Tamil Typing Software for Windows, Mac and Linux, Compared
தமிழ் தட்டச்சு மென்பொருள்
Seven free ways to type Tamil on a computer in 2026, with the layouts, last update, licence and privacy of each, taken from the makers’ own pages.
Short answer
Most people need no download: Windows 10 and 11 and macOS include Tamil keyboards that turn English letters into Tamil. Install Keyman if you need the Tamil typewriter or Bamini layout, or Linux support. Choose Azhagi if you also type in legacy font encodings. On a PC where you cannot install anything, use a web tool.
We are not affiliated with Microsoft, Apple, SIL Global, Azhagi, Google, the Thamizha team or New Horizon Media, and nobody paid to be listed. Product names belong to their owners. We make TypeTamilOnline, one of the options below, and we say where others do the job better.
Do You Need Software at All?
Often not. Windows has a Tamil Phonetic keyboard: type thottam and get தோட்டம் in Word, Excel, your browser or any other program. macOS has a Tamil Transliteration input source that does the same. Both also include Tamil 99 and Anjal. Turning them on takes a minute; our Tamil keyboard for PC guide has the steps.
Third-party software is worth installing when you need something the built-in keyboards lack:
- the old Tamil typewriter layout, for typists trained on it or preparing for typewriting exams;
- the Bamini layout, common among Sri Lankan Tamil typists;
- typing straight into legacy font encodings for older print workflows;
- the same layout on Linux, or on every computer and phone you use.
Can’t Install Software on This PC? Type Here
Type in English letters, press space, and copy the Tamil into any program.vanakkamவணக்கம்
Typing help
Tap a letter to add it at the cursorType Tamil words in English letters. Space converts each word. While suggestions are open, use the arrow keys or numbers to pick, Escape keeps English. Alt plus Down arrow offers other spellings for the Tamil word at the cursor.
Quick Picks by What You Need
| If you want to | Use |
|---|---|
| Type Tamil in English letters on Windows or Mac | The built-in keyboard (Tamil Phonetic, or Transliteration on Mac) |
| Use the Tamil typewriter layout | Keyman, or Azhagi |
| Type Bamini or other legacy encodings directly | Azhagi |
| Type Tamil on Linux | Keyman |
| Type straight into web forms in Chrome | Google Input Tools extension |
| Write on a locked office or school PC | A web tool such as ours |
Tamil Typing Software Compared
Every value comes from the maker’s own site, store listing or code repository, checked on 2 November 2026. “Not stated” means the maker does not say. We have not added star ratings: we do not have test data that would justify them.
| Software | Platforms | Tamil layouts | Price and licence | Last update | Offline | Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows built-inMicrosoft | Windows 10 and 11 | Tamil Phonetic (English letters), Tamil 99, Tamil Anjal (Windows 11), Tamil (InScript) | Included with Windows | Ships with Windows updates | Yes, once the Tamil language features are downloaded | Part of Windows; Microsoft’s privacy terms apply |
| Mac built-inApple | macOS | Transliteration (English letters), Anjal, Tamil 99 | Included with macOS | Ships with macOS updates | Yes | Part of macOS; Apple’s privacy terms apply |
| KeymanSIL Global | Windows, Mac, Linux (also Android, iPhone, web) | Tamil99, Anjal, Bamini, Typewriter (two versions), Modular, ISIS | Free, open source (MIT) | 18.0.254, 16 Oct 2026 | Yes, once a keyboard is installed | Open source code; runs on your computer |
| Azhagiazhagi.com | Windows, Mac (Monterey 12.7 or later); Linux only under Wine | Transliteration, Phonetic, Tamilnet99, Typewriter (old and new), Bamini, InScript | Free for personal and commercial use; not open source | Mac: version 21, 21 May 2026. Windows: Azhagi++ 6.0.0, 5 Jun 2025 | Yes (desktop program) | No data statement for the desktop apps that we could find |
