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10 Classic Digital Piano Reviews – Bring Music to Your Home in 2025

Actually in April 2025
18 Products Tested
2596 Reviews Scanned
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LAST UPDATE March 31, 2020
READING TIME 39 Minutes
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10 Classic Digital Piano Reviews – Bring Music to Your Home in 2025

All good musicians know a digital piano is an investment in their future. Read our in-depth guide and reviews to find the best digital piano.

Best of the best Yamaha YDP184R Arius Series Console Digital Piano with Bench Yamaha YDP184R
5/5
Show Me
PROS

Simulates feel of a grand piano

Full three-pedal board

CONS Might be out of some players’ budgets
Most Buying Yamaha CP4 Stage Piano Yamaha CP4 Stage Piano with Natural Wood Keys and Sustain Pedal
4.5/5
Show Me
PROS

Pianist Styles feature creates instant accompaniments

Can control all the features with the Digital Piano Controller app

CONS On-board controls are tricky to use
Best for the money Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano Bundle
4.5/5
Show Me
PROS

Feels natural thanks to the Tri-Sensor Scaled hammer action

Includes two-octave transposition function

CONS

Some key noise that may worsen with wear

Sand can feel a bit low for taller players

Avatar Writer Valeria
How we decided
  • 32Products
    Tested
  • 43Hours
    Spent
  • 04Experts
    Interviewed
  • 16Consumers
    Consulted
RUNNERS UP Also good products

Yamaha P71

4/5

Can use multiple voices together in Dual Mode and its simple single-button operation for many settings

pros
  • Slim, lightweight design

  • Sounds realistic in all ten voices

cons
  • On-board speakers lose sound quality at higher volumes

  • Not as many voice options as other models

Korg B1SP 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano

4/5

Great sound out of the on-board speakers and it comes with the stand, bench, and power adapter

pros
  • Superb modeling across the voices

  • Authentic playing feel you can adjust to your touch

cons
  • Can get similar features and sound for less

  • Limited included voices and effects

Yamaha YDP103R Arius Series

4/5

Bench and stand included

pros
  • Superb sound from all ten voices

  • Matte coating on keys absorbs moisture so your fingers won’t slip

cons
  • Polyphony and voices somewhat limited

  • No line inputs or outputs

Alesis Recital – 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano

3.5/5

Helpful practice aids like a metronome and recording mode built right in but the response of the piano is somewhat lacking

pros
  • Incredible value for a full 88 keys

  • Operates on either battery or outlet power

cons
  • Semi-weighted keys won’t feel as close to an acoustic as pricier options

  • Limited amount of voices

Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard

3.5/5

Two levels of touch sensitivity for a more customized response

pros
  • Lessons Function gives you loads of features for beginners

  • Incredibly compact design

cons
  • Doesn’t have a full keyboard or weighted keys

RockJam 61-Key Electronic Keyboard SuperKit

3/5

Comes with stool, stand, power supply, and headphones but the sound quality is lower than other options

pros
  • Lowest price on the list

  • Interface is easy to navigate

cons
  • Not the most durable build

  • Keys aren’t weighted

Cecil P. Lindenberg
EXPERT CONSULTANT

He works as a DJ at night. The main work on a music label. He plays the guitar and a real music lover.

Cecil P. Lindenberg

The piano is one of the most versatile and popular instruments in the world, but acoustic pianos do have their drawbacks. They’re heavy, for one thing, and they require regular maintenance from a professional to keep them in top playing shape. Digital pianos are far more convenient, and are also more affordable, making them a great alternative to a bulk upright. The best digital piano will sound practically identical to the real thing, thanks to advancements in recording technology.

best digital pianoWhen it comes to digital pianos, you’ll find a huge range of different sizes and features, costing anywhere from a hundred bucks to several thousand dollars. Navigating this vast landscape can be an overwhelming proposition if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for.

To help you on your way, we’ve picked out ten of our favorite digital pianos here. Whether you plan to play the piano on-stage with a band or just by yourself in your living room, you’ll find something on the list below that catches your eye.

Research You Can Trust

You want a musical instrument to feel good when you play it.

That’s the first thing we focused on when we were conducting our research: which pianos the professionals say they like to play.

Since sound is important, too, we also compared the sound of both the main piano tone and the alternate voices, with an ear toward realism and authenticity in the modeling.

Finally, we thought about the fact that a piano is a big purchase.

