7 Best Casio Keyboards of 2024

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Are your musical aspirations hindered by subpar keyboards? Unlock your full melodic potential with the ultimate solution—the finest Casio Keyboards. Whether you're a novice seeking the right notes or a seasoned pro craving advanced features, these keyboards are your gateway to harmonious creativity.

The tricky thing is there are loads of models out there—so it can be hard to know which is the best Casio keyboard for you! In this comprehensive guide, we'll lead you through a symphony of insights, helping you to discover which is the right Casio keyboard for you!

One of my top recommendations is the Casio CDP-S360, which gives you the feel of a real piano but with the flexibility and range of digital technology. It has a huge bank of sounds and rhythms, which means you can jam endlessly and find instant inspiration.

Or, you could look at the Casio CT-X700, which is a fantastic budget arranger keyboard that offers a wide range of sounds in a small and affordable package.

Keep reading to see the full lineup!

Best Casio Keyboards

Let's get into the reviews! Make sure you check out the buyer's guide in the second half of this article to bring some clarity to your choice!

1. Budget Arranger – Casio Casiotone CT-S200

SPECS

• Type: Portable arranger keyboard
• Keys: 61 piano style
• Connections: Headphone jack, aux in, USB, 1/4" audio out
• Speakers: Yes
• Voices: 400 tones, 77 rhythms, 10 reverbs

The Casio CT-S200 is one of the most affordable beginner keyboards on the Casio lineup and offers a huge range of versatility at an attractive price.

This is an ideal choice of musical instrument for arrangers and music producers on the move. If you're looking at portable pianos that can create a wide range of tones and have a bunch of additional effects, beats, and options, this is a fantastic choice.

The sound engine is pretty decent, too, and offers over 400 tones, all of which have a usable quality.

Another handy feature is the fact that it can work as a MIDI controller thanks to the USB connection—just plug it into your PC, and you can use it to control your production software. If you need a more versatile controller, we reviewed the best MIDI keyboards in detail.

It's also worth noting that this comes with some lesson functions and even features a useful carrying handle!

2. Mid-Range Arranger – Casio CT-X700

SPECS

• Type: Portable arranger
• Keys: 61
• Connections: Headphone jack, USB, aux-in, 1/4" audio out, sustain pedal
• Speakers: Yes
• Voices: 600 tones, 195 rhythms, digital effects

The Casio CT-X700 is a step up in flexibility and diversity compared to the CT-S200. While it has a larger footprint, it also packs in a whole load of extra sounds and beats. The speakers are also a bit larger, giving you higher audio quality and better bass.

This arranger keyboard is another fantastic choice for musicians and music producers who want a nice little keyboard that offers a wide range of sounds—at an affordable price.

Sure, the feel and quality aren't as high as more expensive models, but it offers great value for money and is still a great-sounding instrument, given the low cost.

As far as electronic musical instruments go, the X700 can cover a lot of ground and has voices that can be used in basically any genre of music, from classical to EDM! It even has a couple of drum settings for making beats and comes with a range of backing tracks to jam along to!

3. Affordable Digital Piano – Casio CT-S1 61-key

SPECS

• Type: Portable Digital Piano
• Keys: 61
• Connections: USB port, headphones, aux in, audio out, sustain pedal
• Speakers: Yes
• Voices: 61 sounds

Moving away from the arranger keyboards and into digital pianos, we have the CT-S1, which is Casio's affordable offering for piano players. This is designed to be a portable and affordable digital piano, which focuses more on a traditional acoustic piano feel and sound.

The 61 voices cover some fantastic piano sounds, from old wonky uprights to lush grand piano tones. The combination of built-in speakers and the ability to power it with batteries means you can really play this anywhere!

It has all the connections you need, and it can be used as a MIDI controller. One of the nice features is the one-touch recording button, letting you capture ideas the moment inspiration arrives!

