Simply Piano made structured piano lessons feel doable on a phone, and 89 million downloads later most casual learners have at least heard of it. The catch sits in the same place it always has: a free tier that runs out before the first scale, a Premium plan in the range of a $10 to $13 monthly subscription, and a mic-only listening mode that struggles with a noisy room or a quiet digital keyboard. The seven Simply Piano alternatives below cover song-library learning, MIDI-driven practice, free sandboxes, and casual rhythm play, so you can pick the piano learning app that fits your goals instead of the one the paywall pushes hardest.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Notable strength | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| flowkey | Learn-by-song breadth | Yes, with limits | 1,500+ songs across genres | Android, iOS, web |
| Piano by Yousician | Multi-instrument households | Yes, limited daily time | Same account works for guitar, bass, ukulele, voice | Android, iOS, web |
| Skoove | Adult beginners and classical | Yes, sample lessons | Real-time MIDI feedback plus structured course | Android, iOS, web |
| Synthesia | MIDI controller learners | Yes, 10 starter songs | Falling-notes UI with USB and Bluetooth MIDI | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Perfect Piano | Free sandbox practice | Fully free | 88-key playable keyboard with practice mode | Android, iOS |
| Piano by Yokee | Casual song players | Yes, sample songs | Large pop song library with falling-notes mode | Android, iOS |
| Magic Tiles 3 | Rhythm and reaction practice | Yes, ad-supported | Hit-song catalog framed as a rhythm game | Android, iOS |
Why people leave Simply Piano
The Premium subscription keeps climbing. Plans land near $120 to $150 per year in most regions after the seven-day free trial, and the free tier is essentially a beginner sampler that locks once the first courses end.
Mic-only listening loses accuracy in real homes. Background noise, soft digital pianos, and headphones plugged into a keyboard all degrade Simply Piano’s note detection. MIDI-first apps avoid the problem entirely.
The curriculum is linear. You move forward by passing lessons, which is fine until you want to skip ahead, drill one weak hand, or jam on a song that sits a few courses away.
Repertoire skews pop. Classical, jazz, and theory coverage exists but feels thin compared with apps that sell themselves on those traditions.
Cancellation friction shows up in reviews. Users report charges after the free trial, slow refund handling, and surprise renewals if a yearly plan auto-renews while the app sits unused.
The best Simply Piano alternatives
1. flowkey, best for learn-by-song breadth
flowkey built its reputation on a song-first approach. The Berlin-based app carries more than 1,500 arrangements from pop, classical, film, and jazz, each playable at four difficulty levels, with a slow-down feature that lets the song wait while you find the next note. Course paths cover technique, sight reading, and chord theory alongside the song library, so beginners get a curriculum and improvers get a deep catalog to grow into.
Where it falls short: The free tier only opens a handful of songs and the first lessons. A Premium subscription is required to unlock the full library, and pricing sits in the same range as Simply Piano.
Strengths over Simply Piano: Broader and better-curated song library, real classical coverage, and MIDI support that gives more accurate feedback than mic only. Weaknesses vs Simply Piano: Curriculum feels less hand-held for absolute beginners who want a strict step-by-step path.
Switching from Simply Piano: Import your current song list into flowkey by searching for each title, save them to favorites, and pick a course path that matches the level you finished in Simply Piano.
Bottom line: Top pick for learners who want to play real songs from week one, with enough structure underneath to actually improve.
2. Piano by Yousician, best for multi-instrument households
Piano by Yousician brings the same listening-feedback engine that Yousician built for guitar over to a piano-only app, plus the song-level practice tools that have been refined across millions of users. The lesson tree covers two-hand coordination, sight reading, and chords, and the underlying account works across Yousician’s guitar, bass, ukulele, and voice apps for families that already pay for one of those.
Where it falls short: Daily free-play time is short on the free tier. The interface leans gamified, which works for kids but can feel busy for adult learners.
