Teclo vs Kachunk
Updated
Kachunk is the closest app to Teclo on paper: both play keyboard and typewriter sounds, both have mouse and scroll sounds, and both have a pet. They differ in where the sounds come from, how you pay, and what else is in the box.
Side by side
| Teclo | Kachunk | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 once | Free with two packs; USD 4.99 unlocks all1 |
| Free trial | 7 days, no account | Free tier; 30-day refund1 |
| Macs per licence | Up to 3 | Not listed |
| macOS | 13 or later | 13.0 or later2 |
| Where to get it | Direct, at teclo.app, through Polar | Mac App Store2 |
| Sounds | 16 packs in 5 categories, synthesized | 27 packs "recorded from real machines", including typewriters2 |
| Press, release and variation | Separate press and release; 5 variants for ordinary keys plus Space, Return and Delete; small random pitch and level changes | Separate press and release; pitch and volume variation on every strike2 |
| Stereo by key position | Yes | Yes2 |
| Mouse and trackpad | A click pair for every pack; trackpad swipe and pinch sounds | 8 click sounds, trackpad tap-to-click2 |
| Scroll sounds | Yes, optional | A tick for every scroll-wheel notch2 |
| Your own sounds | Yes, folders of WAV files | Not listed |
| Muting | Pause from the menu bar; no per-app or automatic mute | Per-app silence; auto-mute while music or video plays; a hotkey2 |
| Typing pet | Yes, a keycap pet with moods and power-ups | Yes, "Chunk"2 |
| Worth knowing | Rain, marimba, typewriter, arcade and sci-fi packs next to nine keyboards | Built-in screen recorder; typing statistics2 |
- getkachunk.com, read October 2026
- Kachunk on the Mac App Store (US), read October 2026
Teclo's column is ours. Other apps change their prices and features; check their pages before you buy.
The short answer
- Pick Kachunk for recordings of real typewriters and switches, a free tier, per-app silence and auto-mute, typing statistics or its built-in screen recorder.
- Pick Teclo for packs no one records (rain, marimba, arcade, sci-fi), trackpad swipe and pinch sounds, a pet with moods and power-ups that you dress and name, or a single price with a full 7-day trial.
Typewriters
Kachunk’s maker says they “recorded two actual typewriters and 24 mechanical keyboard switches”. Teclo’s Typewriter is synthesized: a typebar slap on every key and a carriage bell on Return, built from the inharmonic partials of struck metal. Its Terminal pack is the other retro choice. Teclo’s “Ding on Return” option adds a carriage bell on Return to any pack.
Two pets
Kachunk lists “Chunk, a desktop pet that hops along as you type”. Teclo’s pet is a keycap that sleeps until your first key, gets happier as your pace rises and powers up through On fire, Charged, Hero and Legend when you keep it. You choose its look and name, and you can try it on the home page.
For free options, see free keyboard sound apps for Mac.
Questions
Is Kachunk free?
Kachunk's site says it is free forever with two packs, an Underwood 1938 typewriter and a cream switch, and USD 4.99 unlocks the rest.
Do both apps have a typewriter with a bell?
Yes. Kachunk lists a return bell and a carriage slide with its recorded typewriters. Teclo's Typewriter pack rings a carriage bell on Return, and an option adds the bell to any pack.
Does Teclo mute itself in meetings like Kachunk?
No. Kachunk can be silenced in chosen apps and while music or video plays. Teclo has neither yet; you pause it from its menu bar icon.
Sources
Other facts on this page come from these pages, read on or before the date above.