OpenKeys / Compare
Piano learning apps compared
OpenKeys is a free, open-source piano teacher that runs in your browser. Here is how it compares with the apps you may already know.
Yousician, Simply Piano and flowkey are polished apps with large licensed song libraries, paid by subscription. Synthesia is a falling-notes app with a one-time unlock. OpenKeys is free and open source, runs in any browser, needs no account and keeps your audio on your device.
OpenKeys has fewer built-in songs than any of them. It makes up for that by importing the MusicXML, MIDI and ABC files you already have.
At a glance
| OpenKeys | Yousician | Synthesia | Simply Piano | flowkey | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Subscription, limited free tier | Free with a few songs, one-time unlock | Subscription, limited free tier | Subscription, a few free songs |
| Account | Not needed | Needed | Not needed | Needed | Needed |
| Runs in a web browser | Yes | Mainly apps | No, installed app | No, phone and tablet app | Yes, and apps |
| Listens through a microphone | Yes | Yes | No, MIDI keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| MIDI keyboard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Import your own MIDI or MusicXML | Yes | No | MIDI, after unlock | No | No |
| Open source | Yes, MIT | No | No | No | No |
Compared in November 2026 from each app's public information. Prices and features change, so check their sites.
What OpenKeys does
Listens through your microphone
Put a laptop or tablet on the music stand of any piano or keyboard. No cable needed. A setup wizard tunes it to your room in about 2 minutes.
Exact with a MIDI keyboard
Plug a USB MIDI keyboard into Chrome, Edge or Firefox and every note, its timing and how hard you played it are read exactly.
Waits for the right note
Wait mode stops until you play the right keys, then tells you what you played instead: "That was E4; try D4, 2 keys lower".
Falling notes and sheet music
Practise with sheet music, falling notes or both. Notes turn green or red in place, and wrong notes show as ghost noteheads.
Loops the bars you miss
Results show your top trouble spots bar by bar. One click loops them, and Loop drill raises the tempo 5% after each clean pass.
Your own music
Import MusicXML (from MuseScore), MIDI and ABC files by drag and drop, or write exercises in the built-in editor.
A course and drills
A 7-lesson course from finding middle C to playing with both hands, plus scales, arpeggios, chords, sight-reading, rhythm and ear training.
Free, with no account
No sign-up, no subscription, no ads and no trial. MIT licensed and open source on GitHub.
Private and offline
Audio never leaves your device. Your progress is stored in the browser, and OpenKeys installs as an app that works offline.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Yousician or Simply Piano?
If you want to learn piano without a subscription, OpenKeys is free with no limits, runs in the browser and listens through your microphone or a MIDI keyboard. It has fewer built-in songs, but you can import your own.
Is there a web version of Synthesia?
Synthesia itself is an installed app. OpenKeys gives you falling notes, sheet music and your own MIDI files in the browser, for free. See the Synthesia comparison below.
Is OpenKeys really free?
Yes. There is no subscription, no trial, no ads and nothing to unlock. The code is MIT licensed on GitHub, so it stays available even if the project stops.
Do I need to download anything or make an account?
No. Open openkeys.live in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari and start playing. You can install it as an app from the browser if you want it offline.
Does it work with an acoustic piano?
Yes. OpenKeys listens through your device microphone. Single notes are detected precisely; for chords it checks the notes it expects. When it is not sure, it shows "?" and never counts that against you.
What do I need to start?
A piano or keyboard and a computer, tablet or phone. A USB MIDI cable is the most accurate. With no instrument at all, you can play with the computer keys.
Try it now
OpenKeys opens in your browser in a few seconds. No account, nothing to install.