Love Simply Piano's lessons but not its song list? Piano Nova teaches the piece you bring. Upload a PDF, photo or MusicXML, and Solo, its built-in teacher, listens as you play and takes you through it bar by bar. Full comparison below.
| Feature | Piano Nova | Simply Piano |
|---|---|---|
| Upload your own scores | PDF, MusicXML, images | Their library only |
| Guided lessons | On the piece you upload, bar by bar | Step-by-step courses on their songs |
| Sheet music display | Full notation | Simplified notation |
| PDF & image upload | Smart conversion | Not supported |
| Tempo control | ||
| Loop sections | ||
| Hands-separate practice | ||
| Progress tracking | Per bar of your own scores | Per lesson in their course |
| Listens as you play | MIDI or microphone, names each wrong key | MIDI or microphone |
| Song library | Bring your own | Curated pop, classical, etc. |
| Platform | Web browser (desktop, Android, iPhone) | iOS, Android, Chromebook |
| Pricing | 14-day free trial, then $149.99/yr; or $6.99/wk; $249 lifetime for members | Free trial, then ~$17.90/mo or ~$169.90/yr — varies by country |
Simply Piano is a great learning tool for beginners who need structure and guidance. Its step-by-step courses take you from zero to playing basic songs, with gamified feedback that keeps you engaged. If you've never touched a piano, it's one of the best places to start.
The limit is the library. You can't upload your teacher's assignments or your exam pieces, and if the piece you want isn't in their catalog, Simply Piano can't teach it. Many of its songs are also simplified arrangements, not the score you'd buy.
Piano Nova starts from the piece. Upload any score (PDF, photo or MusicXML) and Solo, its built-in teacher, takes you through it a few bars a day: one hand, then both, then in time. It listens through a MIDI keyboard or your microphone, names each wrong key, and picks up tomorrow where you stopped. When you'd rather practise alone, slow it down, loop the hard bars and play hands separately.
If you want a general piano course, start with Simply Piano. If there's a piece you've been waiting to play, Piano Nova is the Simply Piano alternative that teaches you that piece.
Start your free trialIf you want to learn a specific piece, Piano Nova. You upload the sheet music (PDF, photo or MusicXML) and its built-in teacher takes you through it bar by bar, listening as you play and naming each wrong key. Simply Piano is the better pick for a general beginner course built on its own song library.
Piano Nova has a 14-day free trial on Yearly: upload any piece and Solo, its built-in teacher, takes you through it bar by bar. Simply Piano offers a free trial too; both renew into a paid plan unless you cancel. They teach differently: Simply Piano through its course and song library, Piano Nova through the piece you bring.
Simply Piano has a free trial that auto-renews into a paid subscription unless you cancel. Simply does not publish a single price — its help centre states that cost varies by country, by store (App Store or Google Play), and by plan, so you have to check in-app. Third-party reviews put the US individual plan around $17.90/month or $169.90/year. Piano Nova has a 14-day free trial on Yearly: upload any piece and Solo, its built-in teacher, takes you through it bar by bar.
No. Simply Piano only works with songs from their built-in library. You cannot upload PDFs, MusicXML files, or images. Piano Nova lets you upload any score in these formats.
Simply Piano uses simplified notation. Piano Nova renders full traditional sheet music notation, which helps build sight-reading skills alongside playing ability.
Usually Piano Nova. Intermediate players tend to have specific pieces to learn, and Piano Nova teaches from your own full-notation score, with tempo control and looping when you practise alone. Simply Piano is designed mainly for beginners learning from scratch.