Overview

Founded in Berlin in 2014, flowkey pairs interactive practice with courses in music theory, chords, and sheet-music reading. Its approach is a good fit for learners who want to move between structured study and playing recognizable pieces, rather than follow a course alone.

Key features

The library spans thousands of songs, arranged by professional pianists across genres and skill levels. That gives learners room to choose material suited to their ability, but the breadth of the catalog is split across plans: the free account offers only a few songs and course lessons, while pop, rock, jazz, film, TV, and video game music require Premium.

Wait Mode listens as you play and waits for the correct notes before continuing, so learners can work through a passage at their own pace. Video paired with sheet music, slower playback, section looping, and separate right- and left-hand practice offer practical ways to isolate and repeat difficult parts. Step-by-step courses cover theory, chords, and notation, making flowkey more than a song player.

A compatible keyboard or piano can connect by USB MIDI or Bluetooth MIDI for more reliable note recognition. The app also supports progress tracking, with customer support through email and in-app chat.

Pricing

The Free Account costs 0.00 USD per free and remains available for as long as you want, but its few free songs and course lessons make it a sample rather than a full learning plan.

Classic costs 16.49 USD per month or 99.99 USD per year. Both options include all courses, classical music pieces, and public-domain songs for one person. Choose Classic if those materials fit your goals; it does not include the Premium catalog of popular and screen music.

Premium costs 24.99 USD per month or 149.99 USD per year for one user. It adds pop, rock, jazz, film, TV, and video game music to Classic content. The yearly plan charges the full 149.99 USD upfront. Family costs 37.49 USD per month or 224.99 USD per year and provides Premium content for up to five user profiles, making it the relevant option for a household rather than an individual.

Yearly plans include a free 7-day Premium trial that converts to a yearly subscription unless canceled at least 24 hours before it expires. A 14-day money-back guarantee also applies. Only Premium can be purchased through the App Store or Play Store; Classic and Family must be bought through the web app. There is no lifetime plan. Customers buying a qualifying Yamaha digital piano or keyboard in participating regions can receive three months of Premium through a promotion valid until March 31, 2027.

Platforms

flowkey is available on Android, iOS, and the web. The mobile app-store purchase route is limited to Premium, so customers who want Classic or Family need to subscribe through the web app.

Who it's for

flowkey is best suited to individual piano learners who value song-based practice, adjustable playback, and a curriculum that also covers fundamentals. Families can share Premium across as many as five profiles. Learners who only need a small set of free lessons may be satisfied with the no-cost account, but those seeking the full popular-music catalog should budget for Premium.

Pros and cons

Pros: Thousands of songs, alongside courses in theory, chords, and notation, support both repertoire-building and structured study.
Pros: Wait Mode, looping, reduced-speed playback, and separate-hand practice give learners several ways to tackle difficult passages.
Pros: Family plans cover up to five profiles, avoiding the one-user limit of individual subscriptions.
Cons: The free account includes only a few songs and lessons, limiting its usefulness for ongoing study.
Cons: Popular genres and screen music are reserved for Premium, which costs more than Classic.
Cons: The yearly trial renews into a paid annual subscription unless canceled at least 24 hours before expiry; the yearly charge is paid upfront.

Alternatives

Music Learning Apps is a useful place to compare options across the category.

Choose Skoove if you want a piano-learning alternative with a free tier and a 12-month Premium option billed at 12.49 USD per month. Piano Marvel may suit learners who want a free plan with more than 200 lesson exercises and performance feedback and scoring, and it runs on desktop platforms as well as mobile and web. Simply Guitar is the guitar-focused choice, with Android and iOS apps and free access to the first part of Guitar Basics I.

MasterPiano is another piano-learning option, with a free plan that limits daily practice. EarMaster may be preferable for learners seeking a lower-priced subscription: its listed yearly option costs 3.65 USD per year, billed as US$43.80 yearly, for one user on personal devices. For guitar learners interested in tabs, chords, and play-along videos, JustinGuitar offers an annual tabs plan at 4.17 USD per month, billed as $49.99/year after a 7-day free trial. Simply Piano is another piano-learning option for Android and iOS. Yousician supports multiple instruments and desktop platforms, with a one-instrument monthly plan at 19.99 USD per month.

Verdict

Choose flowkey if you want piano practice organized around songs, with tools to slow down and repeat passages and courses to build core skills. Its free tier is narrow and the popular-music catalog requires Premium, so learners who need broader access should weigh the paid subscription and annual renewal terms before starting a trial.

	flowkey	Pianu
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	$8.33/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	iOS, macOS
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	16.49 /mo	—
Live feedback	Yes	Yes
Curriculum scope	mixed	instrument
Included instruments	1	—
Practice tools	Yes	Yes
Progress tracking	Yes	Yes
Platform support	multi-platform	multi-platform

flowkey vs Pianu

flowkey

Pianu