A digital piano is built to replace an acoustic piano: 88 keys that feel heavier in the bass than in the treble, a handful of very good piano sounds and a sustain pedal. A keyboard is built for fun and arranging: usually 61 lighter keys, hundreds of sounds and automatic accompaniment. If the goal is to learn piano, buy a digital piano; if it's to play songs, explore sounds or start a child on music, a keyboard is enough.
The price gap is real. At Thomann in October 2026, the median home keyboard cost $336 and the median digital piano $1,349, though weighted 88-key models start at about $335.
Digital piano vs keyboard at a glance
| Digital piano | Keyboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Keys | 88, weighted, hammer action | Usually 61, light, unweighted |
| Sounds | Usually 10 to 30, mostly pianos | Usually 400 or more |
| Rhythms and accompaniment | Few or none | Hundreds of styles |
| Speakers | Bigger, often in a cabinet | Small, built in |
| Median price at Thomann | $1,349 | $336 |
| Best for | Learning piano, classical | Songs, kids, arranging |
The keys matter more than anything
On a piano, each key moves a small hammer, and the bass keys are heavier. A weighted hammer action copies that, so the strength and control you build carry over to any acoustic piano. Light keyboard keys are easy to press, which is fine for fun but builds habits that make a real piano feel stiff.
That's also why the cheapest digital piano worth buying is more expensive than the cheapest keyboard: the action costs money.
The keyboard to buy
Casio CT-S200 WH Set, $187
61 keys, 400 sounds, 77 rhythms and a learning function, sold as a set. The highest-ranked home keyboard in our index when we checked: #1 of 62 home keyboards.
Roland E-X10, $223
61 velocity-sensitive keys, 601 sounds, nine drum sets and 207 accompaniment styles, with a recorder. #3 of 62 home keyboards.
The digital piano to buy
Casio CDP-S110 BK, $336
88 keys with a graded hammer action at about the price of a mid-range keyboard. The sensible first digital piano. #4 of 25 compact digital pianos.
Casio AP-S200 BN, $967
A home piano in a cabinet, with 88 weighted keys, 19 sounds and recording to a USB stick. #1 of 48 general digital pianos.
The in-between: an 88-key keyboard
Yamaha DGX-670 B, $913
A keyboard with a full 88-key weighted GHS action, the CFX grand piano sound, 630 voices and 263 accompaniment styles. For a player who wants both a real piano feel and a keyboard's features. #2 of 62 home keyboards.
Questions
Is a keyboard good for learning piano?
For the first months, yes. For serious lessons, a teacher will ask for 88 weighted keys sooner or later, so a digital piano saves buying twice.
Is a digital piano worth it for a beginner?
If they take lessons, yes. Models like the Casio CDP-S110 ($336) cost little more than a good keyboard.
Can a keyboard replace a digital piano?
Only an 88-key weighted one, like the Yamaha DGX-670. A 61-key keyboard can't play all the notes of piano pieces, and its light keys feel different.
How we measured. Median prices: every home keyboard (125) and digital piano (318) Thomann listed as in stock on October 18, 2026, converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate. Products show today's price and rank, updated every night.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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