Klavaro vs TypingMaster
Short answer: Klavaro is the free, open-source option — a small offline program for Windows, Linux and Mac that drills your fingers through four structured modules and never asks for money or an account. TypingMaster is the polished paid option for Windows: a one-time $19.90 (Standard) or $29.90 (Premium) lifetime licence, with a guided course, a free trial, and a background widget called TypingMeter that measures your typing in every other program you use. If your budget is zero, Klavaro wins by default. If you want to be led lesson by lesson and see statistics about your real-world typing, TypingMaster earns its price.
| Klavaro | TypingMaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever (GPLv3 open source) | $19.90 Standard / $29.90 Premium, lifetime licence; free trial available |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, Mac (via packages) | Windows |
| How it runs | Installed app, fully offline, no account | Installed Windows app, plus TypingMeter background widget |
| Teaching approach | Four self-paced modules: Basic Course, Adaptability, Velocity, Fluidness | Structured, guided course that leads you step by step |
| Progress tracking | Progress charts inside the program | In-course statistics plus TypingMeter tracking across all your applications |
| Keyboard layouts | Many built-in layouts (QWERTY variants, Dvorak, Colemak, AZERTY, QWERTZ and more) plus a layout editor | Focused on standard layouts |
| Interface | Plain, dated, utilitarian | Modern and visual |
How each program teaches typing
Klavaro is built around four modules that you move through at your own pace. The Basic Course fixes key positions into muscle memory, Adaptability throws random character strings at your weakest keys, Velocity builds speed on real words, and Fluidness trains rhythm on full paragraphs. There is no curriculum holding your hand — you choose the module, the program measures accuracy and speed, and the progress charts show whether it is working. You can read the full walkthrough in our guide to using Klavaro.
TypingMaster takes the opposite approach: a structured course that decides what you practise next, presents it visually, and checks your progress as you go. Its distinctive extra is TypingMeter, a small widget that runs in the background and measures how fast and accurately you type in your everyday work — in email, documents and chat — not just inside lessons. For learners who stall without external structure, that guidance is the real product.
Price and value
Klavaro costs nothing, in every sense: no licence fee, no trial period, no ads, no account, and the source code is published under the GPLv3. The current Windows installer is version 3.13 and the program is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 35 ratings on SourceForge, where the official project lives.
TypingMaster is a one-time purchase rather than a subscription — $19.90 for the Standard lifetime licence or $29.90 for Premium, with a free trial so you can test the teaching style before paying. Whether that is good value depends entirely on whether the structure changes your behaviour. A paid course you actually finish beats a free program you open twice; a free program you use daily beats a paid course gathering dust.
Where Klavaro falls short
Honesty matters in a comparison, so here are Klavaro’s real weaknesses. Its interface is plain and dated — a functional GTK window that looks like what it is: a volunteer-built open-source tool. There are no games, characters or rewards to keep younger or easily bored learners engaged. One lesson has a reported quirk: a user on the SourceForge project page reports that the µ character in lesson 42 does not register. And the Windows installer (3.13) sits a version behind the latest source release (3.14), so Windows users do not always get the newest code first. None of these stop it teaching typing well, but they are part of the deal.
Where TypingMaster falls short
TypingMaster is Windows-only, so Linux and Mac users are out. It costs money for what is, at its core, the same skill Klavaro trains free. And its strengths cut both ways: TypingMeter’s always-on measurement is genuinely useful, but some users will not want a widget watching their typing in every application, however locally the statistics are kept. If you already know you can self-direct your practice, the paid structure may simply be overhead.
Verdict by use case
- Best for zero budget, privacy and non-Windows systems: Klavaro. It is free, offline, account-free and runs on Windows, Linux and Mac.
- Best for learners who need to be led: TypingMaster. The guided course and TypingMeter feedback remove every decision except “show up and practise”.
- Best for alternative layouts (Dvorak, Colemak, AZERTY): Klavaro, thanks to its built-in layout library and layout editor.
- Best for preparing for a typing test at work: Either works; start with Klavaro free, and take TypingMaster’s free trial if you find yourself drifting without structure.
Try Klavaro first from our download page — it costs nothing and takes minutes. If you want the guided alternative, TypingMaster’s free trial shows you its approach before the $19.90–$29.90 decision. More pairings like this one are collected on our Klavaro alternatives page.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, this site may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — see our affiliate disclosure. Klavaro itself is free and open source, and this comparison reflects that honestly.
What a month of practice looks like in each
The daily experience differs more than the feature lists suggest. In Klavaro, a session is a decision you make: which module, which layout, how long. The program records the result and otherwise stays out of the way, so progress depends on your honesty about weak points — the learner who avoids Adaptability because random strings are frustrating is also the learner who plateaus. In TypingMaster, a session is an appointment the course sets for you: the next lesson is chosen, the goals are framed, and TypingMeter quietly keeps score of your real-world typing between sessions, which many learners find is the nudge that keeps them coming back. Neither approach is superior in the abstract. The question is whether you are buying software — in which case Klavaro, free, wins — or buying supervision, in which case TypingMaster’s fee is the honest price of being supervised.
One more practical note: because Klavaro is a single small program with no account system, it is painless to keep on a second machine, a work laptop or a USB-portable copy, and your practice environment is identical everywhere. A licenced program ties you to its activation terms and a single vendor’s future. For a skill you may maintain for years, that difference in permanence is worth a line in the decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Klavaro really free compared with TypingMaster?
Yes. Klavaro is open source under the GPLv3 — free to download, free to use forever, with no ads, accounts or feature locks. TypingMaster is a paid Windows program at $19.90 for the Standard lifetime licence or $29.90 for Premium, with a free trial available.
Which is better for a complete beginner?
If you need to be led step by step, TypingMaster’s guided course is the friendlier start. If you can follow a simple routine yourself, Klavaro’s four modules — Basic Course, Adaptability, Velocity and Fluidness — teach the same skill at no cost.
Does TypingMaster work on Mac or Linux?
No. TypingMaster is Windows-only. Klavaro runs on Windows, Linux and Mac (via packages such as Homebrew and MacPorts), which makes it the only option of the two for non-Windows users.
What is TypingMeter?
TypingMeter is TypingMaster’s background widget. It measures your typing speed and accuracy while you work in other applications — email, documents, chat — so you can see your real-world progress, not just your lesson scores.