Both literally and metaphorically.

When you buy one, you want it to last for a long time, and you don’t want to have to lug it to a repair shop. We listened to what actual owners had to say about the durability and long-term performance of each instrument. The combination of these factors is what led to the rankings below.

10 Classic Digital Piano Reviews 2025

Best of the best

Yamaha YDP184R Arius Series Console Digital Piano with Bench

5/5
Show more

Yamaha CP4 Stage Piano

with Natural Wood Keys and Sustain Pedal
4.5/5
Show more
Best for the money

Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano

Bundle
4.5/5
Show more

Yamaha P115 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano

with Sustain Pedal, Black
4.5/5
Show more

Yamaha P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano

with Sustain Pedal and Power Supply
4/5
Show more

Korg B1SP 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano

with Stand Three Pedal Board and Knox Bench
4/5
Show more

Yamaha YDP103R Arius Series

Digital Console Piano with Bench, Dark Rosewood
4/5
Show more

Alesis Recital – 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano

3.5/5
Show more

Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard

with Power Supply
3.5/5
Show more

RockJam 61-Key Electronic Keyboard SuperKit

with Stand, Stool, Headphones & Power Supply
3/5
Show more

Buyer's Guide

The 30-Second Review

The more you want your digital piano to sound and feel like an acoustic, the more you’re generally going to have to pay.

The cheapest options will be those that don’t offer a full 88 keys.

But don’t be turned off just yet…

These can be viable options for young children, since they’ll have an easier time reaching all the keys.

Not buying for a child?

You’ll want to get a full-size keyboard if you can afford it…

Once you’re within the category of full-size keyboards, the difference between price points will be both in the sound and the feel of the instrument.

You can generally think of these models as fitting within one of three tiers:

  • entry-level
  • intermediate
  • professional

Entry-level instruments tend to cost between $200 and $500. They may offer weighted key action, though it won’t be as sensitive or responsive as pricier models, and the array of voices offered will generally be a bit more limited.

Intermediate models will typically cost in the $500 to $1,000 range, and will have a higher degree of realism as well as a broader array of features compared to cheaper options.

If you want something at the professional level, you should expect to spend at least a grand, and most often will be spending $2,000 or more. In terms of authenticity, though, they’re practically indistinguishable from an acoustic piano, especially to a beginner’s ears.

Whether you need something that performs at that level is a question only you can answer; for many students, even serious students, a well-made entry-level or intermediate instrument should serve your needs just fine.

Choosing a Digital Piano

The digital pianos versatility is a double-edged sword.

With their wide range and versatile tone, pianos are found in almost every genre, and are invaluable tools for composers, arrangers, and songwriters. Because they’re so useful to so many people, though, you’ll find many different models out there, offering a whole slew of different features.

Overwhelmed yet?

We’ve already talked about the obvious basics…

You want an instrument that sounds good, and one that you enjoy playing.

Then what’s the catch?

This can mean different things to different players.

The sections below go into more depth about the features and specifications you can expect to find on a digital piano. Understanding what each feature does and what it brings to the table will help you figure out which ones you need, and help you find the right instrument for your needs.

Keys and Feel

Aside from the authenticity of the sound modeling, the build and feel of the keys on the keyboard is where you’ll find the biggest difference between entry-level and professional instruments.

The most obvious difference will be how many keys you get. Cheaper keyboards often shrink the keyboard down to 61 or even 48 keys, instead of the full array of 88 that you’ll find on acoustic pianos.

Here’s the deal:

Fewer keys doesn’t always mean the instrument is a lower quality.

However, it does mean you won’t have access to all the notes you’ll get on a full keyboard at the same time.

Fortunately, keyboards with an octave transposition feature will let you choose which notes you’re missing, so you can play all the notes with some tweaking. If not as seamlessly as with a full 88 keys.

So is it a problem or not?

The main players who will find this limiting are classical pianists, as many of the works within the repertoire will call for using both the extreme low and the extreme high register within the same piece.

If you’re buying the keyboard for a younger learner, though, a 61-key model might not be a bad idea, especially if the length of an 88-key model exceeds their reach.

In terms of materials, most digital pianos use plastic for the keys. With cheaper models, this can lead to clicking or squeaking when you press them, and this is something that can get worse over time, especially with heavy use.

Higher-end keyboards tend not to have this problem.

