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Virtual pianos compared

A virtual piano is a program that plays piano: from your MIDI keyboard, or from the notes in your music program. There are a great many. This page puts 27 of them side by side with PianoFlex: the ones most often named in recent lists of the best, and the modeled ones.

Sampled and modeled

  • Sampled pianos play recordings of a real piano, each key recorded at many strengths. The recordings take room: from a few gigabytes to hundreds. Many of them play inside a separate program, most often Native Instruments' Kontakt Player.
  • Modeled pianos compute the sound as you play, from a model of the hammers, strings and soundboard. There are no recordings to download, so they're small.
  • Hybrid pianos use some of each, and their makers say so.

Which one sounds best to you is for your ears, and every maker has demos on its own site. This page compares what can be checked: the price, the size, what else you need, where it runs, and the demo.

The pianos

Checked on 4 November 2026, on each maker's own pages. Prices are list prices in US dollars; sales come and go. "Not stated" means we didn't find it on the maker's pages. VST3 and VST plugins work in most music programs on Windows; AU is for Mac only, and AAX for Pro Tools. A piano that plays inside Kontakt Player has the forms Kontakt Player has. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

PianoMakerKindPriceDownload or diskNeeds another programStandalone and pluginsRuns onDemo
PianoFlexFlex Music LabsModeled$7916.6 MB downloadNothing elseStandalone, VST3Windows 10 and 11, 64-bitFree, never expires; eight keys silent; no song videos
KeyscapeSpectrasonicsSampled$39980 GB (Lite: 30 GB)Nothing elseStandalone, VST3, VST2, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
Pianoteq 9ModarttModeled$139 to $399About 50 MBNothing elseStandalone, VST3, AU, AAX, LV2Windows, Mac, Linux, iOSFree; eight notes silent
NoireNative InstrumentsSampled$14916 GBKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
CFX Concert GrandGarritanSampled$199.95133 GB (compact: 24.5 GB)ARIA Player (included)Standalone, VST, AU, AAXWindows, MacStops after 5 minutes until activated
Addictive KeysXLN AudioSampled$99 a pianoNot statedNothing elseStandalone, VST, AU, AAXWindows, Mac10 days, one piano
Ivory 3SynthogySampled$249 to $279 a grand38 to 42 GBNothing elseStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNot stated
Hans Zimmer PianoSpitfire AudioSampled$399211 GBKontakt PlayerInside Kontakt Player (standalone or plugin)Windows, MacNot stated
Piano VArturiaModeled$199196 MB downloadNothing elseStandalone, VST, AU, AAXWindows, Mac20 minutes a session; no saving
Alicia's KeysNative InstrumentsSampled$996.9 GBKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
Una CordaNative InstrumentsSampled$14910 GBKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
The GentlemanNative InstrumentsSampled$993.65 GBKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
The GiantNative InstrumentsSampled$993.9 GBKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
The GrandeurNative InstrumentsSampled$995.26 GBKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
EZkeys 2ToontrackSampled$1795 GBNothing elseStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNot clear on the maker's pages
PianosEastWestSampledNot shown; in the ComposerCloud+ subscriptionAbout 60 GB a pianoEastWest's OpusStandalone, VST3, VST2, AU, AAXWindows, MacNot stated
Key SuiteUVISampled$29951 GBUVI Workstation (free) or FalconStandalone, VST3, VST, AU, AAXWindows, MacNot stated
Synchron PianosVienna Symphonic LibrarySampledFrom €139 a pianoAbout 10 to 76 GB a piano, by editionNothing else (its own player)Standalone, VST, AU, AAXWindows, Mac30 days, one piano
Ravel Grand PianoUniversal AudioHybrid$149Not statedNothing else (no UA hardware)Not statedWindows, MacNot stated
Pianoverse MAXIK MultimediaSampled$299.99Not statedNothing else (its own engine)Standalone and plugin (formats not stated)Windows, MacNot stated
Hammersmith ProSoniccoutureSampled$24952 GBKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacA free cut-down edition
Intimate Grand PianoSpitfire AudioSampled$29Not statedSplice INSTRUMENTStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNot stated
Felt PianoSpitfire AudioSampled$29About 3 GBSplice INSTRUMENTStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNot stated
LekkoFelt InstrumentsSampled$69Not statedNothing elseVST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacFree, with the sound muted now and then
Walker 1955 Concert DEmbertoneSampled$39 to $174 by editionNot statedKontakt PlayerStandalone, VST3, AU, AAXWindows, MacNone
Concert GrandProduction VoicesSampledFrom $329 (Full)77 to 576 GB by editionKontakt (the full, paid one)Standalone, VST3, AU, AAXNot statedNone
TruePianos4FrontHybrid$69.99 on sale; list price not shown115 MB download (Windows)Nothing elseStandalone, VST, AU, AAXWindows, Mac40 days, one piano
Neo PianoSound MagicHybrid$4994 GBNothing elseVST; AU on MacWindows, MacNot stated

Side by side with PianoFlex

The most-named pianos each have a page of their own: what they share with PianoFlex, where each one stands out, and which to pick for what you do.

About these facts

Every fact comes from the maker's own pages, never from reviews or shops, and the list of sources is below. Prices and versions change, so check the maker's site before you buy. If something here is out of date, write to [email protected] and we'll correct it.

More: all about PianoFlex, PianoFlex's size and memory, and all the Learn guides.

Sources