Short answer: A digital piano is designed to recreate the feel and sound of an acoustic piano, while a keyboard is a lighter electronic instrument with many built-in sounds and features.
If you’re buying your first instrument, you’ll often hear the terms keyboard and digital piano used interchangeably. In reality, they are designed for different purposes and offer very different playing experiences.
Keyboards: Lightweight and Versatile
Most keyboards have fewer than the piano’s standard 88 keys—61 keys is a common size. Their keys are light to the touch and require very little resistance, making them easy to play but quite different from an acoustic piano.
Keyboards usually include hundreds of built-in sounds, rhythm patterns and automatic accompaniment features. They’re excellent for electronic music, songwriting and music production, but they aren’t ideal for developing traditional piano technique.
Digital Pianos: Built for Piano Players
A digital piano is designed to reproduce the playing experience of an acoustic piano as closely as possible. Most models have 88 keys with weighted or hammer-action keyboards that provide realistic resistance under your fingers.
Digital pianos typically offer fewer sounds than keyboards, but the piano sound itself is usually much more realistic. If your goal is to learn piano rather than simply play an electronic keyboard, a digital piano is generally the better choice.
