The best ABRSM practice apps for piano
Reviewer disclosure
We make MasterPiano, one of the apps on this page, so read it with that in mind. We list where other apps beat us and the cons of our own app. See how we write comparisons and tell us if anything is wrong.
An ABRSM piano exam has four parts: three pieces, scales and arpeggios, sight reading and aural tests. No single app covers all four well. ABRSM's own apps are best for the pieces, scales and aural. Sight reading needs a lot of daily practice on music you have not seen, which is where other apps help.
What each grade asks for in the reading test: ABRSM sight reading, Grades 1 to 8. Free graded pieces: sheet music by grade.
The short answer
For pieces, scales and aural, use ABRSM's own apps: Piano Practice Partner, Piano Scales Trainer and Aural Trainer. For sight reading, the part most students lose marks on, use an app that checks what you play every day: MasterPiano scores notes and rhythm and tracks your level through Grade 8, and Sight Reading Factory gives unlimited exercises at your grade without feedback.
Which app fits your level
Grades follow ABRSM and Trinity. Prices are list prices seen in October 2026 and change often, so check the store before you buy.
| App | BeginnerFirst notes to Grade 1 | Early intermediateGrades 2 to 4 | IntermediateGrades 5 to 6 | AdvancedGrades 7 to 8, diploma, conservatory | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MasterPiano | Good | Strong | Strong | Good | From $8.33/mo (billed yearly) |
| Sight Reading Factory | Good | Strong | Strong | Good | About $35 to $45/year |
| Piano Marvel | Good | Strong | Strong | Good | About $18/month or $110 to $130/year |
| Flowkey | Strong | Good | Limited | Not for this | About $20/month or $120/year |
ABRSM's own piano apps
ABRSM Piano Practice Partner
Accompaniments and recordings for the exam pieces, Initial Grade to Grade 8. Free app, pieces bought in the app.
ABRSM Piano Scales Trainer
Scales and arpeggios for Grades 1 to 5. About $5.
ABRSM Aural Trainer
Aural tests, in Grades 1 to 5 and 6 to 8 editions. About $8 each.
ABRSM Music Theory Trainer
Theory exam questions. About $5.
ABRSM Sight-Reading Trainer
Short reading exercises by grade. Paid, check the store.
Prices from the App Store, October 2026. Check that the app matches your syllabus year.
Each app, tested
MasterPiano
Best for daily scored sight reading at your grade, with ABRSM list pieces marked.
- Price:
- From $8.33/mo (billed yearly)
- Free:
- 10 minutes of scored practice a day, free sheet music library
- Listens with:
- MIDI keyboard or microphone
- Reading:
- Real staff notation only
- Platforms:
- iOS, Android, Web
Good
- + 6,500+ real pieces graded into 100 levels, plus generated sight-reading
- + Scores every note and rhythm in real time over MIDI
- + Scales, arpeggios and chords as a structured technique track
- + Pieces on ABRSM exam lists are marked by grade
Not so good
- − No video lessons: it is a practice tool, not a teacher
- − Microphone scoring is weaker than MIDI on fast chords and pedalled passages
- − Small community and few pop songs next to Flowkey or Simply Piano
- − The first lessons are less playful than Simply Piano for small children
Testing note: Our own app, so we know its gaps best: through the microphone, dense chords and heavy pedal are sometimes scored as missed notes. Over MIDI the scoring holds up on Grade 8 pieces.
For: Players who want to read real sheet music fluently and see measurable progress, from first notes to Grade 8 and beyond.
Skip it if: Complete beginners who want a teacher on video holding their hand, or anyone who only wants to copy pop songs from falling notes.
Sight Reading Factory
Best unlimited exercises at a chosen grade, marked by you.
- Price:
- About $35 to $45/year
- Free:
- A few free exercises
- Listens with:
- None (you check yourself)
- Reading:
- Unlimited generated exercises
- Platforms:
- Web, iOS, Android
Good
- + Endless new exercises by grade
- + Cheap
- + Popular with teachers
Not so good
- − Does not score your playing
- − Exercises can feel mechanical
Testing note: Great supply of material; we had to judge our own mistakes.
For: Exam students and teachers who need endless fresh reading material at a set grade.
Skip it if: Players who want the app to listen and tell them what they got wrong.
Piano Marvel
Best for a teacher setting graded work with a MIDI keyboard.
- Price:
- About $18/month or $110 to $130/year
- Free:
- Free plan with limited songs and scoring
- Listens with:
- MIDI keyboard (microphone in beta)
- Reading:
- Real staff notation
- Platforms:
- iOS, Windows, Mac, Chromebook
Good
- + SASR sight-reading test gives a clear benchmark score
- + Huge library with method books and teacher tools
- + MIDI scoring is accurate and mature
Not so good
- − Interface feels dated and takes time to learn
- − Needs MIDI for reliable scoring
- − Technique content is less structured than its repertoire
Testing note: The SASR test is the best sight-reading benchmark we found in any app. Finding a piece of the right level took longer than in any other app we used.
For: Classical students and teachers who want a method, assessments and a large graded library.
Skip it if: People with only an acoustic piano and no MIDI, or who want a modern, quick interface.
Flowkey
Useful for learning extra pieces, not for exam reading.
- Price:
- About $20/month or $120/year
- Free:
- Eight free songs and the first lessons
- Listens with:
- Microphone or MIDI
- Reading:
- Sheet music synced with a video of real hands
- Platforms:
- iOS, Android, Web
Good
- + Large, well-produced song library across pop, film and classical
- + Video of real hands makes fingering easy to copy
- + Wait mode and loops are excellent for learning one passage
Not so good
- − Wait mode checks notes, not timing, so rhythm can drift
- − Many players learn by watching the hands instead of reading
- − No technique track or exam preparation
Testing note: Wait mode is the best learn-a-song tool we used. It is also easy to end up following the video hands and not the staff.
For: Players who want to learn specific songs by watching real hands, at their own pace.
Skip it if: Players who want feedback on rhythm or a path through graded repertoire.
How we tested
We practised in each app in 2026 with a digital piano over USB MIDI and, where the app supports it, through the microphone. In every app we tried beginner material and the hardest material it offers, and checked whether it caught wrong notes, late notes and missed rhythm. We judged how far each app can take you, not how fun the first day is.
Try MasterPiano free
10 minutes of scored sight-reading a day are free, with no card. Play a piece at your level and see every note you hit or miss.
Start practising freeQuestions
Does ABRSM have an app for piano?
Yes, several: Piano Practice Partner for the exam pieces, Piano Scales Trainer for Grades 1 to 5 scales, Aural Trainer, Music Theory Trainer and a Sight-Reading Trainer. Check the App Store or Google Play for the current syllabus.
What is the best app for ABRSM sight reading?
An app that listens to you and marks notes and rhythm, so you practise daily without a teacher. MasterPiano does this through Grade 8 with MIDI or microphone. Sight Reading Factory generates unlimited exercises at your grade but you mark yourself.
Are MasterPiano levels the same as ABRSM grades?
Not exactly. MasterPiano uses its own 100-level scale and shows the rough ABRSM grade for each piece, and pieces on current ABRSM exam lists are marked with their grade and list. Use them as practice, and the official syllabus for what the exam requires.
Updates to this page
- Oct 22, 2026: First published.