Home Tech Best Free Piano VSTs – Plugins Producers Love in 2025
Best Free Piano VSTs – Plugins Producers Love in 2025
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Best Free Piano VSTs – Plugins Producers Love in 2025

Home Tech Best Free Piano VSTs – Plugins Producers Love in 2025

We explore some of the best free piano VSTs, instrument libraries & plugins producers swear by in 2025. We also list down affordable piano instruments and the key features to look for in these plugins & libraries.

What are the best Free Piano VSTs for 2025? (quick list):

1. Soft Piano by Spitfire: Best Free Piano Plugin for beginners

2. Blueprint: Epic Grand by Fracture Sounds

3. Spindle Upright Piano by Orchestral Tools

4. Lofi Piano by Steinberg

5. Keyzone Classic by Bitsonic

6. Intimate Grand Piano by Spitfire

7. D Piano-E by Dead Duck Software

With the rise of software versions of every possible instrument in the world, there is one thing lacking: authentic sound and humanization capabilities in modern-day free piano plugins and libraries. Typically, a common mistake amateur music producers make is loading their setup with too many plugins and sample packs. It’s important to thoroughly understand what value each additional plugin, library, or sample pack would add to your workflow. We’ve focused solely on highlighting high-quality free plugins that don’t compromise sound quality and provide additional parameters to tweak sounds to your liking.

Key Features to look for in Free Piano Plugins

  1. Prioritize Sound Quality: This is probably the most important characteristic to look for in a piano plugin. Whether you need a Rhodes, Electric, Digital, Grand, or Soft Piano, each has different options. Once you decide if you are aiming for a particular sound or just want all types of piano, you can find the right set of plugins for you.
  2. Keep an Eye on CPU Usage: VST Instruments and libraries can often be quite heavy on your CPU usage. If you are not running a high-end CPU, it’s a good practice that you look for options that might be easy to load and operate without taking too much processing power.
  3. Go for an Intuitive Interface: Easy user interfaces allow for quick optimizations and getting the desired sound in a quick time. Whereas when there are too many controls that aren’t properly labeled or placed it gets quite hectic in finding the right sound.


1. Soft Piano by Spitfire LABS – Great Free Piano VST for beginners

Free Spitfire Audio Labs Soft Piano
Spitfire Audio

There’s a high chance you might have heard about this one, as it stands as one of the most popular free piano VSTs for beginners. It was recorded at the Air Edel Studios in London, which has a space designed to be acoustically very dry. The Soft Piano has an incredibly soft tone that was achieved with the help of a thin strip of felt between the hammers and the strings of the piano. As a result, the tone has a bit of a gloomy touch to it. The user interface is really simple and intuitive, without any learning curve whatsoever. The samples were recorded back in 2008 and are still one of the most popular free options out there. While it may be the most popular choice, there have been some amazing options since then, which we list below.

Features:

  • Softly Played Felted Piano recorded in 2008 at AIR Studios.
  • 417.8 MB MB with sustain pedal up and down samples.
  • Excellent for creating ambient or cinematic textures.
  • Free via LABS Plugin (don’t be misled by the “Try Free” button on the landing page, as you can access it at no cost)

Genre/Style: Soft, gloomy, dark, sad

Available on

SPITFIRE.COM

2. Blueprint: Epic Grand by Fracture Sounds – A rich, cinematic recreation of the Steinway Model D, perfect for scoring or trailer music

free blueprint epic grand piano vst

Fracture Sounds

This free piano VST library is an emulation of the Steinway Model D, recorded in a large concert hall with an array of microphone options and effects to shape the sound. The Model D is the flagship piano from Steinway & Sons, first built in 1884. The piano has a rich tonal texture that is faithfully recreated in this VST.

The user interface is neatly designed without overwhelming users with too many features. At the core of this Kontakt library are all the essential features to manipulate the sound. Color allows you to adjust the piano’s brightness, with lower settings offering a darker vibe. Hype applies compression, EQ, and saturation to the sound; Stereo Width controls the stereo widening effect; Reverb knob applies a reverb effect; Mic Mix controls the amount of close, mid, and far mics; Sample Start increases the sample start time to reduce latency; and Velocity Response controls the instrument’s volume based on MIDI device velocity input.

