OpenKeys / Compare / Yousician
A free, open-source Yousician alternative for piano
OpenKeys listens to you play, like Yousician, but it is free with no daily limit, runs in your browser and needs no account.
Yousician teaches guitar, piano, bass, ukulele and singing, with a large library of licensed songs and a subscription for full access. If you only want piano and do not want to pay monthly, OpenKeys covers the core of it: it listens through your microphone or MIDI keyboard, marks every note and tells you what to practise next.
OpenKeys is open source. There is no account, no paywall and no limit on how long you practise each day. Your audio never leaves your device.
OpenKeys and Yousician side by side
| OpenKeys | Yousician | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. No subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases | Subscription for full access; a limited free tier |
| Account | Not needed | Needed |
| Where it runs | Any modern browser on a computer, tablet or phone; installs as an app | Apps for phone, tablet and computer |
| Listens through a microphone | Yes, with a setup wizard for your room | Yes |
| MIDI keyboard | Yes, in Chrome, Edge and Firefox (Safari: microphone only) | Yes |
| Import your own files | Yes: MusicXML, MIDI and ABC | No, its own catalogue |
| Songs | 15 built-in public-domain pieces in graded versions, plus anything you import | Large licensed catalogue, including pop songs |
| Instruments | Piano and keyboard | Guitar, piano, bass, ukulele and singing |
| Source code | Open source, MIT licence | Closed source |
| Your data | Audio and progress stay on your device | Account and progress stored by the service |
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 to learn piano without a subscription or a daily time limit.
- You want to play your own pieces: import MusicXML from MuseScore, or MIDI and ABC files.
- You prefer to practise in the browser on any computer, with no account and no tracking.
- You want specific feedback: wrong notes shown as ghost noteheads, timing per hand and a bar-by-bar heatmap.
When Yousician is the better fit
- Yousician has far more songs, including licensed pop music. OpenKeys has 15 public-domain pieces plus your imports.
- Yousician teaches guitar, bass, ukulele and singing too. OpenKeys is piano only.
- Yousician has video lessons and a bigger structured curriculum. OpenKeys has a 7-lesson course and generated drills.
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 free version of Yousician?
Yousician has a free tier with limits; full access is a subscription. OpenKeys is a different app that is free with no limits for piano.
Is there an open-source Yousician?
OpenKeys is an open-source piano teacher in the same spirit: it listens to you play and gives feedback. The code is on GitHub under the MIT licence.
Does OpenKeys work like Yousician with a microphone?
Yes. Put your device near the piano, run the 2-minute setup wizard and play. OpenKeys follows you note by note.
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.