completely ad-free" and adds three more games, themes, performance reports and lesson playback. The EdClub iPad app is for school accounts only.

Who it suits: a child who likes collecting stars and repeating a lesson to beat their own score. TypingClub's site blocked our automated check, so look there for anything we could not confirm.

Dance Mat Typing

Dance Mat Typing is a typing game on BBC Bitesize, listed under KS2 Computing. Key Stage 2 is the UK stage for pupils aged 7 to 11. It has four levels with three stages each. It starts on the home row and adds a few letters at every stage. At the end of each level there is a speed test and a reward.

The BBC's advice on the page is friendly: "use the correct fingers" and "there's no need to rush!" You need headphones or speakers for the songs. No price is shown on the page.

Who it suits: a child who enjoys a song and dance with each lesson, and a grown-up who wants a short course with a clear end. It is a British site, so it says "full stop" where a US teacher would say "period."

KidzType

KidzType is a website of typing games, lessons, exercises and practice pages, with a finger chart and a typing test. It says it has more than 30 free typing games designed for ages 5 to 12 and for beginners. It also carries its own set of Dance Mat Typing stages.

The site says there is "no login, no download, and no setup required." Its privacy policy says it may display advertisements.

Who it suits: a child who wants to pick a game and start right away, and a grown-up who does not want to set up an account.

TypeTastic

TypeTastic starts before typing does. Its makers say early games let children "start keyboarding by using a mouse or a touchscreen," then move on to typing with all the fingers. The home page lists more than 700 free activities across K to 2, upper elementary, and middle and high school.

The About page says all the study material "is also (and always will be) available free of charge on our website," and the home page says "Free & Ad-free." The free plan has no login and no reporting. The School Edition adds a teacher dashboard, student logins and progress reports, and it is priced by quote.

Who it suits: a child who is still finding letters on the keyboard, and a teacher who wants one program from kindergarten up.

Nitro Type

Nitro Type is a typing race. Players type to move a car and race other players live. Its own description says "Free to play and fit for all ages." It comes from Teaching.com, the company behind Typing.com.

Who it suits: a child who already knows where the keys are and wants a reason to keep practicing. It is built around speed and racing, so it is a place to practice more than a place to learn the keys. We could only read its public description, so check the site for accounts and any paid extras.

TurtleDiary typing games

TurtleDiary is a learning site with games for math, language and science from preschool to fifth grade. Its typing section has games and step by step lessons, from the home keys up to full sentences.

Its FAQ says the site "is absolutely free" and that ads keep it free. A Premium membership removes the ads. For parents it is listed at $69.99 a year for up to 5 children. There is also an app for tablets.

Who it suits: a family that already uses TurtleDiary for other subjects and wants typing in the same place.

Paid typing software for kids

Paying can buy a few things: no ads, an admin account for a grown-up, extra lessons, or typing software you download. These three are paid programs.

Typesy Homeschool

Typesy Homeschool is a typing course for families, with video lessons, games and a parent-teacher admin account. Its course list includes one for kindergarten to grade 2, marked for ages 4 to 8, and others for older students.

The Family plan is $72 a year, or $10 a month, for one admin and two students. The Big Family plan is $132 a year for five students. Typesy says it is "Always 100% Ad Free" and offers unlimited installs on Windows, Mac, iPad, Android tablet and Chromebook.

Who it suits: a homeschool family that wants one admin account to manage several children.

Touch-type Read and Spell

Touch-type Read and Spell, often called TTRS, teaches typing through reading and spelling. Words are spoken aloud, shown on screen and typed, with hand guides on screen. The maker says the course is for ages 7 and up and is "suitable for all levels of literacy." Scores are "based on completion rates and accuracy, not speed or time taken."

It runs on any desktop or laptop computer, and there is an iPad app with an offline mode. It is a subscription with separate student and admin accounts, so a parent can see progress. Plans come with a 30 day refund policy. We could not read the prices on their pricing page, so check their site for current pricing.

Who it suits: a family that wants typing practice to double as spelling and reading practice, scored on accuracy.

Typing Instructor for Kids

Typing Instructor for Kids, from Individual Software, is a typing adventure set on Typer Island. Children travel through five lands toward a castle, with lessons, challenges, tests and games on the way. It has 11 typing plans and 160 lessons, shows words per minute and accuracy, and prints a certificate at the end.

There are two editions. The Gold edition is a download for Windows or Mac, listed at $29.99. Its Mac requirements list Mac OS 10.12 to 12.4, so check your Mac first. The web edition runs in a browser on a device with a keyboard and costs $14.99 a quarter or $29.99 a year. Each web account is for one person.

Who it suits: a family that wants typing software to download and keep on one computer, or a child who likes a story with a clear finish.

Typing programs sold to schools

Keyboarding Without Tears, from Learning Without Tears, is a K to 5 curriculum with game-based lessons and color-coded keys. It is sold as grade level licenses for schools and districts. Its iPad app is a companion for licensed students and needs an educator account. Free grade level sample lessons are on the maker's site.

Several programs above also have school versions. Typing.com has a free teacher portal and the paid PLUS edition. TypeTastic has its School Edition. TypingClub has a school portal. If your child's school already uses one of these, using the same one at home keeps things simple.

Bumpy Keys works differently for a class. There are no player accounts, and teachers can ask for a free classroom code.

Whichever program you pick, short and regular practice is easier to keep up than one long session. Our guide on how to teach a child to type has a simple plan for the first week.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What is the best typing program for kids?

There is no single best one. It depends on the device, whether you want a game or a full course, and whether you need accounts and reports. For beginners around ages 4 to 9 we make Bumpy Keys, so weigh that. Typing.com and TypingClub are lesson courses with school tools. Typesy and Touch-type Read and Spell are paid courses for families. Try one first lesson and see whether your child asks for a second.

What is the best free typing program for kids?

Several are free to use. Typing.com, TypingClub, KidzType, TypeTastic, Nitro Type and TurtleDiary all describe themselves as free, and Dance Mat Typing shows no price. Bumpy Keys has all 100 lessons free in two worlds. Free can come with ads or with an account, so check the ads and accounts column in the table above.

Which typing websites for kids work without an account?

KidzType says its games need no login. TypeTastic lists its free plan as having no login. Bumpy Keys has no player accounts at all, and progress is stored on the device. Typing.com has student logins, and its maker says students never need an email. For the others, check the maker's site.

Is there typing software for kids without a subscription?

Yes. Typing Instructor for Kids Gold is sold as a Windows or Mac download at a listed price of $29.99, with no subscription mentioned on its page. Bumpy Keys has an optional one-time $4.99 purchase that adds all twenty worlds, and no subscription. Typesy Homeschool, Touch-type Read and Spell and the web edition of Typing Instructor for Kids are subscriptions.

Which typing programs for kids work on a Chromebook?

Anything that runs in a web browser. That covers Bumpy Keys, Typing.com, TypingClub, Dance Mat Typing, KidzType, TypeTastic, Nitro Type and TurtleDiary. Typesy lists Chromebook support by name. Typing Instructor for Kids Gold is a Windows or Mac download, so it is not for a Chromebook.

When should a child start a typing program?

There is no set age. Makers give starting points, such as ages 4 to 9 for Bumpy Keys or ages 7 and up for Touch-type Read and Spell, but those are only starting points. If your child is curious about the keyboard and enjoys a short first lesson, that is a fine time to begin.

More guides: TypingClub vs Typing.com for kids, best typing apps for kids on iPad, and all guides.