The Best MIDI Keyboard Software (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS)

MIDI Keyboard Software can be in the form of standalone apps, or as part of DAW software (such as GarageBand, Reaper, and Ableton Live). We take you through some of the best options for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.

If you want something very simple, then a standalone app might be the way to go.

However, DAWs are generally more versatile since they contain powerful music processing features that also allow you to apply audio effects, manipulate MIDI recordings, mix and master tracks, and export audio files. 

MIDI Keyboard Software for Windows, Mac, and Linux (Free and Paid Options)

1. GarageBand (Mac) – DAW

GarageBand is Apple’s free music-making software for Mac. It also has a separate version for iPhone and iPad. On a compatible Mac, connect a USB MIDI keyboard, select a software-instrument track and play the included sounds without buying a separate instrument plugin.

It can be thought of as the younger sibling of Apple’s flagship DAW, Logic Pro, with a similar interface and workflow but a more beginner-friendly feature set. GarageBand 10.4 runs on macOS; the current download requires macOS 15.6 or later.

GarageBand comes with bundled MIDI instruments in a wide array of categories, from strings and drums to electronic sounds and loops. You can record and edit MIDI, layer instruments and export a finished song. It is a useful starting point for demos and scratch tracks, although its Mac version does not run on Windows or Linux.

2. Synthesia (Windows, Mac) – Standalone

Synthesia is a virtual piano application for learning songs with a MIDI keyboard. Its falling notes show which keys to play, and Melody Practice can wait for the correct note before moving on. You can also display notation and practice each hand separately.

The desktop version, Synthesia 10.9, runs on Windows and Mac without a DAW. Connect your keyboard through USB MIDI, select it as an input and adjust the song speed while learning a difficult passage. It accepts MIDI files rather than turning an ordinary audio recording into an interactive piano lesson.

The free download includes a selection of songs and lets you test your MIDI connection. A paid, one-time unlock removes the outside-song time limit and opens the full included song collection and simple multitrack recording. An unlock bought from Synthesia’s website works across its supported desktop and mobile platforms; an app-store purchase has different platform restrictions.

3. Cakewalk Sonar (Windows) – DAW

Cakewalk Sonar is the current Windows DAW to use in place of the discontinued Cakewalk by BandLab. Its free tier lets you record, edit, save, mix and export projects, with unlimited audio, MIDI and instrument tracks. It is a full production environment for a MIDI keyboard, rather than a basic piano app.

Sonar supports VST instruments and effects, MIDI piano-roll editing and ARA integration. Add a compatible software instrument to an instrument track to turn incoming keyboard notes into sound. A free player such as Decent Sampler is one option if you want to start with a piano.

Sonar officially supports Windows 11 or later; it installs on Windows 10, but that system is no longer officially supported. You need a BandLab account and periodic activation, even for the free tier. BandLab Membership unlocks extra features and content, including plugin oversampling, additional Arranger tracks and premium plugins. Those extras are separate from the free core DAW, so do not assume that every instrument or effect shown in a paid Sonar demonstration is included.

4. Decent Sampler (Windows, Mac, Linux) – Standalone and Plugin

Decent Sampler is a free sample player that can run as a standalone application. It is a useful choice if you want to play sampled instruments from a MIDI keyboard without setting up a full DAW. Start with its free Basic Piano, then add compatible libraries as you need more sounds.

The desktop app runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. It also comes in plugin formats for use inside a compatible host: VST/VST3 on all three desktop platforms, AU on Mac and AAX on Windows and Mac. You do not need to buy Kontakt or another commercial sampler to use Decent Sampler libraries.

The player is free, but individual sample libraries may be free or paid. Download the Decent Sampler edition of a library, since a Kontakt-only instrument will not load simply because both products are sample players. Use a DAW when you want to record MIDI parts and arrange them into a song.

