Pianoforall vs Simply Piano (2026): One-Time Course or Learning App?

Quick verdict

Pick Pianoforall if you want to play songs with chords and by ear for a one-time $49; pick Simply Piano if you want a phone or tablet app that checks every note and turns practice into short, game-style levels. Over two years, Pianoforall costs roughly a fifth of Simply Piano's yearly plan, but Simply Piano gives instant feedback that Pianoforall does not.

This comparison is research-based. Nook21 has not bought or used either product. Pianoforall's facts come from the vendor's pages and the checkout page. Simply Piano's come from its US App Store listing, its website and its help center. Everything was checked on October 13, 2026. Simply Piano's prices change by offer, store and country, so check the price inside the app before you pay.

Choose Pianoforall if…

• You want to accompany singing or play pop, blues and ballads with chords.
• You would rather pay $49 once than keep a subscription running.
• You want lessons on a laptop, tablet or printed paper, including offline.
• You are fine practicing without anything checking your notes.
• You want to improvise and work out songs by ear, not only follow notes.

Choose Simply Piano if…

• You want the app to tell you, note by note, whether you played it right.
• You like short daily sessions that feel like a game, on your phone or tablet.
• You want to learn specific songs, from classical pieces to chart hits and Disney songs.
• You want to see notes on screen from your first lesson.
• You are happy to pay a subscription and cancel when you're done.

Feedback: an app that listens vs a course that trusts you

Simply Piano listens to your playing; Pianoforall does not. For a complete beginner who can't yet hear a wrong note, that is Simply Piano's biggest advantage.

Simply Piano, made by Simply Ltd (formerly JoyTunes), hears what you play "on any piano or keyboard", according to its website. It uses your phone or tablet microphone with an acoustic piano or keyboard, or a USB or MIDI cable with a digital piano, according to its help center. You play along to notes on screen, the app waits or scores you, and it adds a backing track so even simple melodies sound full.

Pianoforall has no note detection and no live teacher. It is 10 ebooks with video and audio built into the pages: you watch Robin Hall play a pattern, then copy it. That means you have to judge your own playing. Recording yourself on your phone once a week is a simple way to fill that gap.

Teaching style: by-ear chords vs on-screen notes

Pianoforall teaches chord patterns you can reuse in any song; Simply Piano teaches you to play what the screen shows. That difference decides most of what follows.

Pianoforall, sold online since 2006 according to the vendor, starts with chords in both hands and rhythm patterns. It then moves through blues and rock'n'roll, chord inversions, ballads and improvisation, jazz, and finally classical pieces with sight-reading. The aim is to understand how songs are built so you can play new ones from a chord chart or by ear. If you want a taste of that approach, our guide to the first three piano chords starts with the same C, F and G shapes.

Simply Piano is built from short levels. Each one introduces a few notes or a hand position, then has you play a song with the app listening. It also offers sheet music, warm-ups and personalized exercises, and third-party reviews mention separate chord courses. The route is guided and clear, but it is mostly about reading and following notes, not about working songs out yourself.

Neither style is "right". If you want to sit down and play without a page in front of you, Pianoforall fits better. If you want structure and a clear next step every day, Simply Piano does that well.

Cost over one and two years

Pianoforall costs $49 once; Simply Piano's 12-month Premium plan was listed at $119.99 to $149.99 on the US App Store. The table uses prices checked on October 13, 2026 and assumes you keep learning for the whole period.

Plan	1 year	2 years
Pianoforall (one-time)	$49	$49
Pianoforall + optional Classics By Ear add-on	$98	$98
Simply Piano, 12 months Premium at $119.99	$119.99	$239.98
Simply Piano, 12 months Premium at $149.99	$149.99	$299.98
Simply Piano, 3 months Premium at $74.99, renewed	$299.96	$599.92

A few caveats. The App Store also listed a $95.99 discounted 12-month offer and plans labeled $24.95 and $19.99 without a clear billing period, and Android prices could not be confirmed. So treat Simply Piano's price as varies by plan and store; check the app. We found no lifetime plan, so access ends when the subscription stops. Pianoforall's ebooks stay on your device once downloaded.

Devices: phone and tablet vs any screen or paper

Simply Piano lives on phones and tablets; Pianoforall runs on computers, tablets and paper. If you want to learn from a laptop on your piano, that matters.

Simply Piano is available for iPhone and iPad (iOS 15 or later), Android, Chromebook, Apple Vision Pro and Android XR. We found no Windows or Mac desktop app. A phone screen on a music stand can be small, so many adults use a tablet instead.

Pianoforall's ebooks open in the free Kotobee Reader on Windows and Android, and in Apple Books on Mac, iPhone and iPad. They work offline and can be printed. The vendor also runs a newer online player at academy.pianoforall.com. Neither product needs an expensive instrument; any keyboard with full-size keys works for both.

Song library vs styles

Simply Piano gives you a growing library of specific songs; Pianoforall gives you styles you then apply to songs you choose. One is easier to start, the other leaves you more independent later.

Simply Piano's songs range "from classical pieces to chart topping hits, plus all your favorite Disney songs", according to its website, and its App Store listing says new songs and courses are added monthly. You can slow songs down and play along with the backing.

Pianoforall does not license a library of current hits. Each book teaches a style, such as party rhythm, blues, ballads, jazz or classical, with examples and exercises. Once you know the patterns, you play along with chord charts you find yourself. That is less hand-holding at the start but works with almost any song.

What each one is weak at

Pianoforall's weak spots are presentation and feedback; Simply Piano's are long-term cost, price clarity and independence from the screen.

Reviewers often describe Pianoforall's videos and ebook design as dated, and sight-reading comes late in the course. Nothing tells you when a chord or rhythm is off. The vendor says it has taught 500,000+ students and has 30,000+ five-star reviews; these are the vendor's own claims, which we could not verify.

Simply Piano's prices are A/B tested and hard to compare, the subscription renews automatically, and some third-party reviews mention billing complaints. Learning by following notes on a screen also does not, by itself, teach you to play from a chord chart or improvise. Its US App Store listing showed a 4.7 rating from about 857,000 ratings on October 13, 2026, so many users clearly like the experience.

How to try both cheaply

You can test both for little or nothing: Simply Piano with its free courses and 7-day trial, Pianoforall with a free Test Drive and a 60-day refund.

	Pianoforall	Simply Piano
Free start	Academy Test Drive: 7 short videos and 1 lesson, no card	Two free courses before upgrading
Trial	None beyond the Test Drive	7 days on annual plans with a trial badge
Refund	60 days via the vendor or the retailer (clkbank.com)	Apple handles App Store refunds; card, PayPal and Google Play: full refund within 30 days
Watch out for	Optional $49 add-on offer after purchase	Cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends; deleting the app does not cancel

A fair test: do the free Simply Piano courses and the Pianoforall Test Drive in the same week. Notice which one makes you want to sit down again tomorrow. If you then pay for either, practice in short sessions most days and decide well before the refund or trial window closes.

For more options, see our best online piano courses for adults and our Pianoforall vs Flowkey comparison. The full Pianoforall review covers the add-on, devices and what buyers say. You can read about Simply Piano on its own site, hellosimply.com.