| Google Input ToolsGoogle | Chrome extension only (Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS). The Windows app is discontinued | Tamil in English letters, Tamil keyboard | Free | Extension version 103, 23 Oct 2026 | Not stated | Chrome Web Store: developer says it will not collect or use your data |
| eKalappaiThamizha team | Windows | Phonetic, Tamil99, Typewriter, Bamini, InScript | Free, open source | 3.0.4, 14 Oct 2015 (a 4.0 alpha followed in July 2020) | Yes (desktop program) | Open source code; runs on your computer |
| NHM WriterNew Horizon Media | Windows | Could not verify: the official page is gone | Was free | Unknown; no official download page today | Not stated | Not stated |
| TypeTamilOnlineThis site | Any modern browser; installs as an app on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone | Phonetic (English letters), Tamil99, Typewriter, Bamini, InScript | Free, no account | Updated regularly (see the changelog) | Yes, after you install it or save the tools | Text is converted on your device; no cookies or analytics |
Windows and Mac Built-in Tamil Keyboards
Windows 10 and 11 include four Tamil keyboards: Tamil Phonetic (type in English letters), Tamil 99 (the Tamil Nadu standard), Tamil Anjal on Windows 11, and a keyboard called “Tamil” that uses the Indian InScript layout. macOS offers Anjal, Tamil 99 and Transliteration. On Linux, GNOME lets you add Tamil under Settings > Keyboard > Add Input Source; the Tamil methods offered depend on your distribution.
Best for: almost everyone who types Tamil on their own Windows or Mac computer.
Pros
- Nothing to download from another website, and nothing extra to keep updated.
- Works in every program, not just one editor or browser.
- Tamil Phonetic shows word suggestions; Microsoft says its phonetic keyboards follow ISO 15919 and need no learning.
Cons
- No Tamil typewriter or Bamini layout.
- Needs permission to change settings, which work and school PCs may block.
- Tamil Anjal is on Windows 11, not Windows 10.
Keyman
Keyman is a keyboard manager from SIL Global. You install the program, then pick a Tamil keyboard from its catalogue: the Thamizha keyboards (Tamil99, Anjal, Bamini and Typewriter), Visual Media’s Typewriter and Modular keyboards, or ISIS Tamil. For the typewriter layout, see our Tamil typewriter keyboard to practise and the layout charts to print. In the interest of full disclosure: our own Tamil typewriter, Tamil99 and Bamini layouts are based on Keyman’s open-source keyboards.
Best for: typewriter and Bamini typists, Linux users, and anyone who wants the same Tamil layout on every device.
Pros
- The widest choice of Tamil layouts here: Tamil99, Anjal, Bamini, two typewriter layouts, Modular and ISIS.
- Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, with the same keyboards on Android, iPhone and the web.
- Free and open source under the MIT licence, and actively maintained: version 18.0.254 came out on 16 October 2026.
Cons
- Two steps to set up: install Keyman, then install a Tamil keyboard inside it.
- None of the Tamil keyboards on keyman.com is a whole-word Tanglish converter with suggestions, like Windows Tamil Phonetic.
Azhagi
Azhagi lets you type Tamil, and many other languages, in any application. On Windows, the site lists Azhagi+ (10.45 U4, November 2022), Portable Azhagi+ (10.45 U10, January 2026, no install needed) and Azhagi++ (6.0.0, 5 June 2025). Azhagi for Mac reached version 21 on 21 May 2026 and has been checked on macOS Monterey 12.7 and later. The site says there is no iPhone version. Searching for “azhagi tamil typing”? These are the official pages; anything else is a copy.
Best for: Tamil typists who want transliteration and typewriter layouts in one tool, or who still type for legacy Tamil fonts.
Pros
- Many Tamil schemes in one program: transliteration, phonetic, Tamilnet99, old and new typewriter, Bamini and InScript.
- Can type in legacy font encodings as well as Unicode.
- Free, including commercial use. The Mac version was updated in May 2026 and lists macOS Tahoe 26.
