Choosing a digital piano can be confusing, with plenty of jargon to wade through. It’s important to know which models are most suitable for different musician skill levels.
Beginning musicians may not need to spend a large amount of money, particularly if they are unsure whether they will maintain their hobby. Then again, more experienced pianists may be looking for an instrument—possibly an upgrade—with a more premium feel and sound.
Here we take a look at some of the current models which would suit various skill levels and budgets. We’ve provided links where we have more detailed information. It may also be useful to read our buyer’s guide. We also have our 2025 pick of the best keyboards for kids and guide to choosing a child’s keyboard instrument.
Player Level
Absolute Beginners
These instruments are high quality but fairly inexpensive, and make a great introduction to playing the piano if you’re just starting out.
Yamaha P-45 / Yamaha P-145
The P-45 has been around for several years now, and we recommended it in our best digital pianos of 2022. It’s still a solid performer for the beginning musician.
It features Yamaha’s Graded Hammer System weighted keyboard, ten sounds including two grand pianos, 64 note polyphony, a sustain pedal, a few extra features such as voice split/layering, metronome, song recorder, and a suggested price of $599, although they can often be bought far cheaper.
The P-145 is a slightly upgraded version of the P-45, with most of the features being identical.
We’ve compared the P Series digital pianos if you’re interested in seeing the whole range.
Casio CDP-S110
Another keyboard we recommended in 2022 and still as good today, the Casio CDP-S110 has 64 notes of polyphony, fully weighted 88 note keyboard, sustain pedal, voice split/layer, metronome, and a retail price of around $400.
A lot of people seem to overlook Casio when considering a digital piano. We’re not sure why, because they create very affordable, quality instruments with good feel and tone. They are definitely worth looking at.
Roland GO:KEYS / GO:PIANO
Roland has launched several models in its GO:KEYS range of keyboards, designed to be fun and intuitive particularly for musicians just starting out. We have compared all five models — all would make good introductory instruments but for those focusing on piano playing we’d particularly recommend the GO:PIANO 88 or GO:KEYS 5.
As the name suggests, the GO:PIANO 88 features a full range keyboard. It doesn’t have weighted keys, which could be advantageous for younger players, and also makes it lighter to carry around, but does lack the realism of touch many other digital pianos offer. You can read about choosing the key weight of an instrument here.
It has 128 notes of polyphony, four piano sounds, metronome, speakers, a sustain pedal input, and can be powered from battery or mains. It retails for around $400.
Alternatively, the GO:KEYS 5 offers 61 keys (five octaves) plus a number of additional features which may be of interest. This includes over 1000 sounds, 256 notes of polyphony, accompaniments, a chord sequencer, pitch bend, recording and storage, and a built in microphone with vocal effects.
It’s worth pointing out that none of these additional features is required for a good digital piano experience (even the extra polyphony will mainly be used on accompaniments and the like). On the down side, the reduced number of keys may be a hindrance for improving pianists.
We mention it because having additional features can make learning to play more interesting and fun. It retails for around $500.
Alesis Harmony
The Alesis Harmony range includes several keyboards with varying numbers of keys. We would recommend the 61 key Harmony 61 Pro, which despite the name is very budget and beginner friendly, retailing at around $200.
Although it doesn’t sit in Alesis’s digital piano category, it does feature semi-weighted keys (which feel something between organ/synth and fully weighted piano keys). It has 128 notes of polyphony, over 500 voices, accompaniments, a recorder, MIDI, speakers, audio out and in, and powered by batteries or mains.
The only thing it doesn’t have is a sustain pedal, which might prove problematic as your musicianship improves. It’s perfectly possible to play without a sustain pedal but the Harmony may well be considered as a stepping stone to something more advanced.
Alternatively, Alesis’s digital piano range includes the entry-level Recital Pro or full 88-key Recital, both at around $400.
Intermediate Players
When you want to move on to something a little more advanced to keep up with your improving skills, these instruments hit the mark.
Yamaha P-125 / Yamaha P-225
These mid range P Series digital pianos from Yamaha, with the P-225 being a newer version of the P-125 (and P-125a), offer a range of features for the improving pianist.
The P-125 uses Yamaha’s Pure CF sound engine, while the P-225 has the CFX sampling and an entry-level version of Virtual Resonance Modelling. Put simply, both offer an excellent level of acoustic piano realism.
There’s a more than acceptable 192 notes of polyphony, good for demanding passages even with heavy sustained notes. There are 24 sounds on board, including several pianos.
It’s possible to record performances and there’s a sustain pedal with half-pedalling capability. There aren’t any bells and whistles with these models, which are aimed at more serious pianists who don’t need the other functions commonly found on home keyboards.