Some of them will even feature wood and ivory (or synthetic ivory) keys, just like an acoustic piano, although this is a rarity and not a necessity, so long as the keys are made to a high quality standard.

The only complaint some players have against plastic keys over wood and ivory ones is they can get a bit slippery after sustained play.

Many of Yamahas models use a matte coating on the keys to alleviate this problem—something to look for if this is a concern for you.

More important than the material, though, is the weight.

In other words, the resistance the keys give to your fingers. Not all the keys respond in the same way on an acoustic piano.

The higher you go, the less resistance the keys give.

The lower you go, the heavier you have to press.

This is a side effect of how the piano produces sound. When you press a piano key, a string inside the instrument is struck with a hammer, causing it to resonate through the wood of the instrument and producing the sound.

The lower the pitch, the longer the string, and the more effort is required to strike it.

This type of weighting is unnecessary for a digital piano, of course.

Pressing a key simply tells the circuits inside the piano which tone to produce, and the effort involved is the same regardless of where you are on the instrument.

The thing is…

For many pianists this change in weight from the bottom to the top is an important part of playing the instrument. Knowing this, many digital piano manufacturers add weighting to the keys of their instruments that simulates, to some degree, the response of a string-and-hammer mechanism.

My advice to you:

If your goal with the keyboard is learning to play piano, you should invest in an instrument with graded hammer action, or at least weighted keys. This will ensure the technique you learn can be seamlessly applied to an upright or grand piano.

If you learn to play on a digital piano without weighted keys, you’ll find the transition to an acoustic keyboard rather jarring, especially in the low end.

This consideration is less important for composers and arrangers, or those primarily using the keyboard as a MIDI controller.

Here’s where it gets good:

Digital pianos offer you some key options that make them even better and more versatile than acoustic pianos.

Most digital pianos will give you some control over the sensitivity and action of the keys, letting you adjust how much they respond to changes in your touch.

As you might expect, the degree of control you get over these settings increases as you move up in price. High-end Yamahas even give you the option of adjusting both the response and the resonance, and use a more sophisticated sensor to make sure it reads the player’s pressure accurately.

Voices

As a piano player, you technically only need one voice.

Indeed, many players will consistently use the same voice every time they sit down at the keyboard, and the primary piano voice on a digital piano is the one companies tend to pay the most attention to when it comes to modeling and sound quality.

The number of voices a piano offers is in no way an indication of quality.

In fact, if you find a keyboard in the budget price range that offers dozens or even hundreds of voices, this is almost certainly a novelty instrument—fine for a kid to play with, but not the best option if you’re serious about music.

Almost all digital pianos will come with at least four or five different voices to give you some sonic variety.

If there are a limited number like this, they’ll usually only be variants of other keyboard instruments—typically a couple piano models, an organ model or two, and a harpsichord setting.

If there are more voice options, you’ll usually find the orchestral strings are the next instruments to be added (violin, viola, cello, and bass).

If you want more voices than that—and you want them to still be at a high sound quality—you’ll want to look at professional stage pianos, like the Yamaha CP4.

These models almost tow the line between a digital piano and a synthesizer, in terms of the variety of voices that are offered. They’ll give you true to life models of various different instruments, including winds, percussion, and a range of string and keyboard voicings.

The key question is what you want to have a lot of voices for, if that’s something that’s on your list.

If you’re a composer, producer, or electronic performer, high sound quality across voices is just as important as how many you get. It will be worth it for you to spend the money on the CP4, which will deliver on both of these counts.

If you’re more of a hobbyist and just want a lot of cool sounds to play around with, something like the RockJam or the Casio CTK-3500 is probably more what you’re looking for.

Recording And Midi Options

One advantage digital pianos have over acoustic pianos is the ability to send their signal directly to a computer or DAW.

Recording an upright or grand piano requires a somewhat complex arrangement of microphones, both inside and around the piano, to capture the full sound.

With a digital piano, you can send the same sound that comes out of the speakers through the line-out, without the intermediary step of a microphone.

Guess what?

An on-board recorder can be a helpful feature for a beginner, too.

Your attention is pulled in a lot of directions when you’re practicing. You’re thinking about your technique, which notes are coming up next, how much pressure to use for the right dynamics— all the little things that go into a good performance.

Being able to record yourself right there on the piano lets you listen to yourself after the fact, which can help you catch small flaws or issues that escaped your attention while you were playing.

