The 12 Best Piano VSTs (Free & Paid)

The timeless sound of the classic instrument appears in nearly every genre of music.

But not all piano VSTs deliver realistic, expressive sound that can elevate your mixes.

Luckily for modern producers, there are plenty of excellent options available that cover the vast range of sounds associated with the piano.

In this article, we’ll list the top piano VSTs for every budget.

Whether you’re looking for the best of the best premium options or a free plugin to experiment with, we’ve scoured the internet, tested and reviewed these VSTs for a variety of use cases and needs.

Let’s get started.

Quick Glance: Our top picks for the best piano VSTs

⭐️ Best piano VST overall: Native Instruments Noire

Meticulously recorded at the legendary Funkhaus studio in Berlin, Noire is Native Instruments’ flagship sample-based reconstruction of composer Nils Frahm’s personal piano.

Out of every piano VST we tried, it produced the most evocative, rich and convincing piano sounds, while offering creative effects and composition tools in the plugin’s ‘Particle Engine’.

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⭐️ Best free piano VST: Spitfire LABS Soft Piano

Soft Piano makes for an excellent addition to Spitfire LABS’ series of free sample-based instruments.

For a free plugin, we were impressed by Soft Piano’s convincing tone and easy-to-use user interface. While limited to a soft felt hammer tone, it’s a no-brainer addition to your instrument folder.

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⭐️ Best physical modelling piano VST: Modartt Pianoteq 9

Physical modelling piano VSTs have only been getting better over the years, and Modartt’s Pianoteq series leads the industry with its convincing, authentic-sounding piano models

We think its ninth addition makes for a best-in-class piano VST that arguably performs as well, if not better than its sample-based counterparts.

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⭐️ Best value piano VST: Spitfire Originals Intimate Grand Piano

If you’re looking for a pro-grade piano plugin that offers more than the free plugins and won’t break the bank, we think Spitfire Originals Intimate Grand Piano is the plugin for yo.

A meticulously recorded sample bank by the pros at Spitfire combines to offer a variety of evocative piano tones, and much, much more.

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1. Native Instruments Noire (Paid, trial available)

The gold-standard sample-based piano VST, recorded at Funkhaus Studios.

Noire is a truly impressive gold-standard piano VST from Native Instruments.

Meticulously recorded on the piano of legendary composer Nils Frahm at Funk Haus studios, this plugin produces some of the most evocative and convincing piano sounds we’ve heard.

Pair its great tone with an added control panel for effects and its ‘Particle Engine’, an advanced arpeggiator that generates interesting patterns based on keyboard input, and you get an excellent choice for both professional tone production and creative inspiration.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Excellent sample recordings
• Great creative features in Particle Engine
• Good reverb, delay and EQ effect settings

Cons:

• Requires Kontakt Player familiarity
• Premium price tag, waiting for sale period recommended

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2. Modartt Pianoteq 9 Standard (Paid)

The best physical modelling piano VST on the market.

As pioneers of the first truly modelled piano in 2006, Modartt has sought to create increasingly authentic digital simulations of the piano over the past two decades.

Its most recent Pianoteq 9 series represents the newest and best the company has to offer.

Instead of relying on samples, physical modelling VSTs model pianos using impulse responses, synthesis software and sound design to recreate authentic piano tones digitally.

Aside from a convincing piano tone that’s comparable to the best of the best sample-based piano VSTs, the added benefit is the small file size of the software itself.

Unlike bloated, sample-based plugins that consume 10-80+ GB of hard drive space, Pianoteq only requires a tiny 50 MB of hard drive space.

We were impressed by how good the plugin sounds, while offering incredibly sensitive touch dynamics, all without using samples.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Excellent tones
• Solid selection of effects and sound design controls
• Some users report better touch sensitivity
• Small hard drive footprint

Cons:

• Premium price tag
• Slightly smaller piano selection compared to sample-based plugins

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3. Spitfire Originals Intimate Grand Piano (Paid, trial available)

A great budget VST, bundled with LANDR Studio subscriptions.

If you’re looking for a warm and versatile grand piano that won’t break the bank, Spitfire Originals Intimate Grand Piano is now available in LANDR Studio.

Focusing on a more intimate interpretation of the piano, the plugin prioritises a soft, emotional and evocative tone over the clean and crisp sound of other concert hall grand piano plugins.

Still, the professionals at Spitfire know how to put together a great set of expertly recorded samples and the result is a piano VST that’s versatile enough to produce a big concert hall sound, while also offering those soft, intimate-sounding tones.