Features

  • Steinway Model D (recorded in Octaves)
  • Three microphone options: Close, Mid, and Far
  • Up to 5 Round Robins
  • Up to 3 Dynamic Layers
  • Full NKS support – works with Komplete Kontrol hardware.
  • 4.1GB download size (NCW compressed from a 8GB sample pool).
  • Runs in the free Kontakt Player (v7 or later). No additional sampler software needed.

Genre/Style: Epic, Cinematic, great for scoring/trailer music.

Available on

FRACTURE SOUNDS

3. Spindle Upright Piano by Orchestral Tools – A warm, soft-felt piano ideal for emotive or ambient compositions

Spindle Felt Piano VST by Orchestral Tools

Orchestral Tools

Orchestral Tools is one of the finest instrument library developers at present. The quality of their samples is immaculate and absolutely worth the investment. They have libraries for various instruments, including brass, bass, drums, cello, and some free options as part of their SINE factory collection. Spindle Upright Piano is a free soft piano library that samples a Rösler upright studio piano with soft-felt hammers, producing a muted sound. Wondering what a felt piano is? Felt is an effect produced by dampening the piano’s strings. As a result, the Spindle piano sounds warmer and has a mellower tone. This free piano VST plugin includes three velocity layers with three round-robins (different recordings of the same sample) per note, making it ideal for repetitive arrangements.


The user interface has limited modification options, though it’s quite convenient to layer other Orchestral Tools libraries in the Sine player. What’s nice about this felt piano is that the samples are noise-free and produce a warm, soft sound.

Features

  • Rösler upright studio
  • Up to 3 Round Robins
  • Up to 3 Velocity Layers
  • Runs in Orchestral Tools’ free SINEplayer. The latest version is required.
  • 5.7 GB of samples (1.8 GB SINEarc compressed)

Genre/Style: Ambient, Pop, Emotive music

Available on:

ORCHESTRAL TOOLS

4. Lofi Piano by Steinberg – A nostalgic free upright piano VST featuring six lo-fi effects for chill and retro vibes

free lofi piano vst steinberg

Steinberg

Steinberg, the company behind the DAW Cubase, also offers some interesting free VST instruments. If you’re looking for a slightly lower fidelity piano, this is probably one of the best free piano VST instruments available. It’s based on an upright acoustic piano and was recorded with vintage microphones. An important component of a Lo-Fi effect is the mixture of effects that add movement and excitement to the sound. Lo-Fi Piano includes six Lo-Fi-inspired effects: flutter, compress, saturate, reduce, filter, and reverb. The user interface is simple and creatively designed according to Lo-Fi aesthetics. The Free VST Instrument also includes a built-in MIDI Chord Pad for Lo-Fi progressions.

Features

  • Upright Acoustic Piano
  • 6 effects
  • built-in MIDI chord pad
  • Runs in HALion Sonic free plugin

Genre: LoFi, cinematic, chillout, and retro.

Available on:

STEINBERG.COM

5. Keyzone Classic by Bitsonic – A lightweight plugin with samples of iconic pianos like Yamaha and Rhodes, suitable for diverse genres

keyzone classic piano vst

Bitsonic

Keyzone Classic is a sample-based free piano plugin. While it may not look the most appealing in terms of user interface, it delivers excellent sound quality. It includes samples from Yamaha Grand Piano, Steinway Grand Piano, Basic Electric Piano, and Rhodes Piano. Users rate this plugin very highly for its tonal texture. Although it may not work properly in all DAWs and has limited support, it’s still an excellent option for those seeking a lightweight free piano VST instrument. Due to its massive popularity, Bitsonic has launched two more iterations of Keyzone Classic.

