Is there a free version of Simply Piano? Only a small one. Simply Piano is free to download and gives you a taste of the course, but the full curriculum sits behind a subscription, usually started through a free trial that turns into a recurring charge unless you cancel it. If you want something you can keep using without paying, there are real free alternatives. Which one fits depends on whether you want structured lessons, to play songs right away, or to make your own music. Here's the honest landscape.
Why people look for an alternative
Simply Piano is good at what it does, but two things send people looking. The first is the price: the free version is a short trial, and the real product is a yearly subscription. The second is the format. It's a lesson course, and not everyone wants to be walked through a curriculum. Some people just want to play.
So the right alternative depends on what you were actually after.
If you want to play songs without lessons
This is the biggest group, and the best free option is a falling-note app. Notes drop down the screen and you press the matching key, so you learn songs by pattern and timing instead of by reading music. It feels like a game, and you can play a real song in your first sitting.
Piano Aura does this with its Piano Game mode, free to download and play, with no sheet music required. You can slow a song down while you learn it and speed it back up once your hands know the way. How to play piano without reading sheet music goes deeper on this.
If you want to make your own music, not just follow lessons
Lesson apps rarely let you create anything. If you want to compose or record, you need a different kind of app. Piano Aura's Freestyle keyboard and Create Music let you play freely, build chord progressions with the Chord Builder, record in layers, and share what you make. None of that sits behind a course.
If you just want free tutorials
Worth saying plainly: YouTube is the most-used free piano teacher on the planet, and it costs nothing. The trade-off is that it's unstructured, so you're on your own to find a path through it. It pairs well with an app you actually play on.
A word on the word "free"
Most piano apps, the alternatives included, are free to download and then ask for money somewhere. Be a little skeptical of any "100% free" claim. The honest question is how much of the thing you came for stays free once you start, and what you trade for it.
Here is how it works in Piano Aura, so you know before you install. Freestyle, the Chord Builder and recording in Create Music are free. In Piano Game, some songs are free outright, and the locked ones can be unlocked for a while by watching a short video, so you can still play them without paying. Premium unlocks every song, removes the ads and adds a few extras, such as the metronome in Create Music. If a subscription screen appears, it is an offer, not a wall: close it and keep playing.
That is the trade most free apps make. You pay with a little patience instead of a monthly fee. Whether that suits you depends on how often you play.
So is there a genuinely free alternative to Simply Piano?
Yes, with one caveat. If you mainly want to play songs and make music, a free play-and-record app like Piano Aura covers most of it with no subscription. If you specifically want a guided, graded lesson course that corrects your hand position, that is exactly what Simply Piano, flowkey, and Yousician sell, and the free alternatives trade that structure for more freedom and a lower price. Pick based on which one you actually wanted.
If you're weighing free apps more broadly, the best free piano apps for iPhone breaks down how to choose, and the best free piano app with no subscription shows how to spot a trial clock before you get attached. If you are still deciding between the paid course apps, read Simply Piano vs flowkey vs Yousician.
FAQ
Is there a free version of Simply Piano? Not a full one. The app is free to download and lets you try a small part of the course, but the complete curriculum needs a subscription, normally reached through a free trial that renews automatically if you don't cancel.
What is the best free app like Simply Piano? It depends on which part of Simply Piano you liked. For playing real songs without reading music, a falling-note app such as Piano Aura's Piano Game is the closest free experience. For a graded course that checks your technique, there is no free equivalent, and paying for one or for a teacher is the honest answer.
Can I learn piano for free without a subscription? You can learn to play songs, chords and simple pieces for free with an app plus YouTube tutorials. What free tools rarely give you is structured feedback on technique and reading, which is what the paid courses sell.
Can I try a piano without downloading anything? Yes. The online piano keyboard plays in your browser, with your computer keys or by tapping, so you can find out whether you enjoy it before you install any app.
Piano Aura is free on the App Store if you want to start playing without a subscription.
