6 Best Digital Pianos Under $1000

Portability, low maintenance, no tuning, a smaller footprint, and affordability are just some of the reasons why a digital piano is a great investment. It's a no-brainer: any piano player who wants a compact instrument with sound quality close to an acoustic piano should consider getting a digital one!

Whether you’re a beginner or professional pianist with a budget of $1000 or less, you can find excellent portable digital pianos to practice, record, and perform live.

I've tested all the top-selling digital pianos under $1000 on the market today and rated them based on their sound, build quality, versatility, and more.

My personal pick at this price range is the exceptional Casio PX-S3100: a great combination of natural piano sound and customization options in a digital piano that’s easy to move around and beautiful to look at.

For all the other options, keep reading!

Best Digital Pianos Under $1000

SPECS:

• Sound engine: AiR Sound Source
• Keys: 88 fully weighted Smart Scaled Hammer Action keys with simulated ebony/ivory texture.
• Touch response: 5 Levels
• Sound library: 700 tones, 200 accompaniment Rhythms
• Effects: Hall Simulator, Reverb, Surround, Chorus, Brilliance, DSP
• Polyphony: 192 Notes, Tunner, Arpeggiator,
• Connectivity: 1 3.5 audio input, 2 x 3.5 headphone, 2 x 1/4 output, pedal, pedal unit, expression/assignable pedal, 1 USB type A and 1 Type B, Bluetooth.
• Features: Compatible with Casio Music Space iOS/Android app, Direct recording to USB drive, metronome.
• Dimensions: 1,322 x 232 x 102 mm (52.08" x 12" x 4")
• Weight: 11.4 kg (25.1 lbs.)

The PS-X series is known for its small-footprint instruments, and the PS-X3100 offers the same slim and lightweight body as the PX-S1100, but with some extra features.

The PX-S3100 has an 88-weight Smart Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard, and the keys have an ebony and ivory texture that provides an organic feeling instead of the greasy plastic of digital keyboards. It features easy-to-navigate touch controls and an LCD that turns on with the piano and visualizes only the controls you need to keep the UI clean on your digital piano.

The Casio PX-S3100 is the most tone-equipped of the PX-S line. It uses the AiR sound engine with 700 tones and 200 rhythms and includes an enhanced resonance German concert grand piano that replicates the mechanical sounds of the keys being pressed and released and the dampers rising.

The effects include a hall simulator, reverbs, surround, and more. Additionally, it has DSP effects with EQs, amplifiers, cabinets, and modulation effects.

The speakers offer a decent volume and clear sound with a high and low-end response. For a better experience, you can play with the hall simulators and surround mode and connect your headphones to immerse yourself in a concert space.

The Casio PX-S3100 includes a WU-BT10 Bluetooth MIDI and audio adapter to connect to your smart devices or computer wireless, and you can play backtracks from your device directly to the PX-S3100.

It also features a damper, expression, pedal unit input, 1/4 outputs for speakers, audio interface or PA systems, and a USB-MIDI connection to use the PX-S3100 as a MIDI controller.

What Could Be Improved:

• The ultra-clean UI feels confusing.
• Built-in speakers could be better.

SPECS:

• Sound engine: Yamaha CFX Grand Piano
• Keys: 88 Graded Hammer Compact.
• Touch response: Hard/Medium/Soft/Fixed
• Sound library: 24 voices, 71 songs, 20 rhythm
• Effects: 4 Reverbs, Wall EQ, IAC, Stereophonic optimizer,
• Polyphony: 192 notes
• Connectivity:  2 x 1/4 headphones, 2 x 1/4 AUX, USB to host, sustain pedal and pedal unit.
• Features: recording, built-in metronome, built-in speakers, sound booster, Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM), Intelligent Acoustic Control (IAC), and compatibility with the Smart Pianist app.
• Dimensions: 1,326 mm x 272 mm x 129 mm (52.2” x 10.7” x 5.1”)
• Weight: 11.5 kg (25 lb)

The Yamaha P-225 is a versatile compact digital piano for your home or studio: it’s easy to play for piano students, and advanced pianists will enjoy it because it is a compact 88-key digital piano with a professional and elegant look.

The P-225 uses the Yamaha CFX grand piano sound to provide the feel of an acoustic grand piano. It comes with Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) Lite technology to replicate the complexity of the grand piano strings' resonance when pressing the keys but without the hurdles of tuning an acoustic piano.