This is one of the best choices if you are looking for an affordable and portable digital piano for expressive and dynamic performances. Given the low price, the touch-sensitive keys feel great! Or get the keyboard in black! Casio CT-S1 61-key Portable Keyboard - Black

4. Decent Arranger – Casio Casiotone CT-S500

SPECS

• Type: Arranger keyboard
• Keys: 61
• Connections: USB, Headphones, Audio, Aux
• Speakers: Yes
• Voices: 800 tones

The CT-S500 is another excellent portable arranger keyboard that offers a wide range of sounds, fluid controls, and flexible functionality.

A notable feature is a built-in sampler, so you can create your own key and drum sounds by capturing audio through the aux input and turning it into a playable patch!

5. Quality Compact Digital Piano – Casio CDP-S360

SPECS

• Type: Digital Piano
• Keys: 88
• Connections: Headphones, USB, sustain, aux in, audio out
• Speakers: Yes
• Voices: 700 tones

As far as compact digital pianos go, this is an excellent model. In this price range, you start to see a large improvement in the feel and response of the keys, offering a more natural and realistic playing experience.

Not only does this feel like a real piano, but it helps you to perform in a more expressive and dynamic manner thanks to the sensitivity of the keys.

This digital piano has a range of other features that you would normally expect to see in an arranger keyboard rather than a digital piano, which adds to the versatility of the keyboard. It comes with a huge load of voices, built-in effects, beats, a recording option, and even interactive lessons!

6. Deluxe Digital Piano – Casio Privia PX-S3100

SPECS

• Type: Digital Piano
• Keys: 88
• Connections: Headphones, USB, sustain, aux in, audio out
• Speakers: Yes
• Voices: 700 tones, 200 rhythms

The next digital piano in the Casio Privia range is the PX-S3100, which is a full-sized 88-key unit. This has a slightly more refined feeling than the model above and also comes with an expanded array of sounds and features. If you're aiming at 88 keys, check out our roundup of the best 88-Key weighted keyboards.

It comes close to the sound and feel of a real grand piano and is suitable for experienced and even professional pianists.

Despite being relatively light, the keys have the full weight and feeling you would expect from a real piano.

7. Pro Piano – Casio PX-S7000 Digital Piano

SPECS

• Type: Digital Piano
• Keys: 88
• Connections: USB, headphones, Mic In, Aux In, Stereo Audio Out, External Sustain, Expression
• Speakers: 4-speaker Spatial Sound System
• Voices: 400

Now, we are looking at the true cream of the crop of digital pianos! This digital piano comes as close to the real thing as you can get! The level of attention to detail in terms of tonal and acoustic simulation is extremely high, and the playing response is fantastic.

This truly has the versatility, expression, sound, and feeling of a high-end acoustic piano. It features an acoustic and intelligent resonator simulation, which recreates the exact way an acoustic piano works for the most natural tone and playing response.

While the price is high, it's definitely justifiable if you are a professional pianist and need a truly unbeatable digital piano for practice, studio work, or the main stage.

It has built-in recording functions to record both audio and MIDI formats, so you can easily transfer your ideas across to the PC. It even features a Bluetooth connection.

The speakers are incredible, too, and it uses four individual cones to create a fully spatialized sound. It comes with over 400 gorgeous voices that have superior sound quality.

This is easily one of the best digital pianos on the market, not only in the Casio lineup but across all brands. If you have the cash, this is a serious instrument that will last the rest of your life!

Essential Accessory! Casio SP-20 Piano-style Sustain Pedal

Sustain pedals are a key ingredient to achieving a realistic feel and sound in piano playing. Plugging one of these into your keyboard opens up a range of expression and performance techniques that are core to any virtuoso piano playing!

This sustain pedal beats any other in the same price range and has a fantastic feeling. Not feeling this one? Check out our guide to the best sustain pedals.