5. Tracktion Waveform Free (Windows, Mac, Linux) – DAW

Waveform Free 14 is a free DAW for Windows, Mac and Linux. It records audio and MIDI, hosts compatible third-party instruments and provides the editing and mixing tools needed to build a complete track from keyboard performances.

Its included instruments cover synthesis and sampling: 4OSC, Micro Drum Sampler, Micro Sampler and a Rompler. Inline MIDI editing and Step Clips help you adjust notes and program patterns after recording. Plugin support includes VST, VST3 and, on Mac, AU, subject to the plugin’s own operating-system requirements.

The current desktop requirements include 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, macOS 13 or later, or Linux tested on Ubuntu 24.04. Tracktion states that installing Waveform Free 14 on Linux automatically unlocks the Pro features. On Windows and Mac, optional feature expansions and Waveform Pro provide additional tools; they are not required to start recording with the free version.

MIDI Keyboard Apps for Android

Thanks to the increasingly powerful and affordable mobile technology of today, smartphones and tablets have significant music-making capabilities, which can be expanded by connecting MIDI keyboards and controllers to them.

There are several apps, both free and paid, catering to a wide range of skills and use cases for both Android and iOS.

These options let you try mobile keyboard playing before committing to a paid unlock or subscription.

You need an app that accepts external MIDI input, a compatible keyboard and a phone or tablet with USB host support. Android’s MIDI API is available from Android 6.0, but each app can set a higher minimum requirement.

Synthesia focuses on guided song practice; Perfect Piano provides a playable keyboard with several instrument sounds.

1. Synthesia – Standalone App

Synthesia for Android brings the same falling-note practice approach to a phone or tablet. Connect a compatible digital keyboard, choose a song and practice each hand separately. A larger tablet makes the notation and upcoming notes easier to follow.

The current Android app requires Android 6 or later. More than 20 songs are available to try free, including the MIDI connection features. A one-time unlock adds the remaining included songs, unrestricted practice with imported MIDI songs and the simple multitrack recorder. It is a piano-learning app, so choose a DAW instead if you need detailed production and mixing tools.

2. Perfect Piano – Standalone App

Perfect Piano is a piano app available as a free download on the Play Store, with ads and optional in-app purchases.

It features an authentic-sounding 88-key piano, as well as other instruments like Music Box, Rhodes, and synths.

Besides, more “timbre packs” can be downloaded to expand the sound set to include violins, flutes, etc., which can all be controlled via an external MIDI keyboard.

Apart from the piano itself, the app also contains song learning features and games with adjustable speeds and difficulties. It also incorporates social media integration with which users can collaborate and share music online or even participate in online contests and challenges.

How to Connect a MIDI Controller to Android

Before you can start cooking up music on your Android, there are a few simple steps you need to follow to connect your MIDI keyboard to your phone.

1. Check your Android phone version.

Check the current app requirements as well as your Android version. Android 6.0 introduced the system MIDI API, but compatibility also depends on the device’s USB host support, its available power and the keyboard. Older USB-MIDI apps can use different connection methods.

2. Check the kind of port your phone has.

You will need an adapter to connect your MIDI keyboard’s cable to your phone’s USB port.

If your phone has a USB-C port, which is common in newer phones, you’ll need a USB-C to USB-A OTG adapter, like this one.

If you have an older phone which still uses a micro-USB port, then you’ll need a micro-USB to USB-A OTG adapter like this one.

3. Connect your MIDI keyboard to your phone.

Connect the micro-USB or USB-C end of the OTG adapter to your phone, and plug in your MIDI Keyboard’s USB cable to the other end.

In case your MIDI Keyboard doesn’t have a USB and uses the older 5-pin MIDI connection, then you will require another 5-pin midi to usb adapter in between to connect the keyboard to your phone.

Smaller MIDI keyboards tend to be powered over the USB connection itself, but a larger keyboard or synthesizer might need external power to turn on.

