Flowkey vs Simply Piano (2026): Which Piano App Should You Choose?

Last updated: 7 October 2026. Plans, prices and features checked on flowkey’s and Simply’s own sites, help centers and App Store listings that day. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the verdict, and we name options we earn nothing from when they are the better fit.

FLOWKEY VS SIMPLY PIANO AT A GLANCE

flowkey and Simply Piano are the two piano apps most beginners shortlist. Both listen to you play a real piano or keyboard through your device’s microphone, show you what to play, and tell you when you get it right. They are built around different ideas, though. Simply Piano is a course: it decides what you learn next. flowkey is a song library with courses attached: you pick the music and it helps you learn it.

That difference decides which one you should buy, more than any feature list. This comparison covers how each one teaches, what you get for free, what they cost, the devices they run on, what has changed at flowkey in 2026, and which learners each suits. We earn a commission if you subscribe to Simply Piano through our links. flowkey runs an affiliate program we have not joined, so we earn nothing from it.

Flowkey vs Simply Piano: the main differences

Sources: flowkey’s subscription help pages and website, Simply’s gift page, and both App Store listings, 7 October 2026. Simply Piano’s plan details are from our Simply Piano review (checked 27 September 2026).

How each app teaches

Simply Piano: a course that tells you what to do next

Simply Piano moves you along a path of short lessons. Each lesson shows a brief video, then has you play an exercise while the app listens and marks each note right or wrong. You can’t skip ahead until you have passed what came before. There are two main paths: Soloist, which teaches melodies and reading music, and Chords, which teaches accompaniment, joined later by Lead Sheet courses.

The effect is that you never have to decide what to practice, which is exactly what most beginners need. The game mechanics (stars, streaks, reaching the next level) keep people coming back, and children respond to them especially well. Simply has customized profiles for ages 4 to 10.

flowkey: pick a song, then learn it

flowkey starts from the music. You choose a song, and flowkey shows the sheet music alongside video of a pianist playing the arrangement. Its two signature tools are Wait Mode, which stops the music until you play the correct note, and the loop function, which repeats a hard passage until you have it. You can also slow a piece down.

flowkey also has step-by-step courses on reading sheet music, finding your way around the keyboard and playing with both hands. They are useful, but they are not the center of the app the way Simply Piano’s path is. flowkey works best for learners who are motivated by a particular piece and are happy to steer themselves.

Song library: what you can actually play

Simply advertises more than 5,000 songs and pieces of sheet music. Its library spans pop, classical, film and kids’ songs, often in several difficulty levels, and the full library needs a subscription.

flowkey describes its library as thousands of songs from every genre and skill level, arranged by professional pianists in four difficulty levels. Its plans now split that library in two:

Two practical consequences. First, if you mostly want classical repertoire, flowkey Classic covers it without paying for Premium. Second, if you want pop or film music, you need Premium. Several users on r/pianolearning reported in September and October 2026 that some licensed pop songs had disappeared from flowkey’s library. We could not find a statement from flowkey about it. Licensed songs come and go on every music app as licenses change, so if one song is your reason to subscribe, use the trial to confirm it is there.

Flowkey vs Simply Piano price

Neither company publishes a full price list, which makes a straight price comparison harder than it should be. Here is what each one does show publicly:

The yearly plan is the one to compare on both apps. It comes with the trial and costs far less per month than paying monthly. Write down the yearly price each app shows you after sign-up and compare those two numbers. If you bought a Yamaha keyboard or digital piano, register it first: flowkey’s help center says Yamaha buyers in Australia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, China and the US get three months of Premium free.

Our Simply Piano review covers Simply’s Individual, Duo and Family plans and how refunds work through Apple, Google and the web.

Try Simply Piano free for 7 days →

Devices and setup

Both apps need a real instrument: an acoustic piano, a digital piano or a keyboard. Both listen through your device’s microphone. Most digital pianos can also connect to a phone, tablet or computer by cable (MIDI), which is more reliable in a noisy room; check each app’s setup guide for your model.

• Simply Piano runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 15 or later) and Android phones and tablets. There is no Windows or Mac desktop app.
• flowkey runs on phones and tablets and also in a web browser on a laptop or desktop computer, which gives you a much bigger screen for the sheet music and video.
• flowkey accounts work across devices, so you can practice on a tablet at the piano and pick up on a laptop later.

If you plan to prop a laptop on the music stand, flowkey is the only one of the two that works there.

Which is better for kids?