Best Casio Keyboards Buyer's Guide

When buying a Casio keyboard, there are several factors to consider to ensure you choose the right model that suits your needs and preferences. Because this purchase might be a fairly significant investment, make sure you put the research time in so you find the exact model that you need.

Here's a comprehensive Casio keyboard buyer's guide to help you make an informed decision:

Keyboard Type

There are three main types of Casio keyboards to choose from, each having slightly varying functional and performance characteristics. The features are suited to different use cases, so make sure you pick the type that suits your needs the most.

Digital Piano: If you're primarily interested in piano playing and want a realistic piano-like feel, consider Casio digital pianos. Look for weighted or hammer-action keys for authentic touch—weighted keys give a very true-to-life feeling.

These replicate the size, feel, and performance of an acoustic piano, although use digital chips to create the sound. These are typically more simplistic than the other two types, although tend to achieve the most realistic piano sound quality.

Arranger Keyboard: For versatile music production and performance, arranger keyboards offer a wide range of sounds, styles, and features like accompaniment.

These are more complex than digital pianos and include more options for creating fully layered instrumental performances. You will need a bit more knowledge of music tech to get the most out of these, and

Synthesizer: If you're into sound design, electronic music production, or want to experiment with different tones and effects, a synthesizer might be ideal. These might be the most complicated of the three and will require knowledge of synthesis principles to be used effectively.

These tend not to be 'plug-and-play' and often, you will need to know how to create patches from scratch. That said, these can have the style of sound that musicians are looking for and offer more versatility and a more satisfying analog sound than the other two types.

Key Count and Key Size

One of the other most important considerations to make is the key count and key size of the keyboard. You can find a wide range of both of these factors.

For example, you can find keyboards with as little as 12 keys or as many as 97 or more. Ultimately, the choice here depends on how you plan on using the keyboard.

If you plan on using it for full-blown piano performances, then higher key counts are essential. However, if you are looking for something more portable or only doing basic performances, then you can go for a smaller key count.

12 key keyboards are only really good for digital production and sound design, where you don't need to play multiple keys and octaves at once.

Full-size keys are standard for most pianos. If you're used to or aspire to play on an acoustic piano, full-size keys are essential. Some models offer smaller keys or mini-keys, which can be more portable but might not provide the same playing experience.

Smaller keyboards tend to use smaller keys, which can be fiddly but do offer more portability (and are better for smaller hands).

Sound Quality and Voices

Sound quality is also a massive factor to consider when choosing your keys, and you can find quite a large range in quality. The choice here depends on what kind of sound you need to play with. Casio keyboards offer a variety of instrument sounds, from pianos and strings to synths and drums.

Digital pianos tend to be fairly limited in range—typically revolving around simulating acoustic pianos, although they usually offer the highest and most realistic quality, with a wide dynamic in their level of expression.

Arrange keyboards tend to offer a wide range of sounds, including strings, brass, choirs, even percussion, and more, although the quality can be a little 'cheap' sounding at times, depending on how expensive the keyboard is—although there are some fantastic sounding models out there, they just tend to be a bit more expensive.

Synths tend to be more specialized in their sound quality and voicing, coming in a range of styles to suit different needs. Synthesizers let you really get deep with the customization and creation of patches, providing essentially an infinite range of sounds, although they typically sound more electronic than acoustic—which isn't suitable for everyone.

Check if the keyboard offers a range and quality of sound that suits your needs as a performer or creator.

Polyphony

Polyphony refers to the number of notes a keyboard can play simultaneously.

Higher polyphony is better for complex pieces and layering sounds and is essential for more advanced performance. Some synths only work monophonically, although these tend to be focused on maximizing a unique analog tone. Generally, aim for the highest polyphony possible.

Touch Sensitivity and Velocity

Every keyboard has a slightly unique and varying feel based on the weighting and sensitivity of the keys. Look for keyboards with touch-sensitive keys, which respond to the strength of your playing for dynamic expression—although these tend to be a bit more expensive.

