Here is the straight answer: Simply Piano is free to download and gives you a small number of genuinely useful intro lessons, but it is not a free way to learn piano. The core courses sit behind a Premium subscription, and you will hit that wall within your first week or two of steady practice.
So yes, you can start for $0, and no, you cannot finish for $0. Let me show you exactly where the line is.
What you actually get for free
The free version lets you create an account and work through the opening lessons of the beginner course. That is enough to learn where the notes are, play a few simple melodies, and get a feel for how the app listens to your playing through your device’s microphone. For a total beginner, it is a fair taste.
- A handful of introductory lessons (roughly the first course section).
- Basic note-reading and simple two-hand playing.
- The app’s core listening-and-feedback feature, so you can judge if you like the format.
What you do not get for free is the rest: the full structured path, the deeper song library, and most of the play-along tracks that make the app fun to keep using.
Where the paywall kicks in
After those early lessons, Simply Piano prompts you to start a free trial that rolls into a paid Premium subscription. Once the trial ends, the locked content stays locked. The exact numbers change with promotions and region, so it is worth checking our up-to-date Simply Piano pricing breakdown before you commit, because the annual plan is much cheaper per month than paying monthly.
For the full experience and my honest verdict on whether it is worth paying, see our Simply Piano review.
One practical warning: the free trial asks for payment details and auto-renews into the paid plan unless you cancel. Set a reminder if you only wanted the trial. It is a standard app tactic, not a trap, but plenty of people get charged simply because they forgot the date.
Is the free part worth using?
Honestly, yes, as a trial. Spend a few evenings with the free lessons to answer one question: do you enjoy sitting down and practicing? If the daily habit clicks, you have learned something valuable regardless of which tool you continue with. If the microphone detection frustrates you (a common gripe), you have saved yourself a subscription.
Just do not mistake the free tier for a complete method. It is a doorway, not the house.
A reasonable plan for a brand-new beginner: use the free lessons to confirm you enjoy practicing, then choose your real path deliberately rather than defaulting into whatever the app upsells. That path might be Premium, might be a different app, or might be a full course. The point is to decide on purpose.
Free-to-start alternatives worth knowing
If the goal is spending as little as possible, a few other apps also have real free tiers, and our guide to free piano apps worth using is honest about each. But there is a catch with all app subscriptions: the monthly cost never stops, and many people prefer to own their learning outright. If that is you, our Pianoforall review walks through a one-time course that teaches chords and songs you keep for good.
That is where a one-time course changes the math. Pianoforall costs roughly the same as two months of most subscriptions, teaches you chords and songs so you understand what you are playing, and it is yours forever. If you already suspect you will stick with piano, it is often the better long-term value than renting lessons month after month.
Check the current price of Pianoforall here →
FAQ
Can I learn piano with only the free Simply Piano lessons?
You can learn the very basics, but not much beyond that. The free lessons end well before you reach real songs or two-hand independence, so you will need Premium or another resource to keep going.
How much is Simply Piano Premium?
It varies by promotion and region, but the annual plan works out far cheaper per month than paying monthly. Check our current pricing guide for the latest figures before subscribing.
Is Simply Piano worth paying for?
For some beginners, yes, if you like the app’s structure and your keyboard plays nicely with its microphone detection. Our full review weighs the pros, cons, and better-value alternatives so you can decide.
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