GCompris and Tux Typing get mentioned in the same breath — both are free, open-source education software for children, and this site even links to GCompris as a companion. But they are different shapes of thing: GCompris is a whole schoolhouse of activities; Tux Typing is one subject taught well.
| Tux Typing | GCompris | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Typing only: lessons + 2 games | 100+ activities: reading, math, science, logic, and some typing |
| Typing depth | Full progression + custom word lists | Typing is a small corner of the suite |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, Chromebook (Linux); no modern Mac build | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android — the broadest reach in free education software |
| Cost | Free (GPL) | Free on most platforms (open source); some app-store builds use an activator model to fund development |
| Accounts/data | None | None for the core suite |
How They Fit Together
The practical answer for most families is “both, for different jobs”: GCompris as the broad early-learning suite (and the only one of the pair with a real Android and modern Mac presence), Tux Typing when typing itself is the goal — its lesson progression and custom lists go far deeper than a generalist suite can. Our download page links GCompris from its official site alongside Tux Typing for exactly this reason.
If You Must Pick One
- Child under 6, or you want one app for everything → GCompris.
- Child 6–12 with typing as the explicit goal, on Windows/Linux → Tux Typing.
- Android tablet household → GCompris (Tux Typing has no Android version, whatever app stores imply).