OpenKeys / Compare / Synthesia
Falling notes in your browser. A free Synthesia alternative.
Open a MIDI file, watch the notes fall and play along on your keyboard. In the browser, free, with no download.
Synthesia made falling-notes piano popular: load a MIDI file, watch the notes come down and play them on a MIDI keyboard. It is an installed app with a free set of songs and a one-time unlock for the rest.
OpenKeys does the same in a web browser, for free. It also shows the sheet music, listens through a microphone if you have no MIDI keyboard, and gives feedback on every note: right, wrong, early, late or held too short.
OpenKeys and Synthesia side by side
| OpenKeys | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. No subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases | Free with a set of songs; one-time unlock for the rest and your own MIDI files |
| Account | Not needed | Not needed |
| Where it runs | Any modern browser on a computer, tablet or phone; installs as an app | Installed app for computer, tablet and phone |
| Listens through a microphone | Yes, with a setup wizard for your room | No, made for MIDI keyboards |
| MIDI keyboard | Yes, in Chrome, Edge and Firefox (Safari: microphone only) | Yes |
| Import your own files | Yes: MusicXML, MIDI and ABC | MIDI, after unlock |
| Songs | 15 built-in public-domain pieces in graded versions, plus anything you import | Built-in songs plus any MIDI file |
| Instruments | Piano and keyboard | Piano and keyboard |
| Source code | Open source, MIT licence | Closed source |
| Your data | Audio and progress stay on your device | Runs on your device |
Compared in November 2026 from each app's public information. Prices and features change, so check their sites.
When OpenKeys is the better fit
- You want falling notes without installing anything, on any computer with a browser.
- You have an acoustic piano or a keyboard without USB: OpenKeys listens through the microphone.
- You want to learn to read music: sheet music and falling notes can show side by side.
- You want to import MIDI and MusicXML files for free, and record your playing back to MIDI.
When Synthesia is the better fit
- Synthesia's falling-notes view is its whole focus and is very polished; OpenKeys splits its attention between sheet music and falling notes.
- Synthesia has a large built-in song set. OpenKeys has 15 pieces, plus any file you import.
- Safari cannot use MIDI keyboards (no Web MIDI), so on a Mac or iPad with Safari OpenKeys uses the microphone. Chrome, Edge and Firefox support MIDI.
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
Is there a web version of Synthesia?
Synthesia is an installed app. If you want falling notes in the browser, OpenKeys does it for free: open openkeys.live, import a MIDI file and play.
Can I play Synthesia-style MIDI files in OpenKeys?
Yes. Drag a .mid file onto the Library page. OpenKeys splits the hands, shows sheet music and falling notes, and judges your playing.
Do I need a MIDI keyboard?
No. A MIDI keyboard over USB is the most accurate, but OpenKeys also listens through a microphone, and you can play with the computer keys.
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.