The Best 88-Key Weighted Keyboards [2025]

If you’re learning to play the piano, there’s nothing quite like the real thing. The good news? Depending on where you live, there are probably several upright pianos for free on Craigslist or OfferUp for local pickup.

The bad news? Moving a piano is like trying to move a Prius—one without wheels. There’s a reason your local grannies are giving theirs away for free.

But there’s a simple—and sometimes even affordable, solution—and if you found this page, I think you already know what it is. 88-key weighted keyboards give you the authentic feel, sensitivity, and sound of a real acoustic piano—but you can carry them under one arm.

A good 88-key weighted keyboard has, you guessed it, 88 weighted keys (the same number as a full-size acoustic piano) that are calibrated to have the same “heavy” feel as a real piano (simulating hammer action), so playing one feels, and by extension sounds, a lot more like a real piano than your standard digital piano. Some of these have extensive tone banks and advanced features for professional performance, while others really just aim to simulate a piano.

I’ve compiled a list of what I think are the best 88-key weighted keyboards on the market right now for a range of user needs. I’ve accounted for sound, functionality, affordability, portability, and more—so this list should make it easy to find the best 88-key weighted keyboard for your needs.

Why Trust Me?

I’m a lifelong musician with over 20 years of experience playing, performing, and teaching music. While my first instrument was guitar, I grew up taking piano lessons, and am a passionate (though, it should be said, extremely mediocre) keyboard player with experience on a broad range of instruments.

There’s nothing like the feeling of playing a real acoustic piano—their sensitivity is the perfect counterpart to the human spirit, and a good player on a good instrument can evoke incredible feelings in anyone. 

Digital 88-key weighted keyboards can do this, too—I know from experience. I either own, have owned, (or aspire to own) some of the models from this list, and you know what? I think you’re going to be a lot better off with one of these picks than Grandma’s old out-of-tune upright.

Okay, let’s take a look at the list.

The Best 88-Key Weighted Keyboards

1. Best Overall - Nord Stage 4 88 Stage Keyboard

SPECS:

• Keys: 88 Triple Sensor Hammer-action with aftertouch
• Polyphony: 120-voice
• Presets: 512 Programs, 8 Banks, 8 Pages per Bank
• Effects: Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Vibrato, Amp, Modulation

While far from the most affordable keyboard on this list, the Nord Stage 4 is known in professional circles as the best 88-key weighted keyboard, period—so, here it is in the top slot. 

The Stage 4 is, as the name implies, a stage keyboard—meaning it’s outfitted with all the bells and whistles a pro performer could possibly need, from a massive tone bank and sample memory to mega-versatile connectivity, premium build quality and processing, and onboard controllers.

Nearly endless presets, that you can layer in an infinite number of combinations, means unique tones are the name of the game here. Powered by Nord’s Wave 2 Synth Engine, the Stage 4 brings an unparalleled degree of power and control to the picture. What does this mean for you? It means more accurate tone reproduction, and more of them, than any other keyboard on the market, period. Add to that a full array of effects, including amp sim, and you’ve got one versatile machine.

Onboard controls include drawbars, a modulation wheel, and a wooden pitch stick, plus an included NSP1 Sustain Pedal. You get MIDI and USB connectivity, a headphone out for silent practicing, and four ¼” TRS outputs. 

Reviewers say that getting the hang of controlling this beast has a bit of a learning curve. Again, this is a keyboard for professional players who have experience not only using the piano keys, but know how to dive in to a deep menu and finagle a high level of control to their liking. It’s also very, very pricey. I could have said this is the best 88-key weighted keyboard for professionals, or best premium 88-key weighted keyboard, but it is pretty much universally regarded as the best of the best across the board, so I couldn’t put it anywhere else but the top slot.

Novice and intermediate players, read on to find a more affordable, more manageable 88-key weighted keyboard for beginners—I didn’t forget about you.

2. Best Features - Roland V-STAGE88 Stage Piano

SPECS: 

• Keys: 88 Weighted Ivory Feel
• Sound Engine: 4 x Engines: ZEN-core, SuperNATURAL Electric, V-Piano, VTW Organ
• Presets: 400 Tones, 512 Scenes, 128 Scene Chains
• Effects: 9 x Chorus, 7 x Reverb, 93 x Multi-effects (16 systems)

It seems Roland got tired of all the “industry standard” talk about the Nord Stage 4 and decided to come for their crown with the V-STAGE88 Stage Piano.

Designed with a gigging musician’s workflow needs in mind, the V-STAGE line (available in 76- and 88-key) represents Roland’s understanding that user experience is every bit as important as top-line tones—especially in a live performance setting.

“The whole idea behind the V-STAGE,”  Roland’s Dustin Good informed me in a personal product demo at NAMM 2025, “is having everything you need for stage and performance right on the top panel. Of course there’s a lot of very powerful menu options for when you’re in the studio [...] while we do have a very deep modeling in there that you can tweak, right on the top panel you’ve got the most impactful controls.”

And, as I heard in the demo, the V-STAGE series’s four advanced sound engines combine Roland’s latest cutting-edge sound technologies with tons of customization and control for all the depth, clarity, and detail you need in any setting.

One of the best new features, per Good, is “scene remain,” for “when you’re on the stage, if you’re sustaining a big layer, with reverb trails and all that, and you switch to your next scene, you’re not going to have any cutoffs.” 

With four sound engines (featuring unlimited polyphony on the acoustic piano and organ settings), deep modeling capabilities, adjustable stereo width, and so much more at your fingertips, there’s no question that you can find the sounds in your head on a V-STAGE keyboard. But what’s perhaps most compelling is just how easy it is to find those sounds—even in real time onstage.

3. Best for Home - Casio Privia PX-S7000

SPECS:

• Keys: 
• Polyphony: 256 Notes
• Presets: 400 x Tones
• Effects: 8 x Reverb, 8 x Hall Simulator, 12 x Chorus

Casio’s Privia line is all about slim and stylish digital pianos that are useful enough to be truly great instruments, and good-looking enough to be the centerpiece of your living room.

Casio’s flagship Privia, the PX-S7000, offers more features, tones, and connectivity than all the rest. With over 400 tones (including some legendary concert grand pianos from around the world), you’ve got every keyboard sound you could ever possibly need at your fingertips. 

But the Privia is all about the look and feel at the end of the day. You get a full set of 88 Smart Hybrid Hammer Action keys that have a really nice, natural feel to the touch thanks to their weighted hybrid wood/plastic composite construction. And these are equipped with 5 sensitivity levels, along with 10 hammer response levels, so you can dial in the exact feel you want.

Plus, there’s a Pitch Bend Wheel for expression and bends on those guitar and synth sounds, as well as a fixed 3-pedal unit with damper (continuously variable), soft (2 levels), and sostenuto pedals to complete the authentic piano experience. Add to that over 20 reverb, hall, and chorus effects, and you can build (and store, and record) all the tone settings you could possibly need.

The sleek chassis betrays little of the functionality that lies within due to its streamlined top-panel controls and tactfully placed I/Os. The rear of the chassis is outfitted with 4 cloth-grilled speakers that, with the aid of 4 onboard 8W amplifiers, deliver a solid serving of sound. (It’s also got ¼” outs for use with an external speaker or amp, plus two headphone jacks.) And additional connectivity options abound, including USB and Bluetooth (via included adapter).

If you’re just going to be setting up your keyboard at home, you can’t do better than this. Read my full review of the Casio Privia PX-S7000 to learn more.

4. Best 88-Key Weighted Keyboard for Beginners - Alesis Prestige Artist

SPECS:

• Keys: 88 Full Size, Graded Hammer Action
• Polyphony: 256 Voice
• Presets: 30 Voices
• Effects: 5 x Reverb

Okay, while the picks on this list so far have erred on the side of pricey stage pianos, I've got a more affordable pick for you beginners and pragmatists who just need a good, realistic-feeling digital piano that won't break the bank.

The Alesis Prestige Artist 88-key is a good, simple keyboard that seems designed with beginners' needs in mind—not only because of its price point, but also because it contains a multitude of learning features that are sure to come in handy for those who are just getting their footing.

There's a Lesson Mode that allows you to split the keyboard into two sections, so a teacher and student sitting side by side can work through the same piece simultaneously (another benefit of all those keys!). Plus, there's a recording mode so you can track and listen back to the piece you're working on.

The Prestige Artist has a modest 30 tone voices, which, in my opinion, is all you really need—more, in fact, than you need if you are just trying to learn the piano (in which case you only need one!). But it's fun to have variety, and the fact that there are 30 tones make this keyboard 30 times more useful than an acoustic piano. And the 5 reverb settings will transport you from your bedroom to concert halls and beyond.

The included sustain pedal and music rest complete the package. Just add a piano bench (for two).

5. Best 88-Key Weighted Keyboard Under $500 - Yamaha P-45 88-Key Digital Piano

SPECS:

• Keys: 88 Graded Hammer Standard
• Polyphony: 64 Notes
• Presets: 10 x Demo, 10 x Piano
• Effects: 4 x Reverbs

Another solid affordable pick is the Yamaha P-45. Simplicity is the name of the game here, with an emphasis on ease of use, realistic feel, and a great piano sound—and not much more.

Super portable and lightweight (at only 25 lbs), the P-45 can accompany you anywhere. It features dual built-in stereo 6W speakers that deliver an impressive sound for its size. There's a duo mode for teaming up with a friend or teacher, and the grand piano tone, powered by Yamaha’s AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) sampling, is truly a standout even among much more expensive instruments.

But the real winning feature here is Yamaha's Graded Hammer Standard keybed. Not only is this a fully weighted keybed, but it actually provides you with light response in the upper register, getting progressively heavier the lower you play. This makes it one of the most realistic feeling digital pianos on the market, despite its very budget-friendly price point.

6. Most Realistic 88-Key Weighted Keyboard Yamaha Arius YDP-165

SPECS:

• Keys: 88 GH3 Weighted, Graded Hammer Action, Synthetic Ebony/Ivory Keytops
• Polyphony: 192 Notes
• Presets: 10 x Sounds, Yamaha CFX Concert Grand, Electric Piano, Organ, Vibraphone, Strings
• Effects: 4 x Reverb

If you're looking for the closest thing to a real piano possible, only way, way easier to move, look no further than Yamaha's Arius YDP-165. With the same graded hammer action keybed as the P-45, only with more realistic synthetic ebony and ivory keytops for a truly authentic piano playing experience.

Yamaha's high-tech sampling system replicates the sound of Yamaha's flagship 9-ft grand piano, and 4 different reverbs give you a variety of sonic environments to play in. And the Arius isn't just for pros—there are 353 built-in songs to help you learn and practice, and when you sync to the Smart Pianist app, you can configure settings and voices from your phone and even analyze your playing to produce a chord chart—a very handy feature for songwriters!

The main thing here, though, is the look and sound of a real Yamaha piano, without the steep price or pain of transportation—plus a lot of great features you can't get with an acoustic piano. Value add: bench included!

7. Best 88-Key Weighted MIDI Controller - Arturia KeyLab 88 mk3

SPECS:

• Keys: 88 Fully-weighted Fatar TP/110 Keybed with aftertouch
• Pads: 12 x Velocity/Pressure-sensitive Pads
• Other Controllers:3.5" Display with 8 Contextual Buttons, Pitch/Mod Wheels

If what you're looking for is not so much a realistic weighted piano, but more of a versatile MIDI controller that will allow you to tap into virtually any tone your heart desires, with a realistic and responsive keyboard feel, then you can't do much better than this super-premium MIDI controller from Arturia.

The fully weighted Fatar keybed is calibrated by Arturia for maximum control and expression, with full aftertouch capability. There are a lot more controls as well, including 12 pads, pitchwheels, and pedal inputs, so there's really practically no limit to the expressive capabilities here.

I personally really like the build quality and aesthetic of the KeyLab 88 mk3 as well. For someone who kind of digs more old school aesthetics, this is a MIDI controller that won't look out of place in a room full of acoustic guitars—its aluminum and wood build looks super refined, and adds up to make a tough unit as well.

It's got everything you'd expect from an Arturia MIDI controller, including built-in Arturia Software, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, and Bitwig Studio. If you're more of a savvy studio wizard with some piano chops, this 88-key controller from Arturia is a great level up from your standard controller.

The Verdict

For this guide, I wanted to present a broad range of 88-key weighted keyboards for a variety of user needs. To recap: for beginners looking to get started on a more realistic piano, there's the Alesis Prestige Artist. There are some great premium keyboards for home use, like the Casio Privia PX-S7000 and the Yamaha Arius YDP-165, that are great for beginners and experienced players alike. And finally, if you're an experienced player looking for the best of the best, my best overall pick, the Nord Stage 4, will not disappoint.