Velocity sensitivity is crucial for accurately reproducing the nuances of piano playing and is a core component in facilitating virtuoso performance.

Connectivity

A vital consideration is the connectivity options of the keyboard. You want to make sure it's compatible with the rest of your setup and has connections that meet the level of professionalism you intend on using it in.

Check for USB ports, MIDI connectivity, audio outputs to a keyboard amp, and headphone jacks. You should have an idea of which ones you need, but make sure to take this into account.

USB connectivity allows you to connect to a computer for music production and recording, which is essential for some users. For studio work, we recommend getting one of the best keyboards for music production.

For a more realistic sound, you'll want to choose a keyboard that has stereo audio outputs, letting you create a wider sound spread individually across the left and right channels.

Speakers

Many Casio keyboards come with built-in speakers. While their quality won't compete with full-sized speakers, they can be a useful feature on a portable keyboard. Pretty much all Casio portable keyboards come with a built-in speaker, but the synths and digital pianos aren't always fitted with them.

These can be handy for some users but are pointless in some situations if you have access to better speakers.

Built-In Learning Features

Some Casio keyboards come with built-in lessons, tutorials, and learning modes that can be helpful for beginners. These are probably no good if you're already an experienced player, but if you are buying for your child or are looking to learn piano, these can be some nice features to have.

Size and Portability

Consider the size and weight of the keyboard, especially if you plan to transport it frequently.

You can find Casio keyboards in a wide range of weights, shapes, and sizes. Typically, larger, heavier keyboards have a better feeling, although aren't as easy to transport.

Portable keyboards are easy to transport, although tend to make compromises on feel quality and weighted keys. That said, you can find excellent feeling models in any size; just don't expect it to come cheap!

Accessories

Check if the keyboard comes with a stand, sustain pedal, power adapter, and any other necessary accessories. These are all pretty much essential for most keyboards, and getting them in a bundle usually saves money over buying them individually.

Budget

Set a budget range before you start shopping. Casio offers keyboards at various price points, so you can find one that fits any budget.

Try Before You Buy

If possible, try out the keyboard in person before making a purchase. This allows you to assess the feel of the keys, the sound quality, and the overall user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which Casio keyboard is best?

The best Casio keyboard is different for everybody—because they all work in a unique way, some are more suitable in certain situations than others. It ultimately depends on the use case and what your preferences are as a keyboard player.

Some people will prefer arranger keyboards, while others will prefer a pure digital piano; you might even have a soft spot for synthesizers! Check out the buyer's guide in this article to work out which is the best for you.

Are Casio keyboards good quality?

Casio keyboards are known to be one of the best brands on the market. You can find a wide range of quality in Casio products, as their keyboards come in a huge range of budgets.

Obviously, the cheaper models aren't as high quality as the expensive keyboards, but they still aren't bad. As for their high-end keyboards, you can find them being used by professional musicians and on the biggest stages—which is a testament to their quality and reliability.

Are Casio keyboards better than Yamaha?

Ultimately, it depends on the models you compare, as some Casios are better than Yamahas and vice versa.

Typically, people believe that Yamaha offers more realistic digital piano sounds, and sometimes, they tend to have a better feeling, but ultimately, it depends on the quality and price of the individual models.

Conclusion

Good luck choosing your Casio keyboard. As you can see from the buyer's guide above, there are a bunch of important factors you should consider to help you pick the right model.

When you choose the right keyboard, it can open up a whole range of creative and expressive options for your keyboard playing!

If I had to suggest one, I'd go for the Casio CDP-S360, which gives you a huge range of versatility, has an excellent playing response, and sounds fantastic. It's great value for money!

But if you're on a tighter budget, I'd check out the Casio CT-X700, which is a decent arranger keyboard that has a bunch of sounds, and feels pretty nice too!

Piano dreams within reach! Explore the best digital pianos under $500 and turn your musical aspirations into reality without breaking the bank.