In addition to the CFX, the P-225 features 24 voices, including several grand pianos, Strings, a Jazz organ, Stage E.Piano, DX E.Piano, Bass, a Synth Pad, an E.Clavichord, Vibraphone, a Choir, and more.

The built-in speakers in the P-225 are good for practice but do not do justice to the CFX grand piano sound: for rehearsals and on stage, you’ll have to connect it to external monitors. If you're a late-night player, the P-225 allows you to plug in your headphones for silent practice.

The Graded Hammer Compact keyboard replicates the feeling of the weighted keyboard from the previous Yamaha Graded Hammer Standard action keyboards but in a smaller size.

The P-225 features USB to host to connect to your computer or smart device, 6-pin Mini DIN 3-pedal unit input, sustain pedal input, and two 1/4 AUX Out in an R and L/mono configuration on the rear. On the front, you get two 1/4 headphone outputs. It also offers Bluetooth connectivity to stream audio wirelessly.

Other extra features included in the Yamaha P-225 are a built-in metronome, mixer, compatibility with the Smart Pianist App, a key touch sensitivity control to change the touch response, and recording. All in all, this is a fantastic digital piano for anyone looking for a realistic feel and a small footprint.

What Could Be Improved:

• Output sound.
• Rhythm selection.

SPECS:

• Sound engine: 12 sounds
• Keys: 88 full-sized Natural Weighted Hammer Action keys.
• Touch response: 3 types
• Sound library: 12 presets
• Effects: Reverb, Chorus
• Polyphony: 120 notes
• Connectivity: 1 1/4 audio input, one combined 1/8 headphone/line out, 1 USB type B, Pedal.
• Features: Metronome, Fine-tune pitch, bundled software.
• Dimensions: 1,312 x 117 x 336 mm  (51.65" x 4.61" x 13.23") without stand.
• Weight: 11.4 kg (25.13 lbs.) without stand.

Available in black and white, the B2SP offers an elegant design with a matching-color assembled stand, a 3-pedal unit, and a music rest for sheet music or a mobile device.

The Korg B2SP's sound engine features 12 sounds from German Concert and Classic piano, Italian concert piano, jazz piano, organ, and electric piano that can replicate the key-off sound. The keys in the B2SP feature a Natural Weighted Hammer Action with a sensitive keybed, which replicates the hammers of a real grand piano with a heavy low register and lighter high registers.

The B2SP offers a USB connection as a MIDI controller on your DAW on a smart device or computer. It can also work to play music from a device through the B2SP speakers via the audio input. You can connect your headphones to the 1/8 output and an output speaker.

With B2SP, you get Skoove to learn or improve your piano skills, the KORG Module for your mobile device, and the KORG Gadget 2 Le music production app.

What Could Be Improved:

• Could use a 1/4 headphone/line out
• It could add more effects like EQ
• Lacks recording features

SPECS:

• Sound engine: SuperNATURAL piano
• Keys: 88 full-sized Weighted, Progressive Hammer Action keys with escapement and ivory feel.
• Touch response: 5 types (Super Light, Light, Medium, Heavy, Super Heavy) and fixed.
• Sound library: 12 pianos, 20 electric pianos, 24 other tones
• Effects: Ambience, Brilliance, Rotary Speaker (only for organs), Modulation
• Polyphony: 256 Notes
• Connectivity: It has 2 x 1/4 audio outputs, two headphone jacks (1 x 1/8 and 1 x 1/4), two pedal inputs (1 x 1/4 and 1 x 8-pin), Bluetooth audio and MIDI, and USB type A and type B.
• Features: Metronome, audio recorder, compatibility with Roland mobile app.
• Dimensions: 1,300 x 284 x 151 mm (51.1” x 11.1” x 6”)
• Weight: 14.8 kg, 32 lbs (with music rest).

While the Roland FP-30X is lightweight and easy to move around, its keys are full-sized, with PHA-4 progressive hammer action and escapement.

Combined with the ivory feel, this aims to achieve a real piano-playing experience and the clicking feeling of pressing the keys on the FP-30X while still keeping portability in mind. However, it does make the FP-30X feel heavier compared to other options.

Where the FP-30X really shines is in the SFX department. The SuperNATURAL piano sound engine features 56 tones from the front panel and up to 321 more from the Roland Piano App, including pianos, organs, strings, synths, and more.