Features

  • 4 different piano options
  • Includes ADSR envelope, Detune, Reverb, Velocity Curve and LFO
  • Runs in HALion Sonic free plugin

Genre: Suitable for various styles including pop, electronic and more.

Available on:

PLUGINS 4 FREE

6. Intimate Grand Free Piano VST by Spitfire – A vintage Steinway Model A, perfect for subtle, melancholic tracks

initmate grand piano vst  spitfire labs

Spitfire

Spitfire Audio Labs is one of the most popular free instrument VSTs among music producers. With a rich history of creating high-quality software versions of instruments, Spitfire has done an excellent job with their free Labs plugins, though their recent switch to a subscription-based model has drawn significant criticism. The Intimate Grand Piano library, however, remains free to use—don’t be misled by the “Try Free” button on the landing page, as you can access it at no cost. The Intimate Grand Piano samples a vintage Steinway Model A grand recorded in Castlesound Studios, Scotland. The free VST instrument includes seven presets ranging from dark to bright, making it ideal for various genres. The user interface features two faders and a knob at its core. You can adjust the reverb, hammer (key release sound level), tightness, and pedal noise level.

Features

  • Recorded using vintage Steinway Model A grand piano
  • Seven distinct presets from Ambient to Subdued
  • Four key controls: Reverb, Hammers, Tightness, and Pedal
  • Completely free, no LABS+ subscription needed
  • Specialized for subtle, melancholic compositions
  • Includes 30-day offline mode functionality

Genre: Pop, Hip-hop, Electronic and related styles.

Available on:

SPITFIRE.COM

7. D Piano-E by Dead Duck Software – A retro-inspired electric piano offering rich Rhodes sounds for pop and electronic styles

D Piano-E by Dead Duck Software

Dead Duck Software

D Piano-E is an exceptional lightweight Piano VST and definitely deserves more recognition. If you’re looking for a Rhodes sound, this one does an excellent job without breaking the bank. The user interface is quite simple, featuring a retro analog look with a small screen. There are plenty of controls for sound shaping, including hardness, treble, overdrive, decay, release, and modulation settings. The plugin is available in VST 2.4 format for Windows 32-bit and 64-bit hosts. While future firmware updates are uncertain as software evolves, it currently stands as one of the best-sounding free electric pianos available.

Features:

  • Basic tuning controls with fine adjustment and key randomization
  • Sound shaping via hardness, treble, overdrive, and decay settings
  • Built-in modulation with tremolo and autopan options
  • Up to 32-voice polyphony
  • Adjustable stereo width and velocity response

Genre: Pop, disco, electronic.

Available On:

PLUGINS 4 FREE

More free options:


Affordable Alternatives to Soft & Grand Piano VSTs

There are some interesting affordable options that won’t limit you in terms of functionality or features. We’ve compiled a list of some amazing affordable Piano VST Instruments down below:

Classical Piano by Frontline Producer

Fire by Sampleson

Electrix by Sampleson

Toy Piano by AudioThing

PRIPYAT Pianos by Strix Instruments

Emotive Felt Piano by Organic Loops

Ravel Grand Piano by Universal Audio


FAQ

Are free piano plugins as good as paid ones?

There isn’t a definitive answer to this question. While there are some amazing free options, many are limited in the sounds they provide or in modulation features. As far as tonal quality is concerned, the free ones listed above in this article are comparable to some premium options. However, they might fall short when compared with Orchestral Tools, Spitfire Libraries, or East-West Sounds.

Are all the listed Free Piano VST MIDI compatible?

Yes, all the listed options are MIDI-compatible though the functionality such as Sustain, Release might be limited in some of the free options.

The free piano VSTs we’ve covered, from Blueprint’s Epic Grand to Dead Duck Software’s D Piano-E, offer impressive sound quality and features that rival many paid alternatives. While premium libraries from companies like Orchestral Tools and Spitfire Audio provide additional depth and customization options, these free instruments can certainly hold their own in professional productions. The key is to choose the piano VST that best suits your specific needs, considering factors like sound quality, CPU usage, and interface design.

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