It’s a great value considering that it’s bundled in LANDR Studio subscriptions, which include 70+ plugins, unlimited mastering & distribution, royalty-free sample library access and more.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• A uniquely warm and intimate tone
• Mic and mic position setting panel
• Hammer hardness controls
• Bundled with LANDR Studio

Cons:

• Less piano options compared to more premium options

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4. Spitfire LABS Soft Piano (Free)

The best free piano VST by far.

The samples used in Spitfire LABS’ Soft Piano are inspired by the traditional method of adding additional felt to the piano’s hammer mechanism.

It’s what produces the hushed, haunting piano tones this legendary free piano VST is known for.

The plugin put Spitfire’s LABS platform on the map and has inspired full albums of emotional piano music.

Considering that it’s free, this plugin is a no-brainer addition to every producer’s plugin folder.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• A soft, emotional and evocative plugin
• Captures a specific prepared piano sound
• Free

Cons:

• Limited to one piano
• Limited effects and EQ controls

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5. Soniccouture Hammersmith Pro (Paid)

Powerful mic positioning and mic combination features.

Hammersmith Pro leans into the microphone’s ability to deliver a reliable and convincing piano recording by offering six different microphones and microphone position settings.

That means for every note on every piano in the plugin, there are 6 different microphone combinations that you can blend to dial in the exact piano tone you need.

You’ll find classics like Neumann or Schoeps stereo pairs as well as more exotic options like a binaural head or a Beatles-style single mic in the sound hole.

On top of that, each of its 21 velocity layers per note was captured both with and without the sustain pedal depressed, offering a true-to-life response from the sustain pedal.

That all comes together to make Soniccouture’s Hammersmith Pro an excellent choice that sometimes flies under the radar for clear and realistic concert grand piano tones.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Excellent microphone and mic’ing oping
• Sustain pedal on/off recordings
• Detailed velocity layers

Cons:

• Premium price tag
• Limited to concert grand piano

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6. Spectrasonics Keyscape (Paid)

A massive collection of rare and sought-after pianos.

Spectrasonics is the developer behind the powerful Omnisphere plugin recommended on so many best virtual instrument lists.

But if you’re looking for more traditional keyboard sounds, its Keyscape plugin is highly rated for its collection of rare and sought-after pianos.

In addition to vintage electric pianos, harpsichords and toy pianos, you’ll find a selection of excellent traditional piano textures, including everything from dusty old uprights and tack pianos to concert-quality grands.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Sizeable collection of pianos
• Includes rare, unconventional and sought-after pianos

Cons:

• Less microphone and settings options than other premium plugins
• Less effects and added creativity tools
• Large 80GB install (30 GB lite version available)
• Premium price tag

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7. Native Instruments Unacorda (Paid)

Recreate a rare and legendary prepared piano in your DAW.

Native Instruments’ Unacorda samples a unique piano instrument created by master piano builder David Klavins.

Employing a new design with a single string per note, the Unacorda was created in collaboration with composer Nils Frahm.

With additional felts for the softest, most intimate sound possible, NI’s VST edition of the Unacorda is worth a try.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• An interesting remake of a one-of-a-kind modern piano
• Great for soft, prepared piano tone

Cons:

• Limited to one unconventional piano tone
• Works well as a complement to more standard piano plugins

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8. UVI Key Suite (Paid, subscription available)

Authentically recreate pianos like the classic Steinway Model D grand piano.

Keysuite is UVI’s collection of grand, upright, electric, plucked and metallophone pianos.

Coming from a respected name in sample-based instrument recording, each of UVI Keysuite’s instruments pay tribute a sizeable collection of famous pianos.

With meticulous sampling, advanced scripting and onboard effects, those who need authentic, modern piano sounds will find lots to love.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Samples many classic pianos, e-pianos and more
• Good effects and tone shaping controls

Cons:

• Premium price tag

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9. Garritan CFX (Paid)

An authentic recreation of the classic Yamaha CFX Grand Piano.

Garritan CFX is another ultra-realistic piano sampling project conducted at Abbey Road Studios.

It focuses on the Yamaha CFX grand—the pinnacle of modern Japanese piano building.

Garritan CFX presents this fantastic instrument with meticulous sampling and good effects, mic’ing and tone shaping control sections.

Consider it if you’re looking for the best digital creation of this specific modern piano.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Great recreation of the Yamaha CFX
• Meticulously recorded at Abbey Road Studios
• Good mic and effects controls

Cons:

• Limited to one type of piano

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10. Native Instruments’ Alicia’s Keys (paid)

A pop-forward piano VST reproducing a legendary artist’s keyboard in your DAW.

If you need piano sounds in the context of a pop or R&B tune, Alicia’s Keys might be the exact piano VST for you.

