Education · head to head
Flowkey vs Sky Guide
Flowkey
Education
Piano learning app with microphone or MIDI listening and a large licensed song catalogue
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Sky Guide
Education
iOS astronomy app that moved from a one-time purchase to a free-to-download, subscription-tiered model
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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.; Sky Guide it is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- They diverge on capability: Flowkey covers Large licensed song library, Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Flowkey and Sky Guide actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Sky Guide
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Camera and gyroscope sky view
- Deep-sky object catalogue
- Extreme zoom
- Satellite tracking
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 Sky Guide
- Someone with a MIDI-capable digital keyboard wanting more accurate feedback than microphone listening alonenot Sky Guide
- A learner motivated by a large, varied song catalogue rather than a strict beginner curriculumnot Sky Guide
- A pianist wanting slow-down and loop tools to work through a specific difficult passage in a real piecenot Sky Guide
Sky Guide
- An iOS stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing tripnot Flowkey
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot Flowkey
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot Flowkey
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot 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.
Sky Guide
- It is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- It has moved from one-time purchase to a subscription model, and long-time users who paid once for earlier versions have criticised the change publicly.
- Pro tier pricing is high relative to Star Walk 2 for broadly similar core stargazing functionality.
- It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, which limits it to naked-eye and camera-based observing.
- Its relationship to other apps under the same distribution platform is not clearly documented, which makes long-term support commitments harder to assess.
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
Sky Guide
Free- Sky GuideFree
- Base sky map and object labelling
- Sky Guide Plus$19.99/year
- Larger star and satellite catalogue
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Sky Guide Pro$39.99/year
- Very large deep-sky object catalogue
- Exoplanet data
- Extreme zoom
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.
Choose Sky Guide if
- You need light pollution forecasting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS.
- You also want meteor shower prediction.
Questions people ask
- Is Flowkey or Sky Guide better?
- Neither clearly leads. Flowkey starts at Free and Sky Guide at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Flowkey or Sky Guide?
- Flowkey starts at Free and Sky Guide at Free.
- Does Flowkey or Sky Guide run on more platforms?
- Flowkey runs on iOS, Android, Web. Sky Guide runs on iOS.
- 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 Sky Guide is typically brought in for.
- What can Flowkey do that Sky Guide cannot?
- Flowkey covers Large licensed song library, MIDI keyboard support, Microphone listening, Slow-down and loop tools. Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Meteor shower prediction, Camera and gyroscope sky view, Deep-sky object catalogue.
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.
Sky Guide: Is Sky Guide free?
The base app is free to download; Plus and Pro are subscription upgrades for a larger catalogue and forecasting features.
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.
Sky Guide: Did Sky Guide used to be a one-time purchase?
Yes, earlier versions were sold as a one-time purchase before it moved to the current free-plus-subscription model.
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.
Sky Guide: Does Sky Guide support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
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