Monkeytype is the better pure typing test; Presspace is the better place to find out why you are slow and to practise. Both are free, quick and need no account. Pick Monkeytype for its minimal screen, its huge list of languages and its community. Pick Presspace for a keyboard heatmap of your misses, one-click drills, lessons and 26 typing games.
How do Presspace and Monkeytype compare?
Facts about Monkeytype come from its open-source code, checked on 14 October 2026.
| Feature | Presspace | Monkeytype |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free, open source |
| Account needed | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | One on the results page by default; can be switched off |
| Timed tests | 15s, 30s, 1, 2, 5 and 10 minutes | 15, 30, 60 and 120 seconds, or any custom length |
| Word count tests | 10, 25, 50, 100 | 10, 25, 50, 100, or custom |
| Other modes | Quote, code, custom text, Zen, Flow, Daily | Quote, Zen, custom text, many "funbox" modifiers |
| Word languages | 6 | More than 100 |
| Code typing | 6 languages | Dozens of code word lists |
| Mistake analysis | Keyboard heatmap, missed keys, slowest words, Raw-Net Gap, Endurance Drop | Word speed heatmap, practise missed and slow words |
| Drills from your mistakes | Weak-Key Drill: one click on a missed key | Practise missed or slow words |
| Replay of the run | Yes | Yes |
| Games | 26 typing games | None |
| Lessons | Yes, from the home row up | No |
| Themes | 64, plus a theme editor | About 190 |
| Keyboard sounds | 25 recorded switch packs | 26 click sounds |
| Live multiplayer | No | No |
Where is Monkeytype better?
Languages and settings. Monkeytype has word lists for more than 100 languages and dozens of programming languages, against our six and six. It lets you tune almost everything about the test, and its funbox modifiers go further than our challenges in sheer number.
Focus. Its screen is about as minimal as a typing test gets, and it has been polished by a large open-source community since 2020. If you want nothing but words and a caret, it is hard to beat.
Ads and openness. You can switch Monkeytype's ads off entirely, and its code is public. Presspace is supported by ads and has no ad-free option.
Community. Monkeytype has a large, active community with busy leaderboards and a Discord server. Presspace launched in 2026, so ours are still small.
Where is Presspace better?
Seeing why you are slow. After every test Presspace paints a keyboard heatmap of the keys you missed, lists your slowest words and shows your Raw-Net Gap, the speed your mistakes cost you. On tests of two minutes or more, Endurance Drop shows how much speed you lose by the last minute. Click any missed key and a Weak-Key Drill starts on it.
Games. Presspace has 26 typing games, including 3D ones: a space shooter, a rhythm game, a street race and a tower to stack. Monkeytype has none.
Learning. Presspace has lessons from the home row up, letter-by-letter practice, dictation and a shortcut trainer. Monkeytype is a test, not a course.
Longer tests and sound. Presspace has 5 and 10 minute tests one click away and 25 recordings of real mechanical switches. There is also a Daily: one set of words for everyone, every day, with its own board.
Who should pick which?
- Pick Monkeytype if you type in a language other than our six, want to tune every setting, or want to compete with a large community.
- Pick Presspace if you have plateaued and want to know why, if you are still learning, or if a game will get you practising when a plain test will not.
- Use both if you like. Many typists keep one site for a clean daily number and another for drills and fun.
What will feel familiar if you switch?
Most of it. Tab starts a new test, the clock starts on your first key, and you can pick time or word count from the bar above the words. Tape mode, the pace caret, Zen, quotes, punctuation and numbers are all in Settings or the test options. Press Ctrl + K to search for any mode or setting by name.
Questions people ask
Is Presspace better than Monkeytype?
Not across the board. Monkeytype is the better pure typing test if you want the most languages, the most settings and a large competitive community. Presspace is better if you want to see which keys and words slow you down, drill them in one click, follow lessons, or practise through 26 typing games.
Is Monkeytype free?
Yes. Monkeytype is free and open source. By default it shows one ad on the results page, and you can switch ads off in its settings. It has no paid tier and is supported by donations, merch and people who choose to turn more ads on.
Do Presspace and Monkeytype measure WPM the same way?
Both use the standard definition: five characters count as one word, and the headline number only counts correctly typed words. Both also show raw WPM and consistency. Scores still differ a little because the word lists differ, so compare yourself on one site.
Does Presspace have Monkeytype features like tape mode and a pace caret?
Yes. Presspace has tape mode, a pace caret set to your average, your best or a custom speed, Zen mode, quote and custom text tests, punctuation and numbers, 64 themes and 22 fonts. Monkeytype has many more fine-grained settings and modifiers.
Can I race other people on either site?
Not live on either. Monkeytype has global leaderboards. Presspace has leaderboards too, plus a ghost race against your own best run and Rally, where you race three pace bots and your ghost. For live races against people, TypeRacer is the place to go.
Try the Presspace test
Same rules you know: Tab to restart, words or time, net WPM. Plus a heatmap of your misses. No sign-up.