Simply Piano, for most families. Its profiles for children aged 4 to 10 use songs children know, more videos and hand icons in place of finger numbers. The game mechanics that some adults find childish work well at that age, and the rule that you can’t skip ahead stops children rushing past things they haven’t learned. Simply’s Family plan covers five profiles and all of Simply’s apps, including Simply Guitar.

Simply also partners with Trinity College London: when a profile completes certain courses you can buy a Trinity certificate for $25, at Initial, Grade 1 and Grade 2 level. It is a nice milestone for a child, but it is not an exam and marks an early stage of learning.

flowkey suits older children and teenagers who already know which songs they want to learn. Its Family plan gives up to five people their own Premium profiles.

What learners say

Both apps rate 4.7 on Apple’s App Store, Simply Piano from about 855,000 ratings and flowkey from about 66,000. Ratings that high mostly measure whether people enjoy using the app, so the more useful signal is what experienced players and teachers say in piano communities. The themes we found on r/piano and r/pianolearning over the past year were consistent:

• Simply Piano keeps beginners practicing. Learners describe it as an engaging start that gets them reading simple sheet music early.
• Its critics say it is more game than method. The common complaint is that it can make progress feel faster than it is, and that it does not teach technique.
• flowkey is valued for learning specific pieces. Wait Mode and looping come up again and again.
• Both get the same advice from teachers: pair the app with a method book or occasional lessons, because no app can see your hands.

That last point matters most. Neither app checks your hand position, posture or fingering in any meaningful way. If you plan to play for years, book a few lessons early to avoid habits that are hard to undo later.

Flowkey vs Simply Piano: which should you choose?

Still unsure? Use both free tiers first: Simply’s two free courses and a free flowkey account. You will know within a few sessions whether you prefer being led through a course or choosing your own music. Then take the 7-day trial on the yearly plan of the one you like, and put the trial end date in your calendar.

Start the Simply Piano trial →

Other piano apps worth comparing

If neither fits, these are the alternatives most often recommended. Prices were read on each company’s site on 27 September 2026 for our Simply Piano review. We have not joined their affiliate programs.

Our best apps to learn piano guide ranks the field, and our ArtistWorks piano review covers a video-lesson option with feedback from real teachers. Learning guitar too? See our Simply Guitar review.

Frequently asked questions

Is flowkey or Simply Piano better for beginners?

Simply Piano is better for most complete beginners and for children. It runs you through a fixed sequence of short lessons, grades every note and doesn’t let you skip ahead, so you always know what to do next. flowkey has beginner courses too, but it is built around learning songs, which suits beginners who already know which pieces they want to play.

Is flowkey free?

flowkey has a free account with no time limit that includes a few songs and course lessons and all of the app’s learning tools. The full library needs a paid plan: Classic for courses plus classical and public-domain songs, or Premium for everything including pop, rock, jazz and film music. The yearly plan comes with a 7-day free trial.

Is Simply Piano free?

Partly. Simply’s App Store listing says all users can play two free courses. Everything else, including the song library, needs a subscription. The 7-day free trial is only offered on the yearly plan.

Which is cheaper, flowkey or Simply Piano?

We can’t say for certain because neither company publishes a full price list. Simply Piano’s gift card is the only public price: $149.99 for 12 months or $74.99 for 3 months on 7 October 2026. flowkey shows prices only after you create a free account and open a Premium song. Compare the yearly price each app shows you, and note that flowkey’s Classic plan is cheaper than Premium if you only want classical music.

Can I use flowkey or Simply Piano on a computer?

flowkey yes: it runs in a web browser on a laptop or desktop as well as on phones and tablets. Simply Piano is a phone and tablet app for iOS and Android with no Windows or Mac desktop app.

Does flowkey still have pop songs?

Yes, on the Premium plan. flowkey’s help center says Premium adds pop, rock, jazz, and film, TV and video game music to the Classic plan’s courses and classical pieces. Some users on r/pianolearning reported in September and October 2026 that individual licensed songs had disappeared from the library, so if one specific song is your reason to subscribe, check it is in the app during the trial.

Do I need a real piano or keyboard?

Yes, for both. Each app listens to you play an acoustic piano, digital piano or keyboard and checks your notes. Most digital pianos can also connect by cable (MIDI), which detects notes more reliably than a microphone.

Can either app replace a piano teacher?

No. Both are good at getting you playing and keeping you practicing, but neither can see your hand position, posture or technique. If you want to play seriously, use the app for daily practice and book occasional lessons to check your technique.

Related guides

• Simply Piano review
• Best apps to learn piano
• ArtistWorks piano review
• Simply Guitar review
• Best apps to learn guitar