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Education · head to head

Flowkey vs Pl@ntNet

Flowkey logo

Flowkey

Education

Piano learning app with microphone or MIDI listening and a large licensed song catalogue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pl@ntNet logo

Pl@ntNet

Education

Free plant identification app run by a consortium of French public research institutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flowkey microphone-only users, without a MIDI keyboard, still hit the same accuracy limits as Simply Piano on fast or dense passages.; Pl@ntNet it offers no plant care guidance, watering reminders or disease diagnosis, unlike commercial apps built around ongoing plant care.
  • They diverge on capability: Flowkey covers Large licensed song library, Pl@ntNet covers Photo identification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flowkey and Pl@ntNet actually diverge.

Attributes where Flowkey and Pl@ntNet differ
AttributeFlowkeyPl@ntNet
Pricing modelPer user per year or monthFree, no ads and no in-app purchases

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (iOS, Android, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Flowkey

  • Large licensed song library
  • MIDI keyboard support
  • Microphone listening
  • Slow-down and loop tools
  • Video lessons
  • Progress tracking

Only in Pl@ntNet

  • Photo identification
  • Large species coverage
  • Multi-language support
  • Community-sourced database
  • Regional flora filtering
  • Contribution to research

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Flowkey

  • An adult returning to piano who wants to work toward specific known songs at a graduated difficultynot Pl@ntNet
  • Someone with a MIDI-capable digital keyboard wanting more accurate feedback than microphone listening alonenot Pl@ntNet
  • A learner motivated by a large, varied song catalogue rather than a strict beginner curriculumnot Pl@ntNet
  • A pianist wanting slow-down and loop tools to work through a specific difficult passage in a real piecenot Pl@ntNet

Pl@ntNet

  • A gardener or hiker who wants free plant identification without a subscriptionnot Flowkey
  • A student or researcher wanting a citation-friendly, institutionally-run identification toolnot Flowkey
  • Someone identifying plants outside English-speaking regions who needs one of its 50-plus languagesnot Flowkey
  • A forager wanting a second opinion on a plant before relying solely on one sourcenot Flowkey

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Flowkey

  • Microphone-only users, without a MIDI keyboard, still hit the same accuracy limits as Simply Piano on fast or dense passages.
  • Its curriculum is less structured around fundamentals than Simply Piano for a complete beginner with no prior reading ability.
  • It is piano only, so a household wanting to cover guitar or other instruments needs a separate subscription elsewhere.
  • The song licensing model means catalogue availability can shift over time as licences change, occasionally removing a previously available arrangement.
  • Full benefit of its more precise feedback mode requires owning a MIDI-capable keyboard, which is an additional cost beyond the subscription for anyone with only an acoustic piano.

Pl@ntNet

  • It offers no plant care guidance, watering reminders or disease diagnosis, unlike commercial apps built around ongoing plant care.
  • Identification accuracy varies by region depending on how well local flora is represented in the community-submitted training data.
  • The interface is more utilitarian than a commercial app, reflecting its research origins rather than consumer product design.
  • It should never be relied on alone to determine whether a wild plant or fungus is safe to eat, and the project itself does not claim otherwise.
  • Because it is run by a nonprofit research consortium rather than a company, feature development and interface updates move more slowly than a funded commercial competitor.

Pricing, plan by plan

Flowkey

Free
  • FlowkeyFree
    • Limited free songs and lessons
  • Premium$119.99/year
    • Full song library and difficulty arrangements
    • MIDI keyboard support
    • Progress tracking

Pl@ntNet

Free
  • Pl@ntNetFree
    • Full identification for over 80,000 species
    • Available in over 50 languages
    • No account required for basic identification

Which should you pick?

Choose Flowkey if

  • You need large licensed song library.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want midi keyboard support.
Flowkey review

Choose Pl@ntNet if

  • You need photo identification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want large species coverage.
Pl@ntNet review

Questions people ask

Is Flowkey or Pl@ntNet better?
Neither clearly leads. Flowkey starts at Free and Pl@ntNet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flowkey or Pl@ntNet?
Flowkey starts at Free and Pl@ntNet at Free.
Does Flowkey or Pl@ntNet run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Flowkey for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flowkey best used for?
Flowkey is most often used for an adult returning to piano who wants to work toward specific known songs at a graduated difficulty, someone with a midi-capable digital keyboard wanting more accurate feedback than microphone listening alone, a learner motivated by a large, varied song catalogue rather than a strict beginner curriculum, a pianist wanting slow-down and loop tools to work through a specific difficult passage in a real piece. Of those, an adult returning to piano who wants to work toward specific known songs at a graduated difficulty and someone with a midi-capable digital keyboard wanting more accurate feedback than microphone listening alone are not what Pl@ntNet is typically brought in for.
What can Flowkey do that Pl@ntNet cannot?
Flowkey covers Large licensed song library, MIDI keyboard support, Microphone listening, Slow-down and loop tools. Pl@ntNet covers Photo identification, Large species coverage, Multi-language support, Community-sourced database.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flowkey: Does Flowkey support MIDI keyboards?

Yes, connecting a MIDI keyboard gives more precise note detection than microphone listening alone.

Pl@ntNet: Is Pl@ntNet free?

Yes, entirely free with no ads or in-app purchases, run by a consortium of French public research institutes.

Flowkey: How is it different from Simply Piano?

Flowkey emphasises a large licensed song catalogue with graduated arrangements, while Simply Piano leans more into a structured beginner curriculum.

Pl@ntNet: How accurate is it?

Accuracy varies by region and species depending on how much community-submitted photo data exists for that flora, but it is generally strong for well-represented regions.

Flowkey: Do I need a MIDI keyboard to use it?

No, microphone listening works with any piano, but MIDI support improves accuracy if you have compatible hardware.

Pl@ntNet: Can I use it to check if a plant is safe to eat?

No. It is an identification aid, not a safety tool, and should not be relied on alone for foraging decisions.

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