Free electric piano VSTs
Quick Answer
The best free electric piano VSTs are Orchestral Tools Roads (a Rhodes Mark I and a Wurlitzer 200A in the free SINE player), Fracture Sounds Electric Keys (a 1969 Rhodes Mark I for the free Kontakt Player) and NoiseAsh Sweetcase. Dexed covers DX7-style FM electric pianos, and Pianobook adds free community-sampled Rhodes and Pianet sounds.
Rhodes, Wurlitzer or FM: which electric piano sound do you need?
Pick a Rhodes for warm, bell-like chords, a Wurlitzer for a brighter, reedy bark, and an FM piano for the glassy 1980s ballad sound. Most free options cover the Rhodes; fewer cover the Wurli, which is why Orchestral Tools Roads is valuable: it includes both.
The Wurlitzer 200A is a reed-based electric piano, released in 1974 according to the Rhodes company's own Wurlitzer page[1]. It breaks up quickly when played hard, which suits indie, soul and lo-fi. A Rhodes is softer and rounder, the default for neo-soul, R&B and trap chords. FM electric pianos, the DX7-era sound that Dexed recreates, sit on top of a mix instead of filling the middle.
This list is only about electric pianos. For acoustic grands and uprights, see the best free piano VST plugins.
| Type | Character | Typical genres | Free option here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodes (Mark I) | Warm, round, bell tone when played hard | Neo-soul, R&B, trap, lo-fi | Roads, Electric Keys, Sweetcase, Matt's Fender Rhodes |
| Wurlitzer (200A) | Brighter, reedy, gritty when pushed | Indie, soul, pop, lo-fi | Roads |
| Hohner Pianet T | Thin, plucky, short sustain | Indie, bedroom pop | Little Black Electric Piano |
| FM (DX7-style) | Glassy, bell-like attack | 1980s ballads, city pop, R&B | Dexed |
Free electric piano VSTs compared: player, size and formats
All six are free on the developer's or library's own page as of September 2026. Several need a free player plugin, so check that column first.
| Instrument | Source instrument | Runs in | Download size | Formats and OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchestral Tools Roads | 73-key Rhodes MK1 and Wurlitzer 200A | Free SINE player | 477 MB of samples (172 MB compressed) | Standalone, VST, VST3, AU, AAX; macOS 10.15+, Windows 10 64-bit |
| Fracture Sounds Electric Keys | 1969 Rhodes Mark I | Free Kontakt Player 7 or later | 2.3 GB (from a 5.8 GB sample pool) | Wherever Kontakt Player runs |
| NoiseAsh Sweetcase | Vintage electric piano through analog gear | Own plugin | Not stated | VST3, AAX (Windows 7+); VST3, AU, AAX (macOS 10.9.5+) |
| Dexed | Yamaha DX7 FM synth | Own plugin | Not stated | VST, AU, LV2; macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Matt's Fender Rhodes (Pianobook) | Rhodes Mark I 73, DI recorded | Sampler format listed on the pack page | Not stated | Depends on sampler |
| Little Black Electric Piano (Pianobook) | Hohner Pianet T | Free Decent Sampler | Not stated | Decent Sampler: Windows, Mac, Linux |
Which free electric piano VST sounds best?
Start with Roads if you have 8 GB of RAM or more, because you get both a Rhodes and a Wurli. Choose Electric Keys if you already use Kontakt Player, and Sweetcase if you want a light plugin with no separate player.
Orchestral Tools Roads
Roads is a free SINEfactory instrument, delivered with a newsletter subscription, that pairs a 73-key Rhodes MK1 with a Wurlitzer 200A. It runs in the free SINE player as 24-bit, 48 kHz patches; SINE needs macOS 10.15 or Windows 10 64-bit and at least 8 GB of RAM, with 16 GB recommended[2].
The SINE player lets you merge several microphone positions into one channel to save resources.
Best for: Neo-soul and R&B chords, Wurli parts in indie and lo-fi
Fracture Sounds Blueprint: Electric Keys
Electric Keys is a free Blueprint library recorded from an original 1969 Rhodes Mark I. You can switch between DI and amped signals, control key and release noise, and blend an atmosphere pad layer, chorus and reverb. It runs in the free Kontakt Player version 7 or later and downloads at 2.3 GB, compressed from a 5.8 GB sample pool[3].
Best for: Ambient keys, cinematic R&B, Komplete Kontrol users (NKS)
NoiseAsh Sweetcase
NoiseAsh offers Sweetcase as a free electric piano plug-in whose samples were passed through vintage analog gear. It includes algorithmic reverb, phase modulation, a parametric EQ and an envelope control. Windows builds are 64-bit VST3 and AAX for Windows 7 or later; macOS builds add AU and need macOS 10.9.5 or later, with native Apple silicon support. Download links arrive by email[4].
Best for: Laptops and quick sessions that need a finished EP tone
Dexed
Dexed is a free, GPL v3 synth closely modeled on the Yamaha DX7, running as VST, AU and LV2 on macOS, Windows and Linux. It loads and saves DX7 and TX7 SysEx programs and exposes 144 automatable DX7 parameters[5], so you can load classic FM electric piano cartridges. The Dexed review explains the cartridge workflow.
Best for: 1980s ballad and city pop electric pianos
Matt's Fender Rhodes (Pianobook)
Pianobook hosts more than 1,700 free sample packs[6]. Matt's Fender Rhodes is a Mark I 73-key sampled through a Countryman Type 10 active DI into a Chandler TG2 mic input with no processing; the creator suggests adding your own chorus, tremolo and reverb[7]. You need a free Pianobook account to download.
