Comparison · vs
Clef vs flowkey: two different jobs
These aren't really competitors, they do different jobs. flowkey teaches you to play songs by playing along with real recordings across iOS, Android and web. Clef doesn't teach songs at all; it drills the underlying fundamentals, reading notes on the staff, intervals, chords, key signatures, scales and arpeggios, in timed 3-minute sessions with spaced repetition, on iOS only. If you want to be playing recognizable music, use flowkey. If you keep stalling because you read the staff too slowly, use Clef. Many adults benefit from both.
| Clef | flowkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | Fundamentals & reading drills | Learn to play songs |
| Method | Timed drills + spaced repetition | Play along with real recordings |
| Teaches songs? | No | Yes |
| Teaches reading directly? | Yes, its purpose | Incidentally |
| Platforms | iOS only | iOS · Android · Web |
| Free tier | Yes | Limited songs |
| Pricing | $6.99/mo · $39.99/yr · $99.99 lifetime (published) | Subscription; price shown only at signup |
Clef pricing is published on clefdrills.com; flowkey does not publish pricing on its public site. Verified August 2026.
Use flowkey if
Your goal is to sit down and play songs, you want Android or web access, and you learn well by imitation and play-along. flowkey is one of the best at that.
Use Clef if
You already noodle songs but freeze at sheet music, your note-reading is slow, or you want a short daily fundamentals habit to complement song practice. It's iOS-only, so Android users should look at other reading trainers.
Use both if
Honestly, the strongest setup for many adults: flowkey for the motivating song work, plus a few minutes of Clef-style reading/technique drills so fundamentals keep pace. Whichever you land on, consistency is what actually predicts progress, habit research puts the median time for a new routine to become automatic at 66 days, and adult brains keep the plasticity to get there (PMC4911097). See the full comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clef or flowkey better for a beginner?
They solve different problems. flowkey is better for learning to play songs; Clef is better for drilling reading, intervals and fundamentals. If you want repertoire, pick flowkey; if reading is your weak spot, pick Clef. Many adults use both.
Does Clef teach songs like flowkey?
No. Clef is deliberately narrow, it drills note-reading, intervals, chords, key signatures, scales and arpeggios, not songs. flowkey is the song-learning tool. They complement rather than replace each other.
Is Clef available on Android?
No, Clef is iOS-only as of 2026. Android users wanting fundamentals drills should look at other staff-reading trainers; flowkey itself is available on Android.
Sources & primary references
- Clef (clefdrills.com), product & pricing, https://clefdrills.com
- flowkey (official site), https://www.flowkey.com/en
- Lally et al., "How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world," European Journal of Social Psychology (2010), doi:10.1002/ejsp.674 (the UCL 66-day study), https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674
- Houdayer et al., "Cortical Motor Circuits after Piano Training in Adulthood," PLoS One (2016), PMC4911097, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4911097/