Cons
- Several Windows editions (Azhagi+, Azhagi++, Portable Azhagi+), which can be confusing at first.
- Not open source, and we found no privacy statement for the desktop apps.
- Linux only through Wine. The Android app was last updated in July 2018.
Google Input Tools
For years “Google Tamil typing” meant a Windows program. Today only the Chrome extension remains, alongside Tamil input inside Google Docs and Gboard on phones. Our guide to Google Tamil Input Tools covers what still works and how to set it up.
Best for: typing Tamil straight into websites in Chrome on a computer.
Pros
- Types directly into text boxes on web pages, with no copy and paste.
- Maintained: version 103 was published on 23 October 2026.
- The Chrome Web Store listing says Google will not collect or use your data.
Cons
- The Windows program, which typed into every app, is discontinued; its download page returns “not found”.
- Works only on ordinary web pages in desktop Chrome, not in Word or other programs.
eKalappai
eKalappai is a long-standing open-source Tamil keyboard manager for Windows; its README says earlier versions were based on Keyman. Version 3.0.4 is the latest stable installer on GitHub. Because it has not been updated for over a decade, test it on your Windows version before relying on it.
Best for: people who already rely on it. New users are better served by Keyman.
Pros
- Free and open source, from the Tamil free-software community.
- Includes Phonetic, Tamil99, Typewriter, Bamini and InScript keyboards.
Cons
- The last stable release, 3.0.4, dates from October 2015. A 4.0 alpha was published in July 2020 and has had no stable release since.
- Windows only.
NHM Writer
NHM Writer was a popular free Tamil typing program for Windows. When we checked on 2 November 2026, the developer’s software site (software.nhm.in) returned an empty page and the old product address returned “not found”. If you used NHM Writer for phonetic typing, Windows’ own Tamil Phonetic keyboard or Azhagi is the closest maintained replacement.
Best for: nobody installing fresh in 2026, because there is no official download.
Pros
- Many Tamil typists learned on it, and existing installations may still work.
Cons
- The developer’s software site no longer serves the NHM Writer page, so we could not verify its version, layouts or a safe installer.
- Copies on “free download” sites cannot be checked against an official file.
TypeTamilOnline (This Site)
Our editor turns English letters into Tamil when you press space, and offers other spellings to pick from. The Tamil keyboard page lets your keys type Tamil99, Typewriter, Bamini or InScript instead. You can install it on a computer or phone, and it keeps working without internet.
Best for: locked-down PCs, occasional typing, and anyone who wants Tanglish with word suggestions and no install.
Pros
- Runs in any browser, so it works where you cannot install software.
- Phonetic typing with suggestions, plus Tamil99, Typewriter, Bamini and InScript keys.
- Installs as an app and works offline; your text is converted on your device.
Cons
- It does not type into other programs: you write here and copy the text across. The built-in keyboards, Keyman and Azhagi all type everywhere.
- It cannot type directly into legacy font encodings, though it can convert text to and from Bamini afterwards.
Tamil Typewriter Software for Exam Typists
If you are learning for a typewriting exam, you need the exact typewriter key positions. On a computer, Keyman’s Thamizha Typewriter or Visual Media Typewriter keyboards and Azhagi’s typewriter layouts give you that layout in any program. To practise before you install anything, use our Tamil typewriter keyboard, follow the typing lessons, and time yourself with the Tamil typing test.
Thanglish to Tamil Typing Software
Typing in English letters is called phonetic typing or transliteration. Windows Tamil Phonetic, the Mac’s Transliteration source, Azhagi and Google’s Chrome extension all do it, and so does our Tamil typing page. To convert a whole Tanglish message you have already written, paste it into Tanglish to Tamil.
A Safe Download Checklist
Download only from the maker’s site, an official store, or the project’s own code repository. Every link on this page is one of those.
Skip “free download” mirror sites. They repackage installers, sometimes with extra software.
Check the publisher name in your browser or the Windows install prompt before you run anything.
Prefer software that is still updated. Typing software sees every key you press, including passwords.