4. Check the connection

Once your MIDI keyboard is powered up and connected, open the app’s MIDI input settings and select the keyboard if necessary. Grant USB-device access when Android asks. The phone’s USB “MIDI” mode is intended for making the phone itself a MIDI device for another host; it is not normally the setting you need when a keyboard is plugged into the phone.

Open up your favorite MIDI app, and check to see if it registers the MIDI keyboard. Make any necessary input settings within the app and check that sound is produced when you press a key.

MIDI Keyboard Apps for iPhone and iPad

Apple’s iOS system provides a very powerful music-making environment within iPhones and iPads. In fact, they can host professional-grade apps that are increasingly finding their way in recording studios and pro musicians’ live setups. iOS also integrates well with macOS on Apple computers, giving you added flexibility and expansion capabilities.

The App Store has both playable instruments and piano-learning apps. The two options below accept external MIDI keyboards, but their free downloads have different limits. For songs to practice, see our guide to free MIDI files.

1. Flowkey – Standalone App

Flowkey is a piano-learning app with MIDI note recognition for compatible external keyboards. Its practice tools let you slow a passage, loop it and work on one hand at a time. It runs independently of a DAW; it is a lesson service rather than a software instrument for recording.

Flowkey can monitor the notes you play on your keyboard via MIDI or even via microphone for a real piano or synthesizer and help you learn new songs across various genres and difficulties. It also has piano courses and theory lessons.

A free flowkey account includes a small selection of songs and lessons without a time limit. Classic and Premium subscriptions open larger parts of the course and song catalogue; the complete library is not included just because the app is free to download. Its iPhone and iPad app requires iOS or iPadOS 15.6 or later.

2. Perfect Piano – Standalone App

Perfect Piano for iPhone and iPad provides an 88-key onscreen piano, several instrument sounds, MIDI and audio recording, a metronome and song-learning modes. Its developer confirms USB MIDI keyboard support. The app is a free download with advertising and optional in-app purchases, including VIP access; the current version requires iOS or iPadOS 13 or later.

Class-compliant USB MIDI keyboards are usually the simplest option for an iPhone or iPad. Your connection depends on whether the device has USB-C or Lightning, and some keyboards require their own power supply or a powered hub. A controller that depends on a desktop-only driver may not work.

For a comprehensive explanation of how to connect a MIDI controller to your iOS device, as well as recommendations for the best controllers around, check out this article.

Different Types of MIDI Keyboard Software

A MIDI controller sends note and control messages rather than producing audio itself. To hear a software instrument, an app or plugin must receive those messages and generate sound. This software may be for emulating anything from pianos and synths to drum kits and full orchestras. To this end, we essentially have two options:

1. Standalone MIDI software, which runs independently of any host as a separate program on a computer or mobile phone. This is usually the easiest option, but it can be quite limited.

2. MIDI plugins hosted within a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software. This may be one of the stock plugins within the DAW itself or any number of third-party plugins available. Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) are comprehensive production environments that integrate MIDI keyboards with a suite of tools for recording, editing, and arranging music.

Examples of popular DAWs include Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro. Virtual instruments generate sound from MIDI notes through synthesis or sample playback. Some run standalone, some need a host, and some offer both. VST, AU and AAX name plugin formats, so choose a format supported by your host: for example, GarageBand hosts AU instruments rather than VST plugins.

As mentioned previously, the DAW option is the most feature-rich and flexible option as they are an all-in-one option that allows you to record MIDI, as well as mix, master, and export audio files.

Summary

MIDI keyboards allow you to trigger an almost unlimited array of sounds.

The only real limit is the features of the MIDI keyboard software that you were using.

If you want some very simple piano and synth sounds, then just a simple standalone app might be a good option for you. Whereas if you want to get more into music production, or if you want to unlock a much more versatile sound library, then check out some of these great DAWs that we mentioned above.

A DAW can also host third-party instrument and effect plugins in its supported formats. Check the host and plugin requirements together before downloading, especially on Linux or a mobile device.

If you have any other good resources for MIDI keyboard software, then please write them in the comment section below.