Work · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to Retrotype
Feels like a real typewriter
Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes.
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Hi HN! I got so frustrated with modern WYSIWYG editors that I started to play around with building my own. The problem I had was simple: I wanted a low-tech way to type styled text, but I didn't want to load a complex 500KB library, especially if I was going to initialize it dozens of times on the same page. Markdown in a plain was the best alternative to a full WYSIWYG, but its main drawback is how ugly it looks without any formatting. I can handle it, but my clients certainly can't. I went down the ContentEditable rabbit hole for a few years, but always came to realize others had solved it…
2025 · its alternatives →
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Typeletter▲139Turn your browser into a cozy, nostalgic writing nook
Feb 2026 · typeletter.aishashok.com · its alternatives →
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Typed▲256The stunning markdown and writing app for Mac
2014 · realmacsoftware.com · its alternatives →
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Iofree▲251The first mechanical keyboard inspired by typewriters
2017 · lofree.co · its alternatives →
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Free Typing Practice | Boost your typing speed while reading great books like Alice in Wonderland, 1984, Dracula, and The Art of War — or import your own!
2020 · typelit.io · its alternatives →
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A tool for just writing. No editing allowed.
2020 · couchto50k.club · its alternatives →
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FoxType▲197A simple tool to help you write in a polite, friendly tone.
2015 · foxtype.com · its alternatives →
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TypeBoost▲361Your personal AI writing toolkit. Inside any app.
Feb 2026 · typeboost.ai · its alternatives →
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Type Anything▲605Test & create the perfect typography setup for your website
2016 · its alternatives →
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iOS and macOS native markdown editor with live preview
2021 · eightysix.github.io · its alternatives →
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Silenttype▲217You don't have to worry about note-taking anymore
2025 · silenttype.ai · its alternatives →
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Monodraw▲160Powerful ASCII art editor designed for the Mac
2015 · monodraw.helftone.com · its alternatives →
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OverType▲88A (frustrating) typewriter simulator in your browser
2015 · uniqcode.com · its alternatives →
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2015 · monodraw.com · its alternatives →
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Howdy HN, just recently made this silly typewriter variant and think some of you might enjoy it so thought I'd share. Here the cursor takes no heed of what you're typing and just advances at a steady pace, with the effect that typing something reasonable-looking requires you to type at a very steady rhythm. There's also the bonus that the space character is no longer needed—you can (and kind of have to) just wait—so the keyboard minimalists among us can shave even more space off their devices. Only desktop for now. It's an interesting contrast to the last one I made—which requires you to do…
2022 · oisinmoran.com · its alternatives →
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Hi HN, I'm a longtime web dev, but this is my first macOS app. Feedback is very welcome <3 I built TongueType because every dictation app I tried failed at least one of three things: it sent my audio to someone's cloud, it charged me monthly fee, or it felt clunky or enterprisy. The cloud thing kills it for anything sensitive. The subscription thing is insulting for what amounts to "Whisper + a hotkey." TongueType runs Whisper locally on Apple Silicon via CoreML. It's built to feel like a second keyboard: tap the hotkey, talk, let go, words appear. It sits in the menu bar (no dock icon, no…
May 2026 · tonguetype.app · its alternatives →
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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →