The 6 best cheap keyboards and digital pianos under $500 in 2023

Searching for the best keyboard piano under $500 is no easy task because there are limited options. Even an affordable keyboard piano has to offer a certain level of playing experience that usually costs a little more.

Yamaha P45 in our test (its cheaper copy, P71, listed below)

Luckily, we still managed to find everything you’d want, like 88 weighted keys and great piano sounds, on a budget.

These are the best cheap keyboard pianos on the market right now:

Alesis Prestige

4.6

The best keyboard piano under $500 right now

The Alesis Prestige is not only ideal for beginners, but it will also last well into the intermediate phase and potentially beyond. We say that because it has a feel and sound that is very hard to match in this price range.

Image by Alesis

Available at:

Sweetwater
Amazon

The Alesis Prestige is a full-size keyboard piano with scaled hammer-action keys and a max polyphony of 128 notes. It comes with some features that make things easier for beginners, like Record mode and Lesson mode.

It has 16 voices, including some of the best grand pianos you will hear at this price. Even more surprising is the outstanding quality of the electric pianos, especially the Wurly.

The Prestige comes with an impressive built-in speaker system that should be more than enough for any beginner scenario. If you do need external amplification as you progress, it also offers more connectivity options than most in its class.

Check out our full Alesis Prestige review

Yamaha P71

4.5

One of the most popular models ever

The Yamaha P71 (P-45) has been around for a while, and other keyboards have caught up to it, but it still has a lot to offer.

If you’re looking for a straightforward, no-fuss, affordable keyboard piano, it absolutely delivers. On sound and feel, it competes with most competition easily.

Image by Yamaha

Available at:

Amazon

The Yamaha P71 is an Amazon exclusive version of the popular P-45, and it’s Yamaha’s cheapest keyboard piano with weighted keys. They are essentially the same instrument. It comes with graded hammer-action keys and a max polyphony of 64 notes.

Other than a few reverb types and keyboard modes (Layer/Duo), there’s not much else going on. The lack of features is one of the best things about the P71 because it’s all about the piano.

There are 10 voices, with the flagship voices being the two grand pianos. Between the two grand pianos, you get a good mix of dark, rich tones, along with a brighter variation that’s great for pop music.

The realistic feel, and high-quality sound combined with a very easy-to-use layout, make the Yamaha P71 a solid keyboard piano for beginners.

Check out our full Yamaha P-45 review

Alesis Recital Pro

4.3

Possibly the best under $400

The Recital Pro is a step up from the Alesis Concert and not quite as good as the Prestige. Although not as good as the Prestige, it still provides excellent value for money, high-quality sound, and hammer-action keys. At under $400, it’s tough to complain.

Image by Alesis

Available at:

Sweetwater
Amazon

The Alesis Recital Pro is a great example of a cheap keyboard piano all-rounder, and it has some give and take in almost every area.

It has weighted hammer-action keys but not graded/scaled keys. It has 12 voices, which is more than you get with many similar keyboard pianos. While it has more versatility than some, the overall sound quality perhaps isn’t as high.

The Recital Pro has a basic built-in recorder that allows beginners to assess their performance. It also has Lesson mode for student/teacher playing. More surprisingly, it has some pretty good built-in effects, including modulation and chorus.

The 20 W built-in speakers are amongst the best in class.

Check out our full Alesis Recital Pro review

Alesis Concert

4.2

Outstanding value for money at under $300

As an affordable keyboard piano, there isn’t much to complain about with the Alesis Concert. The trouble is that it falls short of some other keyboards on our list.

However, some users might benefit from lighter keys (semi-weighted), and in that case, it’s probably the best keyboard piano under $300.

Image by Alesis

Available at:

Sweetwater
Amazon

The Alesis Concert is another instrument in the companies line of budget keyboard pianos. It’s an 88-key keyboard with semi-weighted keys and adjustable touch-response.

The 10 built-in voices include two acoustic pianos, an electric piano, strings, organs, and more. That’s a decent range of voices for such a cheap keyboard piano, and Layer mode allows you to combine two voices.

It has a max polyphony of 128 notes, which is very good considering the low price.

Beginners will enjoy features like Lesson mode and the built-in metronome to get your timing down.

Despite not being the smallest keyboard on our list, it is one of the lightest at just over 15 lbs. It’s battery-powered (optional), too, so it’s extremely portable.

The 20 W built-in speaker system delivers enough power for most beginner/intermediate users.

Check out our full Alesis Concert review

Roland Go:Piano88

4.2

Legendary sounds on a budget

Roland Go keyboards are lots of fun, and this 88-key version is no exception. It has a lot to offer, including some stunning sounds.

The only thing that lets it down is that it doesn’t have weighted keys. However, if that doesn’t bother you, it’s an inexpensive way to get some premium Roland voices.

Image by Roland

Available at:

Sweetwater
Amazon

The Roland Go:Piano88 is a lightweight, 88-key keyboard piano with a max polyphony of 128 notes.

One significant benefit of not having weighted keys is that the Go:Piano88 is very portable (battery-power optional).

While the lack of weighted keys might suggest a lack of expression, the quality of Roland’s grand piano sounds goes some way towards making up for that.

Onboard voices include piano, electric piano, organ, and strings. A pair of 10 W amplifiers power the built-in 6″ speakers.

It has Bluetooth connectivity to stream audio (backing tracks, etc), which is very useful when learning new songs/styles.

Check out our full Roland Go:Piano88 review

Alesis Virtue

4.0

One for future pianists

Without weighted keys, we are reluctant to say it’s the best digital piano under $500, but it just might be. The playing experience of sitting on a bench at a proper digital piano with the wooden stand and three-pedal system makes it feel more formal.

While it can still be all about fun, for some kids, the idea of having a grown-up piano will help them learn faster.

Image by Alesis

Available at:

Sweetwater
Amazon

The Alesis Virtue is somewhat of a jack of all trades, which isn’t necessarily bad.

It’s an 88-key (touch-sensitive keys, not weighted) digital piano with a whopping 360 voices and max polyphony of 128 notes. The number of voices is unusual for a digital piano, and while quality isn’t as high as some others, it’s certainly versatile.

All voices can be split or layered. The versatility continues with 160 built-in accompaniments and 80 demo songs. Learners can use Lesson mode for student/teacher playing and the built-in 3-track recorder to evaluate their performance.

Everything is delivered through a powerful 30 W speaker system. Jack of all trades it might be, but it’s excellent value for money.

Check out our full Alesis Virtue review

Conclusion

The keyboard pianos on this list might be low-priced, but there’s no shortage of quality. Making the right choice is about finding the right balance between sticking to your budget and finding a quality instrument that meets your needs.

We are extremely confident that the budget keyboard pianos on our list are by far the best value for money on the market in 2023.

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