Best for: A dry Rhodes you can process your own way
Little Black Electric Piano (Pianobook)
This Decent Sampler instrument is built from Hohner Pianet T samples, with an added LFO tremolo for a Wurlitzer-like warble plus optional reverb, delay and chorus[8]. Decent Sampler itself is free for Windows, Mac and Linux in VST, VST3, AU and AAX[9].
Best for: Indie and bedroom pop parts that need a smaller sound
One older favorite is gone: Spitfire's LABS has moved into Splice INSTRUMENT, and LABS Wurli is listed as a discontinued pack that cannot be migrated[10].
How do you install a free sample-based electric piano?
Sample-based electric pianos need a player plugin first and the library second. Install the player, then point it at the library folder.
- Install the right player
Roads needs SINE, Electric Keys needs Kontakt Player 7 or later, and the Pianobook instruments need Decent Sampler or the format listed on the pack page. - Choose a sample drive
Put libraries on an SSD with at least a few gigabytes free. Electric Keys alone downloads at 2.3 GB. - Add the library
In SINE, download Roads from inside the player. For Electric Keys, follow Fracture Sounds' install instructions, then load it in Kontakt Player. For Decent Sampler, open the .dspreset file. - Rescan plugins
Rescan in your DAW so it sees SINE, Kontakt or Decent Sampler, then load the player on an instrument track. - Set velocity and sustain
Play at several velocities. If soft notes vanish, raise the velocity response or adjust your keyboard's velocity curve, and check that the sustain pedal (CC64) reaches the plugin.
The comparison of Decent Sampler, Pianobook and Kontakt explains the differences between these players in more depth.
How do you make a free electric piano sound like a record?
Most classic electric piano tones come from the effects after the instrument: tremolo or auto-pan, chorus or phaser, light drive and EQ. Treat these values as starting points.
| Sound | Tremolo or pan | Modulation | Drive | EQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neo-soul Rhodes | Stereo auto-pan, about 1/8 note synced | Light chorus | Light | Cut 2 to 3 dB around 300 Hz |
| Lo-fi keys | Slow tremolo, 3 to 5 Hz | Tape wobble or chorus | Medium, plus low-pass near 6 to 8 kHz | High-pass around 120 Hz |
| Trap chords | None or subtle | Wide chorus | None | High-pass 150 to 200 Hz to clear the 808 |
| Indie Wurli | Mono tremolo, 5 to 6 Hz | None | Medium to heavy | Small boost around 1 to 2 kHz |
| 1980s FM ballad | None | Chorus, wide | None | Gentle high shelf, cut harsh 3 to 4 kHz |
If your DAW's modulation effects feel thin, the best free tremolo plugins and free chorus options cover the rest of the chain.
Which free electric piano fits your genre?
Match the instrument to the role it plays in the beat, then shape it with effects.
- Neo-soul and R&B Roads (Rhodes patch) or Electric Keys with the amped signal and light chorus. Voice chords with 9ths and 11ths.
- Trap and melodic rap Sweetcase or Electric Keys, high-passed, with wide chorus. The guide to trap piano chords covers voicings.
- Lo-fi hip-hop Matt's Fender Rhodes, dry, then add tape wobble, tremolo and a low-pass filter so you control all the character.
- Indie and bedroom pop Roads (Wurlitzer patch) or Little Black Electric Piano with tremolo on.
- 1980s and city pop Dexed with a classic FM electric piano cartridge, chorus and a long plate reverb.
If you outgrow these, the Addictive Keys review shows what a paid keys instrument adds. Plugg Supply's software library lists more verified free instruments in the meantime.
Find more verified free instruments, including keys and synths, in the Plugg Supply software library.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best free Rhodes VST?
- Orchestral Tools Roads and Fracture Sounds Electric Keys are the best free Rhodes VSTs. Roads includes a 73-key Rhodes MK1 alongside a Wurlitzer 200A in the free SINE player, while Electric Keys is a 1969 Rhodes Mark I for the free Kontakt Player with DI and amped signals. NoiseAsh Sweetcase is the lighter plugin-only option.
- Is there a free Wurlitzer VST?
- Yes. Orchestral Tools Roads includes a free Wurlitzer 200A alongside its Rhodes MK1, running in the free SINE player on macOS and Windows. Spitfire's former free LABS Wurli is listed as discontinued. For a Wurlitzer-like warble on a budget, Pianobook's Little Black Electric Piano adds tremolo to Hohner Pianet T samples.
- Do I need Kontakt for a free electric piano?
- You do not need the paid version of Kontakt for a free electric piano. Fracture Sounds Electric Keys runs in the free Kontakt Player version 7 or later. Orchestral Tools Roads uses the free SINE player instead, NoiseAsh Sweetcase and Dexed are standalone plugins, and Pianobook's Little Black Electric Piano uses the free Decent Sampler.
- How do I get a classic DX7 electric piano sound for free?
- Install Dexed, a free and open-source synth closely modeled on the Yamaha DX7, and load a DX7 cartridge that includes an FM electric piano patch. Dexed reads DX7 and TX7 SysEx files, so classic banks load directly. Add wide chorus and a plate reverb for the 1980s ballad tone.
- Why does my free electric piano sound dull?
- A free electric piano usually sounds dull because it is played at low velocity, recorded dry, or buried by the low mids of other parts. Play harder to reach the bell tone, raise the velocity response, cut 2 to 3 dB around 300 Hz, and add chorus or tremolo. On a DI Rhodes such as Matt's Fender Rhodes, the effects create most of the character.
- How much RAM do free electric piano libraries need?
- Free electric piano libraries vary. Orchestral Tools lists at least 8 GB of RAM, with 16 GB recommended, for its SINE player that runs Roads. Plugin-based options such as NoiseAsh Sweetcase and Dexed are much lighter, which makes them better choices for older laptops.