Free Synthesia alternative in the browser
Tocata is the Synthesia alternative for people who want falling notes with their own sheet music and nothing to install: it opens MusicXML and MIDI in the browser on a phone or computer, grades your practice, has wait mode and exports vertical video. Free to start. Synthesia is still good at what it does, but it costs US$ 39, runs only as an installed program and has not been updated since 2022.
Open TocataComparison
| App | Runs on | Opens your score | Grades practice | Exports video | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tocata | Browser (phone, tablet, computer) | MusicXML and MIDI | Accuracy, streak, stars, wait mode | Vertical 1080×1920 MP4 | Free to start; Pro R$ 14.90/month or R$ 99/year |
| Synthesia | Desktop app: Windows, Mac, iPad, Android | MIDI and MusicXML | Wait mode | No | US$ 39 one-time; last release in 2022 |
| midee.app | Browser | MIDI only | Wait mode, no scoring | 9:16 MP4, no watermark | Free |
| SeeMusic | Desktop app: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | MIDI and MusicXML | Not found | HD/4K, portrait or landscape | US$ 9.99/month or 79.99/year |
| Flowkey, Simply Piano | App and browser | No, catalog only | Yes | No | Subscription |
Prices and features checked on the official sites and app stores in October 2026; they may change.
When Synthesia is still the better pick
- You want an installed program, no browser, with a large local MIDI library.
- You use an iPad with a wired MIDI keyboard and already own the license.
When Tocata is the better pick
- You want to open the score and play now, on a phone or computer, with no install.
- You want to know how it went: accuracy, streak, stars, and a button that drills the measures with the most mistakes.
- You want the real staff with a cursor, not only the lights.
- You have no MIDI keyboard: the microphone hears an acoustic or digital piano, iPhone included.
- You want to post: vertical video with sound, from the score or from your take, made in the browser.
How to switch
- The same MIDI and MusicXML files you use in Synthesia open in Tocata. PDF sheet music needs a pass through an editor first, MuseScore for example (guide).
- Open tocata.app, tap Open sheet music and pick the file.
- Turn on wait mode and split the hands, as in Synthesia. The measure loop and the speed live in the bottom bar.
Updated October 28, 2026. Open and post only music you have the right to use. Made by Ian Felix.