The FP-30X speakers are good enough to fill the room, and they have a unique feature that optimizes the sound wherever they are, whether on a desktop or in the studio.

It also features dual headphone input for 1/4 and 3.5 jacks, and you can output to an external speaker if you find the speakers lacking power. Finally, it provides audio and MIDI connectivity via Bluetooth and USB to play audio on the FP-30X and connect it to your DAW for music production.

What Could Be Improved:

• The volume buttons would feel better with a slider or knob.
• In general, UI could be more intuitive when selecting voices and sounds.

SPECS:

• Sound engine: Harmonic Imaging Sound Technology
• Keys: 88 Grade-weighted hammer action keys with matte surfaces.
• Touch response: 3 types and off.
• Sound library: 25 sounds, including Shigeru Kawai Concert Grand
• Effects: EQ, six Reverbs, and Brilliance
• Polyphony: 192 notes.
• Connectivity: Dual headphone (1/4 and 1/8), USB and Bluetooth MIDI, Line Out, pedals.
• Features: Spatial Headphone Sound, Lessons via the PiaBookPlayer app, metronome.
• Dimensions: 130.5 x 28 x 15 (51.37” x 11” x 6")
• Weight: 12 kg (26.5lbs.)

The Kawai ES120, available in three colors, is packed with powerful features that make it a good contender among the best digital pianos under 1000. It's built to last, and following the acoustic piano construction, it uses heavier hammers for the bass and lighter ones for the treble.

The ES120 highlight is the responsive hammer compact action key that resembles the acoustic piano touch and the sound of the iconic Shigeru Kawai SK-EX and EX concert grand piano as a source for the ES120. Sadly, it does not have escapement as other models in the ES line.

The built-in speakers in the ES120 are exceptional and can further be improved if connected to an external amp. If you're looking for realistic grand piano sounds and action and not a whole lot else, you can't go wrong with the Kawai ES120.

What Could Be Improved:

• It could have more effects.
• Sound selections besides the SK-EX and EX grand pianos.

SPECS:

• Sound engine: AiR Sound Source
• Keys: 88 weighted, Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action keys.
• Touch response: 3 types
• Sound library: 19 Voices, 60 built-in songs
• Effects: 11 effects featuring reverbs, chorus, and brilliance.
• Polyphony: 256 Notes
• Connectivity: USB type A and type B, 3-pedal unit, 2 1/4 headphone/output.
• Features: sequencer, recording, metronome, Casio music space connectivity.
• Dimensions: 1,393 x 299 x 801 mm (54.8” x 31.5” x 11.7”)
• Weight: 34.3 kg (75 lbs.)

The PX-870 features the acclaimed Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action keys, which can enhance the expression of your piano performance. The keys have ivory and ebony textures that provide a genuine and pleasant touch, while the adjustable touch sensitivity offers more options to customize the PX-870 to fit your playing style.

The 40w speakers in the PX-870 provide a rich sound texture so that you can hear all the nuances in your performance. The sound library features 19 instrument tones and a maximum of 256 notes of polyphony, so you won't need to worry about your performance sounding too digital like other portable digital pianos. But again, there are more affordable digital piano options than the PX-870 on the list.

It has two 1/4 jacks that function as headphone and line output, a USB to host to connect to a computer and use as a MIDI keyboard, and a USB type A to plug a USB drive to record your performances or playback audio.

The current regular price of the PX-870 might exceed our budget, but you can occasionally find it at a discount under $1000, which is why I added it to this list. If you find it under $1000, don't think twice and just get it.

What Could Be Improved:

• Keys can be noisy.
• It's not the most portable digital piano.

Buyer’s Guide

Now that we've gone over the details of a few of the best digital pianos under $1000 available today, let's see how you can pick the perfect one for your needs.

Touch Response

An accurate touch response in a digital piano is paramount, even when buying an affordable instrument. This feature refers to the velocity and sensitivity of the keys, meaning that the amount of pressure you put on the key affects the volume produced by the digital piano.

You may have heard about weighted and semi-weighted keys: when the keys in the digital piano are weighted, the touch response can be adjusted. Your digital piano manual will list the level or type of response, which can range from heavy/hard to light/soft and off.