Pricing is around the thousand dollar mark for the P-125, though expect it to be reduced, with the P-225 coming in at around $700.
Roland FP-30X
One of the mid range in Roland’s FP series of digital pianos (which we’ve compared), the FP-30X comes in at around $800 and offers 88 full size weighted keys, a substantial 256 notes of polyphony, a range of onboard acoustic piano sounds, and a piano designer for configuring various aspects of the sound.
The keyboard uses Roland’s PHA-4 standard with escapement and ivory feel keys. The sound is Roland’s acclaimed SuperNATURAL system. It has a dedicated setting for optimising the sound when the instrument is placed directly on a tabletop.
We’ve compared the Roland FP-30X and Yamaha P-125 here.
Kawai ES 120
Kawai’s ES 120 is a mid-level digital piano retailing at around $950. It features 88 full size touch sensitive keys, 192 notes of polyphony, 25 on board sounds, sustain pedal and compatibility with three pedal system.
Its sound comes from Kawai’s Progressive Harmonic Imaging system, taking samples from the renowned SK-EX, EX, and K-60 Japanese acoustic pianos. The Responsive Hammer Compact II action offers an excellent playing experience.
The ES 120 sits in the middle of Kawai’s ES range and supersedes the ES 110 which was one of our 2022 recommendations.
Casio PX-S3100
Casio’s PX-S3100 comes in at around $900 and offers a fully weighted 88-key keyboard, a whopping 700 voices, 192 notes of polyphony, accompaniments, a recorder and onboard tutorials. It can be powered from AC or batteries, and be used with a single sustain pedal or a triple-pedal unit.
It’s a highly capable instrument which uses an Enhanced Grand Piano tone and improved speaker system, MIDI and Bluetooth Audio.
At the time of manufacture it was also one of the slimmest digital pianos available, meaning it more easily firs into any space.
It’s part of Casio’s renowned Privia range of digital pianos.
Advanced/Professional Pianists
For those who have reached a higher level of musical proficiency and are looking to spend more to get one of the best digital pianos available, here’s our pick.
Nord Stage 4
It may surprise some that we’ve elected for the Nord Stage 4 rather than the Piano 6, given that we’re recommending digital pianos, but both have near identical, excellent piano sounds, stellar keyboard, and two keyboard sizes — 88 and 73 key.
The Stage 4, designed as an instrument which can more easily be taken on the road, has a slightly lighter weighted hammer action than that of the Piano 6. It also has aftertouch, which isn’t required for piano use but may be useful for other sounds, as well as pitch bend and modulation controls.
The Stage 4 has an organ section, while both have synth sections. Both have a dual piano engine for highly realistic and controllable acoustic piano sounds.
You can see our overview of the differences between Nord Piano, Grand, Stage and Electro instruments here.
For 88 key models, the Nord Stage 4 retails at around $5,699 while the Piano 6 comes in at around $3,500.
Roland RD-2000 EX
Roland’s highly regarded and popular RD-2000 has been updated to the RD-2000 EX, launched in 2024 and retailing for around $2,899.
It’s a premium stage piano featuring two independent sound engines and modern controller features. The sound engine is powered by V-Piano modelling technology to offer authentic, rich and detailed tone with virtually unlimited polyphony.
It’s possible to install expansion sounds, the stock model coming with a German Concert and Essential Upright. There’s also the SuperNATURAL sound engine with 128 note polyphony for other sounds.
The PHA-50 keyboard, with weighted hammer action, offers a highly realistic touch and playing experience. Full three-pedal and sustain pedal support.
The RD-88 EX is also a consideration, and we compare the two models here.
Kawai MP11SE
The top-of-the-line in the MP series of digital pianos, which also includes the MP7SE, is the MP11SE, billed as the pianist’s stage piano.
Highlights of this model include a class-leading Grand Feel wooden-key keyboard action, realistic SK-EX, SK-5 and EX acoustic grand piano sounds, sound editing with Virtual Technician, three pedal unit, and sturdy metal chassis construction.
The sound comes from Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging XL system with 256 notes of polyphony. The Virtual Technician allows for setting of a large number of parameters including string resonance, decay time, temperament, key volume and pedal depth.
Retails for around $3,600.
Yamaha AvantGrand N1X
The AvantGrand N1X is a hybrid piano, meaning it’s a combination of an acoustic and digital piano.
Features include two high quality sample sets from the CFX and Bösendorfer pianos, Spatial Acoustic Sampling and four-channel speaker system, and Virtual Resonance Modelling which adds to the realism of the piano sounds.
The keyboard is constructed from wood and is hammer action weighted. There are 15 onboard sounds, 256 notes of polyphony, recording, and onboard storage.
Retails for around $11,000.
We hope you have found this guide useful as you look to purchase a digital piano just right for your needs.
