flowkey vs Skoove

flowkey and Skoove both come from Berlin and both date from 2014^1,2, and they’re often weighed against each other. They overlap a lot: real notation, feedback by microphone or MIDI, songs from classical to pop. What separates them is whether you want to choose songs or follow lessons, and which screen you practise on.

flowkey’s prices are US examples and vary by country; Skoove lists the same numbers in euros and US dollars. Scroll sideways on a phone.

Songs or lessons

flowkey puts the song first: pick one from thousands in four levels, watch a pianist’s hands beside the sheet music, and learn it with the wait mode, loops and one hand at a time^6,13. It has courses for the basics too⁶.

Skoove puts the lesson first: short interactive lessons in which note reading, theory and technique are part of the course, with songs and video tutorials along the way and the full staff score at the end of almost every lesson^5,7.

Where flowkey is stronger

• Runs in the browser on computers as well as phones and tablets; Skoove has retired its web version^10,12.
• Video of a pianist’s hands for every song¹³.
• A lower-priced Classic plan for the courses and classical pieces³.

Where Skoove is stronger

• A structured lesson path with reading, theory and technique⁵.
• Instructor support on Premium⁵.
• A free tier with no card needed⁴.

Which to choose

Choose flowkey if you know which songs you want to play, like learning from video, or practise at a computer.

Choose Skoove if you want lessons that build skills in order, with someone to ask, and you’ll practise with a phone or tablet.

If reading new music is the goal

Both teach reading through their own material. If you want to read music you’ve never seen, which is sight reading, you’ll need fresh material as well. Our round-up of sight-reading apps covers the options, and our free sight-reading exercises are a free place to start.