The best apps to learn piano in 2026

The best app to learn piano for most beginners is Simply Piano, because it listens to any acoustic or digital piano, teaches step by step from reading notes to playing with both hands, and gives every user two free courses before asking for a subscription. That free start makes it the best free option too, since no full piano course in this list is free. flowkey is the stronger pick if your goal is to play specific songs, and Piano Marvel is the best choice for serious sight-reading practice, with a privacy label that declares no data collected.

Quick answer

• Best overall: Simply Piano. Step-by-step courses with instant feedback on a real piano, two free courses, and family plans.
• Best for learning songs: flowkey. Thousands of arranged pieces in four levels, with video of a pianist's hands, looping and a wait mode.
• Best for music theory: Skoove. 500+ lessons that weave theory, note reading and technique into songs.
• Best for sight-reading: Piano Marvel. 30,000+ songs over 18 levels, about 1,200 lessons and dedicated sight-reading tests.
• Best for gamified practice: Piano by Yousician. 1,500+ missions with scoring for accuracy and timing.
• Best for returning adults: Playground. 2,000+ songs in three arrangement levels, with lessons from named teachers.
• Best for chords and scales: Piano Chords and Scales. A reference for chords, scales and progressions, not a course.

Comparison table

How to choose a piano app

• If you are a complete beginner, start with Simply Piano's two free courses. If you like the format, compare its price list with flowkey's before you subscribe.
• If you want to play particular songs, flowkey and Playground both offer songs in several difficulty arrangements.
• If you want to read music properly, Piano Marvel's graded levels and sight-reading tests, or Skoove's theory-in-songs approach, build reading skills more deliberately than song-first apps.
• If scores and streaks keep you practicing, Piano by Yousician is the most game-like option here.
• If you have a digital piano or keyboard with MIDI, Skoove, flowkey and Piano Marvel all mention MIDI or Bluetooth connections, which are more precise than a microphone.
• If you only want to look up chords or scales, Piano Chords and Scales does that, and its price list includes lifetime unlocks as well as subscriptions.

All of the course apps need a keyboard or piano to work properly; Simply Piano is the only one here that describes an on-screen touch course. If you also play guitar, see our comparison of apps to learn guitar.

Simply Piano: Best overall

Simply Piano, from Simply (formerly JoyTunes), teaches piano by listening. You place your iPhone or iPad on your acoustic piano or keyboard and play; the description says the app recognizes what you play and gives instant feedback. Courses run from the basics of reading sheet music to playing with both hands, songs can be slowed down, and personalized 5-minute workouts target what you need. Touch Courses turn the screen into a keyboard if you have no instrument. The screenshots show sheet music with the next key lit on a keyboard, a song library ("5000+ popular songs") and a course path with Piano Basics and Theory 101.

The description says all users can play two free courses. On the US App Store in November 2026, the price list includes "12 months Premium" items from $95.99 to $149.99, "3 months Premium" at $74.99 and Family Plan items at $34.95 and $179.99.

Strengths: an easy start on any piano, an Apple Editors' Choice, 14 app languages, rated 4.7 from about 861,000 ratings.

Limits: the privacy label declares tracking of identifiers and links seven data types to you, and only two courses are free.

flowkey: Best for learning songs

flowkey is built around songs arranged by professional pianists. The description lists thousands of pieces in classical, pop and film genres, each in four difficulty levels, plus beginner courses on reading sheet music and playing with both hands, and advanced tutorials on scales, chords and improvisation. Practice tools include looping, single-hand practice, a Wait Mode that pauses until you hit the right notes, and a video of a pianist with the next notes highlighted. It works through the microphone or through Bluetooth or MIDI. The screenshots show hands on a keyboard above a score, feedback on each note, and an "Introduction to the Piano" course with 8 lessons and 11 songs.

On the US App Store in November 2026, the price list includes "flowkey Classic" items from $19.99 to $119.99 and family items at $24.99 and $179.99. Without a subscription, the description says a limited selection of beginner lessons and classical songs is free, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day trial.

Strengths: the most flexible song-learning tools here, updated in November 2026, 11 app languages.

Limits: the privacy label declares tracking of purchases, contact info and identifiers, the free tier is not described, and the method leans more on songs than on structured theory.

Skoove: Best for music theory

Skoove teaches through songs while building theory, sight-reading and technique along the way. The description lists 500+ lessons in bite-sized parts, real-time feedback that uses AI to listen, tempo and looping tools, and instructional videos. It connects through USB MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI or the device's microphone. The screenshots show a song library marked by level (Beginner 1 to Intermediate) with pieces from "Au Clair de la Lune" to Coldplay and Mozart, and a promise of a "playful path to theory, technique and note reading".

The description invites you to try it for free. On the US App Store in November 2026, the price list for "Skoove Premium" runs from $4.99 to $149.99, with several free-trial variants.

Strengths: theory is part of every lesson, it works with MIDI, and it was updated in November 2026.

Limits: the privacy label declares tracking of four data types, including location and user content, the price list is hard to read because it has many variants, and its 4.6 rating is the lowest of the course apps here.

