Best Digital Piano Under $500: Instruments for Beginners

A concert grand piano in your living room is a dream that even a beginner’s digital piano can fulfill. With an instrument under $500 (£400/€500), it’s less about an extensive feature set and more about the essentials: a good keyboard and convincing piano sound.

Of course, you cannot expect miracles from a digital piano under $500, but you also want to spare yourself from unpleasant surprises. The good news: Even with a small budget you can definitely purchase good instruments. So, what can you expect from an digital piano under $500, and what models are recommended?

A Digital Piano for Under $500 – What Can You Expect?

Hardware is the No.1 cost factor! Exactly this is the challenge when producing a digital piano for under $500. There is little leeway for features such as the case and playback system. And as a buyer, you should certainly not skimp on the key elements of keyboard and sound. In the following sections, we will look at which features you should pay special attention to when buying a digital piano under $500.

Digital Piano for Beginners in Comparison

Also, check out our digital piano reviews on YouTube. As this review of the Korg B2 and the Thomann DP-28 Plus demonstrates, it’s important to compare different digital piano models. Both are available for less than $500.

The Cost of Design

Let’s not forget that a digital piano is also a piece of furniture that in many cases gets its place in the living room. At least this is true for those looking for a home piano with a classic design.

Based on the acoustic piano, home pianos consist of a base with built-in pedals, as well as a body, which contains all electronics in addition to the keyboard, controls, speakers, and music holder. Regardless of the price range, you can expect the case of a digital piano not only to look good but also to be well manufactured, ensuring that the instrument stands firmly.

In general, the range of digital pianos under $500 is quite limited. If you attach great importance to the exterior of an upright piano, you should look into the price range above this limit. Models starting at around $700 tend to look more valuable. Additionally, this price range features high-quality portable pianos. Check out our buyer’s guide: Stage Piano Under $1,000.

A recommendation here is the Thomann DP-32. As a small digital piano with upright piano design, it convinces not only in terms of workmanship and low pricing. The keyboard and sound are also very decent for the price of just above $500.

Cost Factor Piano Sound

Playing the piano is fun with good piano sound! Quite a few models in the price range below $500 offer features such as hundreds of sounds next to effects and auto accompaniment. Skepticism is definitely in order here. Especially in this price range, where every additional feature costs more money, you should look, listen, and compare carefully. The best piano sounds at this price point are available from instruments of brand manufacturers.

Cost Factor Keyboard

Beginners in particular should not underestimate this aspect, as a good keyboard allows you to make great music. This, in turn, makes playing fun and motivates you to keep playing. An 88-note keyboard with graded hammer action should hence be available if you want to learn how to play. While this is standard for a digital piano under $500, the quality differences in playing performance can be quite significant. The keyboards of most home piano models in this price range are rather smooth. This can definitely suit beginners, but there are instruments with better quality. Check out our recommendations …

Key Noise in Digital Pianos Below $500

Many beginners find this phenomenon irritating, if not annoying: Noise seems to be generated inside the case when playing. This is caused by the keyboard and the associated hammer mechanism. However, such key noises can hardly be avoided: Moving weights on the keys are supposed to simulate the hammer stroke of a piano. This is almost impossible without causing at least some noise.

These unpleasant side noises can become predominant, especially when playing with the speakers at low volume. Unlike the sound of the speakers, you cannot control the volume of mechanical noise. It always remains the same.

You shouldn’t set your expectations too high in the price range below $500. Here, the focus is rather on low manufacturing costs and low weight, as this ensures the two most important features of an electric piano up to $500: Expressive piano sound and good playing experience.

Cost Factor Playback System

We should not expect miracles from speaker systems in the $500 range. The playback systems are stereo by design and cannot really deliver big sound, especially with about 10 watts per speaker (or even less). Due to the compact design of these instruments, large speakers, which would be necessary to reproduce the bass range, cannot be installed here.

Nevertheless, the sound is absolutely sufficient for practicing and playing at regular volume. To get a fuller sound, you can also play the sound of the digital piano through external speakers via audio outputs (if available). Most digital pianos in this price range sound much better over headphones than over the built-in speakers.

A digital piano under $500 often also skimps on audio outputs. Thus, if you want to connect the instrument to a keyboard amplifier or a PA, for example, you will have to use the headphone jack. To do so, you need a stereo jack to two mono jack adapter.

Want to Save Money and Still Get Good Quality? Buy a Portable Piano!

Portable pianos are small digital pianos in stage piano format and are thus designed as transportable instruments. However, they are intended for home use and have built-in speakers. Some models even come with a stand, while others require an additional stand as an accessory. Be sure to take a look at bundle offers in online stores!