Strengths over Simply Piano: Shared subscription across instruments, more granular technique exercises, and stronger ear-training features. Weaknesses vs Simply Piano: Less polished beginner onboarding, more upsell prompts during the early lessons.
Switching from Simply Piano: Set Piano by Yousician to “I can read music” or “starter” in the placement quiz so it skips ahead instead of putting you back in lesson one.
Bottom line: Worth it when more than one person in the home plays an instrument and a single subscription should cover both.
3. Skoove, best for adult beginners and classical players
Skoove is the option adult learners reach for when Simply Piano starts to feel too gamey. The Berlin-based app pairs structured courses with real-time listening that supports microphone, USB MIDI, and Bluetooth MIDI input, and the catalog leans into classical, jazz, and singer-songwriter pieces alongside pop. Recent updates added AI feedback that comments on timing and dynamics, not just whether the right note landed.
Where it falls short: Song library is smaller than flowkey or Piano by Yousician. The free tier opens roughly 25 lessons before the paywall.
Strengths over Simply Piano: Deeper classical and theory coverage, MIDI-first feedback, and a more serious tone aimed at adults. Weaknesses vs Simply Piano: Fewer pop-chart songs, slower release of new content.
Switching from Simply Piano: Pick the “I can read sheet music” path during onboarding and let Skoove place you in an intermediate course. Connect a MIDI cable on the first session, the accuracy jump is worth it.
Bottom line: Strongest pick when classical pieces, careful technique, and adult-friendly pacing matter more than a pop-song catalog.
4. Synthesia, best for MIDI controller learners
Synthesia takes a different shape. Songs scroll down the screen as falling notes, your MIDI keyboard sends every keypress back to the app, and the song waits until you hit the right key before continuing. There is no curriculum and no quizzes. You learn by playing through pieces with the on-screen keyboard as your sheet music, which suits players who learned by ear or who already read tabs.
Where it falls short: No structured course. No mic-based feedback, so a phone or tablet without a MIDI controller falls back to a passive watch-only mode.
Strengths over Simply Piano: Free version covers basics, the paid unlock is a one-time purchase, and MIDI accuracy is excellent. Weaknesses vs Simply Piano: Skipping the curriculum means beginners who want hand-holding will feel lost.
Switching from Simply Piano: Import or buy MIDI files of the songs you were learning in Simply Piano, drop them into Synthesia, set the practice mode to “wait for keys,” and play through at half speed.
Bottom line: Best swap for players with a MIDI keyboard who want to learn songs they pick, on their own schedule, without a subscription.
5. Perfect Piano, best for free sandbox practice
Perfect Piano is the option that costs nothing and gives you something to practice on when your real keyboard is at home and you only have a phone. The on-screen keyboard scales up to 88 keys across multiple screens, multi-touch is responsive enough for basic chords, and a built-in practice mode walks through songs note by note. Multiplayer duets and a small song challenge library round it out.
Where it falls short: No structured curriculum or real technique feedback. Ad load on the free version is noticeable.
Strengths over Simply Piano: Truly free, no paywall on basic features, and the sandbox lets you noodle without lesson scaffolding. Weaknesses vs Simply Piano: Will not teach you piano from zero. Best as a companion app, not a replacement curriculum.
Switching from Simply Piano: Treat Perfect Piano as a practice keyboard rather than a course. Use it between Simply Piano lessons to drill scales or work out chord shapes.
Bottom line: Free companion app for any learner who already has another curriculum and wants a portable keyboard.
6. Piano by Yokee, best for casual song players
Piano by Yokee (sometimes listed as Piano Academy) covers the middle ground between a learning app and a karaoke-for-piano experience. Falling notes scroll down the screen over a virtual keyboard, the song library leans heavily on pop chart hits, and lesson modules teach the basics of hand position and rhythm without demanding a long-term curriculum commitment.
Where it falls short: Course depth drops off quickly. Once the early lessons end, the app becomes mostly a song player rather than a structured teacher.
Strengths over Simply Piano: Lower-pressure pacing, generous song trials, and a casual tone that suits dabblers. Weaknesses vs Simply Piano: Not designed for ambitious beginners who want to keep advancing past the early stages.
