The best way to title this comparison would be “New vs. Old”, and I think I’ve done that before when discussing Synthesia.
Here’s the thing, Synthesia is a bit outdated, although it has received some updates.
Yousician is really the new and improved app for learning piano.
Everything Synthesia can do, Yousician can do better.
Synthesia Dashboard
Yousician Dashboard
The main differences between the visuals on these applications can be seen above.
With Synthesia, you have a Tetris style of a screen where the blocks fall on to the keys which need to be played.
With Yousician, there is a white ball that drops on the notes and the keys are highlighted.
Yousician gives you feedback. This app actually listens to you playing and gives you feedback on your performance.
There are a ton of levels and progressions to make, so it really combines that fun aspect along with learning.
You can learn to read music with Yousician as well. As you progress, you can opt in to see the actual music sheet while you're playing, making the transition from game to real life playing much easier.
Video Comparisons
Here are a few videos of each app in action.
The first video is of Synthesia, and the 2nd and 3rd is of Yousician.
Here is a beginner video:
Should You Use These Apps?
At the end of the day, I would recommend you use Yousician over Synthesia. You can download the app here.
But is this the best option for learning the piano?
I personally don't think it is.
There's no doubt that Yousician works, and people have received results. When it comes to piano apps, it's one of the best available.
But it has its limitations, as all these apps do. There is still a bit missing with how much you can do with the software, and the lack of real in person lessons. At the end of the day, it's an app / game, not a real piano lessons program.
I'm not recommending you get real in-person piano lessons, however there are softwares available that have the game aspect and technology that Yousician has, as well as real HD video lessons.
So Yousician is great, but it's not my personal #1 recommendation for learning the piano.
I personally recommend that everyone reads my review of Playground Sessions.
This is by far the best software for learning the piano, and it's recommended over Yousician and any other app.