Sound Features

A digital piano with an extensive sound library allows you to play more genres to adjust your play style. They're also useful for songwriting and experimenting with new sounds.

If this is what you're after, look for built-in effects such as reverb and EQ to craft unique sounds, and if the digital piano features a catalog of learning songs, you can use them to practice if you're learning to play piano.

Sound Quality

Digital pianos can have an incredibly realistic sound these days, thanks to advancements in recording techniques and settings to capture the samples of a real acoustic piano.

To ensure the best sound quality from a digital piano, keep an eye on the sampled instruments and the quality of the speakers and amps in the digital piano.

The best way to judge the sound quality is to listen to it in person. Play it while listening to the built-in amps through the headphones jack and, if possible, through the output speakers.

Sound quality can be subjective, as some people appreciate different nuances, but all in all, you want to find a digital piano with the highest possible fidelity to its acoustic counterpart.

Connectivity Options

The most important connections you'll need are a 1/4 stereo output for the speakers' system, headphones outputs, sustain and damper pedals, and audio in but the best digital pianos have even more connection options.

A USB Type A can be used for USB playback or direct recording, and a USB Type B can connect the digital piano to a computer or mobile device and use it with music production software such as GarageBand, Pro Tools, and other popular DAWs.

Modern digital pianos also feature Bluetooth MIDI and audio connections, allowing you to play audio from another device wireless, making it a versatile controller for your creative needs. Check out our guide to the best MIDI keyboards for more options.

Size

All 88-key digital pianos usually have a standard size of around 40 to 60 inches long with a full-sized key. Many vary in depth depending on the digital piano's features, speaker, and design. If you're looking for something smaller, you can go for 76 or even 61 keys.

Think of the number of keys needed, your studio space, and whether you prefer a console or portable digital piano. Check out our roundup of the best 88-key weighted keyboards for more choices.

FAQ

What is the difference between weighted and semi-weighted keys?

The weight of the keys simulates the effect of acoustic pianos: a weighted key on a digital piano will feel heavier, while semi-weighted keys will feel lighter.

Semi-weighted keys are more common on synth and stage keyboards and are easier to play with faster songs, but they do not provide an organic sound like the weighted keys on a digital piano.

Can I connect a digital piano to my computer or smartphone for recording or using music apps?

Most of the time, you can. Ensure your digital piano features a USB type B connection, also labeled as USB to HOST, on your piano, and you can connect it. You can also use the older MIDI connection to a PC using a MIDI to USB adaptor.

Most digital pianos have a USB connection, and modern models also offer MIDI Bluetooth to connect them to a computer or smartphone.

Does the digital piano have a built-in metronome and recording features?

Most digital pianos feature a metronome, but not all offer built-in recording features. However, you can record it by connecting it to a computer via USB.

How realistic is the sound quality compared to an acoustic piano?

The truth is that digital pianos can't quite replicate the unique feel of acoustic piano sounds, as the intricacy of analog sounds tends to get lost when captured and manipulated digitally.

I'd suggest you stick to the main digital piano brands like Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Korg, and Kawai to ensure the most realistic piano sound, which is often quite impressive.

How does the action of the keys compare to that of an acoustic piano?

Look for a digital piano with fully weighted Hammer Action keys to get the closest feel to an acoustic piano. A digital piano with these action keys uses real hammers to replicate the mechanism of acoustic pianos.

It won't be exactly the same as playing an acoustic instrument, but some brands have achieved impressive levels of emulation, like the PHA-4 piano key action, regarded as the closest to that of an acoustic piano. They use different hammers to achieve a heavier feel on the lower register.

Can I use headphones for silent practice, and how is the sound quality through headphones?

Yes, most digital pianos feature a headphone jack for silent practice. Check the features for enhanced headphone options, like the Kawai ES120, which features a Spatial Headphone Sound to improve the depth of the acoustic piano sound.

 You can't go wrong with one of our picks for the best headphones for digital piano.

Final Thoughts

Digital pianos can achieve impressive sound quality, and although they can't quite replicate a natural piano sound, they can offer plenty of customization options and features to upgrade your playing experience.

There are many other digital pianos out there, but as far as I’m concerned, the Casio PX-S3100 offers unbeatable value for money. A valid and more affordable option would be the Korg B2SP, which is great if you’re just getting started but also if you’re looking for a reasonably-priced digital piano that has everything you need to record and practice professionally.

Have fun!