Switching from Simply Piano: Search the Yokee catalog for the songs you were practicing in Simply Piano, save them to your library, and use the falling-notes mode at a slower playback speed.
Bottom line: Good pick for casual players who want hit songs and a relaxed pace rather than a long curriculum.
7. Magic Tiles 3, best for rhythm and reaction practice
Magic Tiles 3 is not a piano teacher and it does not pretend to be one. Black tiles slide down the screen over four lanes, you tap them in time with the music, and the catalog covers chart pop, K-pop, and classical themes. It is a rhythm game with a piano coat of paint, and for a lot of beginners that is the bridge from “I do not play” to “I touch a piano-shaped app every day.”
Where it falls short: No real sheet music, no key signature work, no hand independence. Stops being useful the moment you sit at a real piano.
Strengths over Simply Piano: Free to start, addictive enough to build a daily habit, and a recognizable song catalog. Weaknesses vs Simply Piano: Will not teach you to play piano in any meaningful sense.
Switching from Simply Piano: Use Magic Tiles 3 alongside a proper learning app, not as a replacement. Treat it as the daily commute round of practice.
Bottom line: Habit-builder for learners who want to keep a daily streak between real practice sessions.
How to choose
Pick flowkey if you want the cleanest direct swap. The song catalog is wider than Simply Piano’s, the course path still exists, and Premium lands in the same price band. Most readers who got here by typing “alternatives to Simply Piano” should start here.
Pick Skoove if you are an adult learner who wants classical pieces, real theory work, and MIDI-quality feedback. The pacing is slower and more serious, which suits a different kind of learner than Simply Piano’s gamified path.
Pick Piano by Yousician if more than one person in the household plays an instrument. The shared account turns a single subscription into family-grade value.
Pick Synthesia if you have a MIDI keyboard and want to learn songs you choose, on your own schedule, with no subscription. Pair it with free MIDI files from sheet music repositories.
Pick Perfect Piano or Piano by Yokee if you want a free or low-cost casual option that does not demand a daily lesson commitment.
Stay on Simply Piano if you are still inside the seven-day free trial and you have not yet hit the paywall. The onboarding curriculum is genuinely strong for absolute beginners, so finish the free portion before deciding.
FAQ
Is flowkey better than Simply Piano? For learners who already read a little music and want to play recognizable songs from week one, yes. flowkey carries more arrangements, supports MIDI input, and covers a wider range of genres. Simply Piano still wins for absolute beginners who want a strictly linear curriculum and gamified daily streaks.
Can you cancel Simply Piano after the free trial? Yes. Cancel through Google Play or the App Store at least one day before the trial ends. The cancellation is processed in your store account, not inside the Simply Piano app. Reviews suggest doing it within the first six days to avoid timezone surprises.
What is the cheapest Simply Piano alternative? Perfect Piano is fully free with ads, Synthesia is a one-time purchase to unlock the full version, and Magic Tiles 3 is free to play. Among real learning apps, flowkey, Skoove, and Piano by Yousician sit in the same yearly price range as Simply Piano.
Do you need a MIDI keyboard for these apps? No. Every app on this list works with the mic on your phone or tablet for at least the basic listening mode. Skoove, flowkey, and Synthesia gain meaningful accuracy and responsiveness when you connect a MIDI keyboard over USB or Bluetooth, which matters most once you start playing two hands together.
What is the best free Simply Piano alternative? Perfect Piano is the best fully-free option for sandbox practice, and Synthesia’s free tier covers the basics if you have a MIDI controller. flowkey offers the best free-tier learning content among the subscription-based apps, with selected lessons and a rotation of free songs.
Can you import Simply Piano progress to another app? No app on this list imports Simply Piano’s progress directly. The fastest equivalent is to take the placement quiz inside flowkey, Skoove, or Piano by Yousician, indicate that you can read music, and let the app drop you into an intermediate course path.