Of course, you can still use this practice technique even if you don’t have a recorder on the piano. Most smart phones even have a recording function with a decent audio quality, or you could buy a stand-alone recorder.

In short, you have some options.

It is convenient to have the controls right there on the piano, though. And the ability to overdub tracks is a nice extra feature you won’t have with hand-held recorders.

Many pianos that can record also give you the option to export your recorded tracks as MIDI files.

Is that important to you?

If you want the option to export, look for either a USB or a MIDI I/O hook-up on the features of the piano.

Just as a side note, the ability to export MIDI files isn’t the same thing as being a MIDI controller.

The latter means you can hook up the keyboard to MIDI-enabled devices to trigger effects or sound changes. If that’s what you’re after, your needs will be different, and a digital piano might not actually be your best option.

The Top Digital Pianos: Read Our Full Reviews

THE WINNERS

Set-up And Placement

The digital piano itself will need little in the way of set-up out of the box before you can start playing it.

Sounds great, right?

Just plug in the adapter (or put in the batteries) and hit the power button. In fact, you should take this step before you setup the stand or think about where you want the piano to go.

Once it’s powered on, plunk a few notes, adjust the volume, and take a quick tour through the voices.

If anything seems like it’s not working at any of these steps you can contact the company’s service department and find out how to get it repaired or replaced before you’ve gone through all the effort of getting it set up on its stand.

Not that setting it up is too difficult…

If the piano is going in a home, studio, or other stationary location, you’ll need to figure out exactly where that will be.

Even the larger digital pianos are significantly lighter and more compact than upright models, so finding a place to put them isn’t as much of a hassle.

Having said that, there are still some things you’ll need to keep in mind when you’re deciding where the instrument should go.

The most important thing is to put the piano somewhere it won’t topple.

Digital pianos are very top-heavy, so putting the back flat against a wall is ideal. This should give the instrument enough support without the use of additional bracing hardware.

Just as important is to make sure the floor under the piano is flat and level.

Carpets shouldn’t pose a problem, especially for the heavier models meant for in-home use. You may want to put a thin rug under the piano if you’re putting it in a room with hard floors, to prevent any wear or damage to the floors.

The piano itself isn’t the only thing you should think about when you’re deciding where to put your instrument.

Visualize yourself playing the instrument, too.

Determine where the bench will be, and make sure you won’t feel cramped when you’re playing. If the piano’s in a room that gets a lot of traffic, avoid putting it close to doorways or other places people might be walking by, so you can play uninterrupted without getting jostled.

Also, pay attention to the light sources in the room.

If the light’s too bright, it might be tricky to read the piano’s LCD display screen; too dim, and you’ll have a hard time reading sheet music.

But that’s just part of the story…

The physical positioning of the piano in your home is the most important step, and you theoretically could jump right into playing once the instrument is plugged in and on its stand, but there are a couple other things you’ll want to check to give yourself the best playing experience.

First off, you want to check to make sure the bench and piano are set to the right height.

Sit down on the bench and rest your hands on the keyboard.

Your wrists should be flat, with your arms straight and parallel to the ground. If they’re not, you’ll need to make some adjustments.

You can usually change the height on either the piano stand or the bench. The bench will be easier to adjust, and should be used for fine-tuning the positioning.

If the piano is drastically out of position, though, you’ll need to make your adjustments on the stand itself.

Do this:

Always remove the piano from the stand before making adjustments, even small ones, to prevent accidents or damage to the instrument.

Tip

There are a few different styles of stands out there, from a simple cross-brace design to the semi-enclosed wooden bases you’ll find on the high-end Yamahas above.

Generally, the more permanent the stand is designed to be, the fewer adjustments you’ll be able to make, and the more you’ll need to rely on adjustments in the bench.

If a wide height adjustment range is something you need—for players who like to switch between sitting and standing, or if it will be used by both kids and adults—a piano with a simpler stand design may be a better option.

After you’ve made your adjustments, sit back down at the bench and test it out.

Your feet should be planted comfortably flat on the ground.

If your piano came with expression pedals, you should be able to reach them easily, without straining.

Also, make sure you’re able to see and access all the controls on the interface above the keyboard, and that you’re able to easily see your music stand if you’ll be using one.

This pre-checking might all seem kind of tedious, but it will help prevent a lot of frustration down the line—and can even prevent injury.