Piano Marvel: Best for sight-reading

Piano Marvel is used by teachers, studios and schools as well as self-learners, according to the developer. The description lists over 30,000 songs across 18 levels, almost 1,200 guided lessons, method and technique videos on dynamics, phrasing and articulation, and the SASR sight-reading tests and exercises. You can also upload a song and build your own learning path. Assessment works with a MIDI keyboard or, more recently, through the microphone on an acoustic piano. The screenshots show real sheet music with fingering numbers above a keyboard.

On the US App Store in November 2026, the price list includes "Piano Marvel Premium Account" items at $17.99 and $129.99 and single songs from $1.99 to $59.99. The listing does not say what is free.

Strengths: the most serious reading and classical focus here, a privacy label that declares no data collected, and a style that works alongside a teacher.

Limits: the screenshots show a plain, score-first interface that may feel dry next to game-style apps, and the microphone assessment is described as new compared with the MIDI option.

Piano by Yousician: Best for gamified practice

Piano by Yousician turns practice into missions with scores. The description lists over 1,500 missions and exercises with hundreds of videos, covering sight-reading, classical and pop songs and music theory, plus a Weekly Challenge where you compete with other players. The app listens to your piano or keyboard and scores accuracy and timing. The screenshots show falling notes over a keyboard with "Perfect", "Early" and "A bit late" ratings, chord and sheet music views, and a tempo slider.

On the US App Store in November 2026, the price list includes Premium at $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year, and Premium Plus from $29.99 a month to $179.99 a year.

Strengths: strong motivation through scores and challenges, an Apple Editors' Choice, rated 4.7.

Limits: the age rating notes advertising, the privacy label declares tracking of identifiers and links your location, and Premium Plus is among the highest prices here.

Playground: Best for returning adults

Playground Sessions was co-created by Quincy Jones, according to the developer, and the description names beginners, adults returning to piano and homeschooling families as its audience. It lists over 2,000 songs, from Disney to Bach and Adele, each with Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced arrangements, step-by-step video lessons and real-time feedback. The screenshots show a score of 95% with three stars, teachers including Phil Anderson, David Sides, Wi Chen and Mike Garson, and an accuracy screen with points to the next level.

The description mentions a free trial, but the App Store listing shows the app as free with no in-app purchases and gives no subscription price, so check the price on the developer's site before you commit.

Strengths: songs at three levels, named teachers, rated 4.8 from about 5,000 ratings.

Limits: no prices in the listing, tracking of contact info, identifiers and usage data is declared, and the app is English only.

Piano Chords and Scales: Best for chords and scales

Piano Chords and Scales is a reference and theory tool rather than a course. The description lists a large collection of chords, scales and progressions shown on a piano and a staff, playback for everything, an interactive circle of fifths, a song composer that suggests chords for a chosen scale, scale fingerings for both hands, and MIDI in and out. The screenshots show a chord list with keyboard diagrams, a search by tapping piano keys, and a chord identifier that names a chord from notes on the staff.

On the US App Store in November 2026, the price list includes unlocks from $1.99 to $34.99, with yearly items at $11.99 and $14.99 and lifetime items from $9.99 to $34.99.

Strengths: a fast way to learn chord shapes and scales, updated in October 2026, no tracking and no data linked to you, rated 4.8.

Limits: no lessons and no listening feedback, requires iOS 17, and the listing does not say which features stay free.

What we left out

• Piano Academy (Yokee Music): not updated since July 2024.
• Piano by MWM and Piano by Impala Studios: on-screen tile games more than lessons, with tracking declared and weekly passes in their price lists.
• Artie: a newer app with AI feedback, but its price list starts at $34.99 and it requires iOS 18.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free app to learn piano?

No complete piano course in this list is free. Simply Piano is the clearest free start, with two free courses according to its description. Piano Chords and Scales is free to download for looking up chords and scales, and most course apps offer a free trial.

Do I need a real piano or keyboard?

For real progress, yes. Simply Piano, flowkey, Skoove, Piano Marvel, Yousician and Playground all listen to an acoustic or digital instrument, and several also connect by MIDI. Simply Piano's Touch Courses use the screen as a keyboard, which helps you start but does not build hand technique.

Which is better, Simply Piano or flowkey?

Simply Piano is more guided, with courses and short workouts that tell you what to practice next, and two courses are free. flowkey gives you more control over specific songs, with video of a pianist's hands, looping and a wait mode. Pick Simply Piano for a path, flowkey for a repertoire.

Can an app teach you to read sheet music?

Yes, for the fundamentals. Piano Marvel focuses most on reading, with graded levels and sight-reading tests, and Skoove builds note reading into each lesson. Song-first apps such as Simply Piano and flowkey also teach reading, but you can rely on the falling notes or highlighted keys instead.

What is the best piano app for kids?

Simply Piano and flowkey both sell family plans, and every course app here carries a 4+ age rating. Playground names homeschooling families in its description. Younger children usually need a parent nearby to set up the device and keep practice short.