8 Best Free and Open Source Virtual Keyboards

Last Updated on May 24, 2022

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There are several different kinds of keyboards for PCs. The most common type is a physical, external keyboard that plugs into your PC. But you can use a virtual keyboard with Linux instead of a physical keyboard.

There’s no need for a touchscreen monitor. The software displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys, so you can use a mouse or another pointing device to select keys, or use a physical single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary ratings chart. We feature free and open source software only here.

Let’s explore the 8 on-screen keyboard tools. For each program we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, a screenshot, together with links to relevant resources.

Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more.