Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing review

Mavis Beacon is the name many parents remember, and it is still sold today as Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Family Edition on Steam for $29.99. This edition is powered by UltraKey, developed by Bytes of Learning and published by Encore. It uses a success-based approach: you set a personal goal, then follow guided roadmaps toward it, which gives learners clear milestones. Once installed it works offline and needs no subscription. The problems are age and support. The Steam release dates from August 2013, the store warns that it is not compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina or later, and its Steam rating is Mixed, with 50% of 30 reviews positive. Free web courses such as TypingClub and Typing.com now cover the same ground with more modern design, better accessibility and classroom tools, so it is hard to justify the price unless you specifically want an offline Windows program with this approach.

Who it is for

Families who want a traditional, offline typing program they buy once.

Price

$29.99 one-time on Steam.

Buy Mavis Beacon Typing $29.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Success-based lessons that start with a personal goal
• Guided roadmaps that track progress toward that goal
• Designed by educators, powered by UltraKey
• Family Edition for home use
• Installs through the Steam client

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Familiar, structured course in a one-time purchase
• Strength: Works offline once installed
• Strength: Goal-setting gives clear milestones
• Weakness: Not compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina or later
• Weakness: Released in 2013 and looks dated
• Weakness: Mixed Steam rating, with 50% of 30 reviews positive

Key facts

• Price: $29.99 one-time
• Store: Steam
• Released: August 18, 2013
• Developer: Bytes of Learning
• Mac support: Not compatible with macOS 10.15 or later

Where it ranks

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing is No. 10 in our Best Typing Courses verdict.