Having your hands or arms at an angle while you’re playing can lead to shoulder, elbow, and wrist strain.

Because your muscles will be tense, or will need to make more of an effort to strike the keys, you’ll tire out more quickly and may even feel sore afterwards.

Especially if you’re a beginner, it’s important to make sure you’re positioned correctly from the start to ensure long-term playing success.

So What’s The Best Digital Piano?

You’ve probably gotten this feel by now, but this is a very subjective decision.

It comes to questions like how you intend to use the instrument, whether portability is a factor, how many voices or effects you need, and whether you want to take advantage of features like recording or layering.

We’ve talked a little bit here about which of these factors are likely to be important to which kinds of users. Figuring out the answers to those questions for yourself is really the trick to getting the most out of your instrument.

For many players, though, the absolute highest sound quality isn’t a necessity. If you’re just starting out, something like the Yamaha Arius–the product we rank as Best of the best– might feel like overkill.

You can get a durable and highly playable instrument for far less money if you decide to go with a beginner or intermediate model. In that case, we suggest you check out the piano that earned the title of Best for the money…

Yamaha YDP184R Arius Series Console Digital Piano with Bench
Best of the best

Yamaha YDP184R

All good musicians know a digital piano is an investment in their future. Read our in-depth guide and reviews to find the best digital piano.

Yamaha CP4 Stage Piano
Most Buying

Yamaha CP4 Stage Piano

All good musicians know a digital piano is an investment in their future. Read our in-depth guide and reviews to find the best digital piano.

Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano
Best for the money

Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano

All good musicians know a digital piano is an investment in their future. Read our in-depth guide and reviews to find the best digital piano.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Will I need to buy any accessories for my piano?

That depends on which model you buy. Many of the pianos on the list above come with everything you need to start playing right away. There are a few things you’ll need to use your piano beyond the instrument itself, so if they don’t come with the instrument, you will need to buy them.

The main thing you’ll need is a power source. Check the manual for your particular instrument to figure out what capacity and format requirements your instrument has. Most digital pianos can only be powered using a wall outlet. Even for the ones that offer a battery option, having a power adapter is a good idea to keep you from tearing through batteries every time you practice.

In a pinch, you can lay a keyboard on any flat surface to play it, but you definitely want to have a stand and stool on-hand if you’re in any way serious about playing the instrument. It not only helps while you’re playing but gives you somewhere to keep the keyboard when it’s not in use so it won’t get damaged. You can find a reliable, heavy-duty stand and there are cheaper options out there, too, if you’re on a budget.

Finally, you should buy a piano stool if one didn’t come with your instrument. Again, you can use a standard chair in a pinch, but a stool designed for piano will be better. It’s adjustable, first of all, so you can make sure you’re playing at the right height, and it also allows for full, comfortable range of motion. Stools are even cheaper than stands—you can get a simple Yamaha bench —and they’re well-worth the investment.

What is the difference between voices and effects?

Both of these categories are options for changing your sound. The key difference between them is that voices are emulations of the sound and tone of a different instrument, while effects are different colors or textures you can add on top of these voices. The options for voices will typically be a type of instrument, either a broad category like harpsichord or violin or a specific model of keyboard. Effects, on the other hand, will be named for the change they make to that tone

How can I use other effects pedals? Can I use the same pedals as a guitarist?

The answer is a conditional yes, though it depends on the piano and the effect. Some effects are versatile across instrument types, while others are specifically targeted to the tone of the guitar and won’t adapt well. Things like looper pedals and delay pedals that don’t add much color to the signal tend to work beautifully with piano. Dummies.com has a great guide that explains how effects alter the piano’s sound, if you want to dig deeper into the topic.

The effects pedals we’re talking about here are not the same thing as the sustain, damper, and sostenuto pedals that sit below the piano. They serve a similar function of altering your sound, but they affect your signal in different ways. That’s not where you want to attach external effect pedals. If your piano has a line out for sending the signal to an amplifier or speaker, you can use effects pedals as part of your set-up. Simply plug them into the signal chain the way you would from a guitar.

THE TEAM

We made this review
Cecil P. Lindenberg

He works as a DJ at night. The main work on a music label. He plays the guitar and a real music lover.

DJ Cecil P. Lindenberg
Jessica Simms Writer Jessica Simms
Tiffany Mueller Editorial Director Tiffany Mueller
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