Keyboard Layout Compare is a free online tool that visually compares keyboard layouts like QWERTY, Dvorak, and Colemak.
How to use Keyboard Layout Compare?
Select two keyboard layouts to compare.
Visually compare key positions and color maps.
Type a sentence you write often and watch how your fingers travel on each layout.
Compare the travel distance and hand-alternation numbers to judge which layout suits you.
Frequently asked questions about Keyboard Layout Compare
What layouts are available besides QWERTY?
Alternative layouts like Dvorak, Colemak, and Workman are supported. Each is designed to improve typing efficiency and comfort.
Will switching to an alternative layout make me type faster?
Potentially in the long term, but initially your speed will drop significantly. Colemak is easier to transition to since it's similar to QWERTY, while Dvorak has a completely different layout requiring more adaptation time.
Will switching to Dvorak or Colemak actually make me type faster?
Finger travel really does drop, but the evidence that speed rises to match is weak. Studies of experienced typists have found little difference in words per minute; reports of reduced strain on the wrists are far more common. The switching cost is real too — most people need several weeks to a couple of months just to reach their old speed again. If speed alone is the goal, working on accuracy and rhythm pays off much sooner than changing layout.
Layouts differ by country — what do I do on someone else's computer abroad?
Add your input language in the operating system's settings and you can type in the layout you know, regardless of what is printed on the keycaps. Windows cycles layouts with Windows+Space and macOS with Control+Space, so a press or two shows you where you are. Bear in mind that on a French AZERTY or German QWERTZ board the caps will no longer match what you type — which matters most for passwords, where nothing appears on screen to warn you.
How to get the most out of Keyboard Layout Compare?
Dvorak keeps most typing on the home row; Colemak changes fewer keys and keeps Ctrl+Z/X/C/V.
Switching costs a few weeks of slower typing before the payoff shows up.
If you only hurt from a couple of keys, remap those instead of relearning a whole layout.