Important to know for beginners: Some portable pianos are already very inexpensive (starting at around $300). Forgoing the upright piano design results in even better core features. Both the keyboard and sound quality benefit from the streamlined cabinet.

Top 5: Digital Piano Under $500

This selection contains only portable pianos. In some cases, the price is above $500, as long as the purchase of a stand and pedal unit is included from the start. Prices are also constantly changing at most online retailers, so some instruments may temporarily be slightly above and sometimes slightly below the $500 limit.

1. Roland FP-10: Best Keyboard

Like the larger FP-30x model, the FP-10 benefits from the good playing characteristics of the PHA-4 standard keyboard. Here you get a well-balanced graded hammer action and Ivory feel for just under $500. The piano sound is also impressive considering the price range.

The Roland FP-10 is extremely compact and easily transported. While this is an advantage for those with limited space, it is also the reason behind the rather small speaker system, from which you should not expect too much. However, those who mainly play with headphones will enjoy a balanced piano sound that can also convince in dynamics.

2. Thomann DP-28 Plus: Top Price/Performance Ratio

The DP-28 Plus is a stylish and lightweight portable piano. It offers balanced speaker sound, a wide range of high-quality piano sounds, and responsive hammer action. Additionally, the DP-28 Plus provides access to a complimentary piano app via Bluetooth MIDI. A stand is available for purchase separately.

For absolute beginners, it is worth paying attention to bundle offers. This way, you get everything you need to start off with, including a piano bench and headphones.

3. Korg B2: USB Audio/MIDI Support

A small sound selection and slim equipment put the focus on the keyboard and sound. The USB audio/MIDI support is a very practical feature. This makes it possible to integrate a computer, tablet, or smartphone into the audio system of the Korg B2 via USB. Optimal for online lessons or for playing popular music apps such as Korg Module Pro, Korg Gadget, or Korg iM1.

4. Casio CDP-S110: Best Keyboard Under $400

A weighted hammer action keyboard equipped with an Ivory Feel surface is available for a small price here. It offers the best keyboard among electric pianos under $400, which also makes the CDP-S110 a hot tip for anyone looking for a cheap MIDI controller with piano keys.

This keyboard is not only available on the Casio CDP-S110 but also on the other two models of the Casio Compact series: CDP-S160 SET and CDP-S360. Both models are interesting for those looking for more features. You can safely call the CDP-S160, which only comes in a bundle with a stand and triple pedal lyre, one of the most affordable digital upright pianos.

5. Yamaha P-145: Successor to the Top Seller P-45

The Yamaha P-45 has been the top seller digital piano under $500. The new model P-145 comes with a new acoustic piano sound and a USB audio/MIDI feature that supports an easy integration of mobile devices. Although the new “Graded Hammer Compact” keyboard lacks playing comfort due to Ivory Touch, you still get a solid beginner’s electric piano with a good keyboard and nice piano sound.

Tip: Digital Pianos Around $500

Although these next digital piano models are priced above $500, they offer remarkable features with a comparable equipment profile. It would be a shame not to mention them in this context. For those who would like to invest a little more, these instruments already have more to offer than the models significantly below $500.

Casio PX-S1100

The PX-S1100 already gets a lot of attention due to its modern and noble high-gloss design. It is probably the most compact and lightest beginner piano around, but you should definitely give this little piano a try.

GEWA PP-3

Its high-quality hammer action and speaker system, expressive Steinway Grand piano sound, and modern features like programmable favorite presets make the GEWA PP-3 an absolute recommendation. Be sure to check out the bundle offer including a stand!

Roland FP-30X

The Roland FP-30X was newly released in early 2021 and is now priced under $600. It has the keyboard of the FP-10, but at its price point also offers many modern features. Our tip: Definitely test it!

Kawai ES-120

As the smallest ES model, the ES-120 provides an affordable entry into the Kawai ES series. As a lightweight portable piano with a weight of just 12kg, it is ideal for home and mobile use. The keyboard works accurately and precisely thanks to a triple sensor system.

Digital Piano Under $1,000

If you are looking for digital piano recommendations between $500 and $1,000, consider these buyer’s guides on PIANOO.com.

Digital Piano Under $1,000 – Piano Made Affordable
Stage Pianos Under $1,000: Not Only for the Stage!
The Best Beginner Digital Pianos – Video Test Series

*Affiliate link. These “advertising links” help us finance our website. If you buy a product through such a link, we receive a small commission – at no extra cost for you. The PIANOO.com team says thank you for your support!