Recorded in conjunction with Native Instrument’s team of professional sound engineers and Alicia Keys herself, this sample-based piano plugin recreates Keys’ very own Yamaha Neo grand piano.

The plugin includes unconventional samples that allow you to blend the natural of sound of fingers hitting keys into the piano’s overall sound.

Alicia Keys was so impressed with the plugin she used it throughout her 2009 record ‘The Element of Freedom’.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Authentic tone from a Grammy Award-winning producer
• Unconventional sampling to create a realistic feel

Cons:

• Slightly dated interface
• Sensitivity limited to 12 velocity levels
• Limited to one piano sound

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11. Klavir by MNTRA (Free)

A free recreation of a classical Czech-made Petrof upright piano.

Klavir is an interesting and unique free piano sampling a vintage Czech-made Petrof upright piano.

It’s a great way to access the spindly, soft and at-times thin sound of upright pianos without paying a dime.

The plugin also includes some interesting preset effects that lend themselves well to ambient and lo-fi productions.

Considering that the piano VST is entirely free to download and use, there’s no risk in trying it for yourself!

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Free
• Samples a rare, vintage piano
• Includes some interesting presets and effects

Cons:

• Non-traditional sound
• Not well-suited for classical, jazz or standard piano sounds

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12. Piano One VST (Free)

The best free concert piano plugin recreates the Yamaha C7 grand piano.

Piano One VST is a good free option that recreates the sound of the classic Yamaha C7 grand piano.

Utilising a hybrid sampling and modelling technology, it delivers a decent concert grand tone in a surprisingly small 2.5 GB package.

It also includes solid tone and reverb controls that allow for basic sound shaping.

This VST offers a bright, clear sound that is versatile enough for classical, jazz, and pop compositions, making it one of the best free piano plugins for concert grand piano tones.

Get the plugin.

Pros:

• Free
• Authentic concert grand piano sound
• Relatively small file size

Cons:

• Limited to VST and AU formats
• Fewer in-depth controls
• Sound is a digital recreation, not a multi-mic sample capture

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Buyer’s Guide: Choosing Your Piano VST

Here’s what you should be paying attention to when choosing a piano VST.

Sample-Based vs. Physical Modelling

Piano VSTs are broadly classified into two main technologies. Sample-based pianos (such as Native Instruments Noire and Spitfire Originals) rely on high-quality audio recordings of real instruments.

This approach offers stunning realism but results in large file sizes, often requiring tens of gigabytes of hard drive space.

Physical Modelling Pianos (like Modartt Pianoteq 9) use complex mathematical algorithms and synthesis to recreate the sound of a piano digitally.

They deliver an authentic, expressive tone while maintaining an incredibly small file size, often in the megabytes.

Library Size: Single Pianos vs. Libraries

Another major distinction is the scope of the plugin. Some VSTs are Single Pianos, focusing meticulously on one specific instrument, such as Native Instruments Noire (Nils Frahm’s piano) or Garritan CFX (the Yamaha CFX Grand).

These are ideal when you need the definitive version of a particular piano sound.

Larger Libraries or collections, such as Spectrasonics Keyscape and UVI Key Suite, offer a massive range of pianos, electric pianos, and other keyboard instruments, providing greater versatility but often at a higher price and with a larger install size.

Micing and Effects

Premium plugins like Soniccouture Hammersmith Pro and Garritan CFX offer extensive Micing options, allowing you to blend multiple microphone positions (e.g., close, ambient, binaural) to shape the sound’s character and space.

The quality and control over onboard Effects (reverb, delay, EQ) are also crucial for fitting the piano into your mix.

Velocity, Sensitivity, and Realness

The VST must accurately respond to your playing dynamics. This is often achieved through deep Velocity Layering, where many different samples are recorded for each note at varying volumes (Soniccouture Hammersmith Pro has 21 layers).

This, combined with features like true sustain pedal samples and advanced scripting, dictates the overall Sensitivity and Realness of the instrument, ensuring a convincing and expressive performance.

Spitfire Audio Originals Intimate Grand Piano

Warm, authentic piano sounds

Experience the stirring warmth of a Steinway Model A grand piano. Spitfire Audio Originals Intimate Grand Piano is available as part of +$3,000 worth of music tools from LANDR Studio.

Get LANDR Studio

Player piano

No VST instrument collection is complete without a great piano.

Whether you’re looking for stunning realism or cinematic ambience, there’s a virtual piano for you on this list.

If you’ve made it through this article, you’ll have a great start when it comes to choosing the best piano VST.

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Michael Hahn is an engineer and producer at Autoland and member of the swirling indie rock trio Slight.

@Michael Hahn

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