Best guitar learning apps compared
The best guitar learning app is the one that matches how you learn: Yousician or Simply Guitar if you want an app that listens and scores you, Fender Play or Guitar Tricks if you want video lessons in a set order, and JustinGuitar if you want a full course for free.
How this page works: we compare the apps on published facts (prices, trials, features, platforms) taken from each company's own site or app store listing and checked on 29 September 2026. We haven't run a formal test of each app, so there are no scores or star ratings here. Some links may become affiliate links if a program approves us; we may then earn a commission. It doesn't change the order or the verdicts. Disclosure.
Quick verdict by need
- If you want feedback on every note: Yousician or Simply Guitar. Both listen through the microphone.
- If you want a structured video course from a big guitar brand: Fender Play, which also covers bass and ukulele.
- If you want the largest library of video lessons: Guitar Tricks, which lists over 11,000.
- If you don't want to pay: JustinGuitar's website lessons.
- If you also want piano or singing: Yousician covers five instruments in one membership. For piano-only apps see the piano app comparison.
Comparison table
| App | Price | Free trial | How it teaches | Instruments | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fender Play | $19.99/month or $149.99/year | 7 days (monthly), 14 days (annual) | Video lessons plus a "feedback mode" on songs and riffs | Guitar, bass, ukulele | Web, iOS, Android |
| Yousician | App Store lists Premium+ at $29.99/month; one-instrument plan $19.99/month or $119.99/year | 7 days of Premium+ | Listens through the microphone and scores accuracy and timing | Guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, singing | iOS, Android, PC |
| JustinGuitar | Website lessons free; app has paid full-access plans | App: first section free | Video lessons on the website; app adds play-along tracks | Guitar | Web, iOS, Android |
| Guitar Tricks | $29.95/month or $179/year | 14 days (card required, converts to monthly) | Video lessons with tab and notation | Guitar | Web, iOS, Android |
| Simply Guitar | Varies by country and platform, shown in the app | 7 days, yearly plan only | Listens through the microphone in real time | Guitar | iOS, Android, Chromebook |
US prices as published, checked 29 Sep 2026. Prices vary by country and platform and change often; the app or checkout page is always the final word. Sources are listed at the end of this page.
Fender Play
What it is: a video-lesson course from the guitar maker, organized into seven progressive levels with over 3,000 lessons, covering acoustic and electric guitar, bass and ukulele. Lessons are built around songs, and Fender describes a "feedback mode" that gives instant feedback when you play a song or riff, plus a practice mode with scrolling tab and a metronome. It runs on the web and on iOS and Android.
Price and trial: $19.99/month or $149.99/year. The free trial is 7 days on the monthly plan and 14 days on the annual plan, once per member, and rolls into a paid plan unless cancelled.
Who it suits: beginners who want a clear order of lessons and a teacher on screen, and anyone who might also want bass or ukulele.
Drawbacks: the core is video, so the teaching depends on you judging your own playing. The annual price is lower per month but paid upfront.
Yousician
What it is: an app that listens to you through your device's microphone and gives instant feedback on accuracy and timing, in a game-like format with a large song library. One membership covers guitar, bass, ukulele, piano and singing. It runs on iOS, Android and PC.
Price and trial: Yousician's site offers Premium+ free for 7 days. The US App Store listing shows Premium+ at $29.99 a month, a one-instrument plan at $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year, and yearly Premium+ listings between $159.99 and $179.99.
Who it suits: people who stay motivated by scores, streaks and hearing right away whether a note was correct.
Drawbacks: the listening works on what you play, not how you hold the guitar, so technique problems can slip through. The top tier is among the more expensive monthly options here.
JustinGuitar
What it is: the long-running site of guitar teacher Justin Sandercoe, which describes itself as offering over 1,000 free guitar lessons across beginner and more advanced levels and many styles. There's also a companion app for lessons and songs, with a free first section and paid full-access plans.
Price: website lessons are free and supported by donations and the store. The app's full access is a paid subscription.
Who it suits: self-motivated learners who are happy to follow a video course on a laptop or phone and don't want a subscription.
Drawbacks: the free website doesn't listen to your playing or track progress the way the paid apps do; you set your own pace and practice schedule.
Guitar Tricks
What it is: a large video-lesson library, listing over 11,000 lessons and over 1,000 songs, organized into learning paths and genre courses (fundamentals, acoustic, blues, rock, country), with tab and notation, a metronome and tuner. A free Basic membership includes 24 lessons. Apps are available on iOS and Android.
Price and trial: $29.95/month or $179/year. The 14-day free trial collects billing details at sign-up and converts to a monthly Full Access membership unless cancelled.
Who it suits: learners who want depth: many styles, many teachers, and material that lasts well beyond the beginner stage.
Drawbacks: the size of the library can feel like a lot at the start; stick to the beginner path. Its monthly plan is among the most expensive here.
Simply Guitar
What it is: from the makers of Simply Piano. You put your phone or tablet in front of you and play; the app recognizes what you're playing through the microphone and guides you, with step-by-step video lessons, chords and strumming. It's on iOS, Android and Chromebook, with no Windows version.
Price and trial: the first part of the Guitar Basics I course is free. The 7-day free trial is only on the yearly plan and is limited to one per account. The company says prices vary by country, platform and plan, and shows them in the app.
Who it suits: complete beginners who want short, guided sessions on a phone with instant feedback.
Drawbacks: no desktop app, and you have to commit to the yearly plan to get the trial.
Not included: apps whose current pricing or features we couldn't confirm from an official source on the check date. We'll add them once we can.
How to choose
- Decide between listening and video. Apps that listen (Yousician, Simply Guitar) keep you honest about right and wrong notes. Video courses (Fender Play, Guitar Tricks, JustinGuitar) explain technique in more depth.
- Use the trial on purpose. In the first week, try to learn two chords and one change, for example Em to Am. If the app got you there and you enjoyed it, it fits.
- Check the device. Simply Guitar has no Windows app; the others run in a browser or on desktop as well.
- Mind the renewal. Most trials roll into a paid plan. Put a reminder in your calendar.
What an app can't do
No app watches your posture, your wrist angle, or a hand that squeezes the neck too hard. Those habits cause most of the frustration with chords like F. Check yourself in a mirror, film a minute of playing now and then, or book an occasional lesson with a teacher. An app also can't fix a guitar with high action; if chords feel impossibly hard, a setup at a shop may be the best money you spend (see choosing a first instrument).
Use Hear the Chord alongside any app
Hear the Chord is a free reference, not a course. When a lesson mentions a chord, look it up and play it here at half or quarter speed, string by string, left-handed if you need. Useful companions:
- Guitar chords for beginners: the first eight, with the changes to practice.
- Every guitar chord, drawn and playable.
- Barre chords and power chords.
- Guitar tuner and metronome.
- Chord progressions in any key.
Guitar learning app questions
What is the best guitar learning app for beginners?
It depends on how you like to learn. If you want an app that listens and tells you when you hit the right notes, Yousician and Simply Guitar do that. If you prefer a teacher on video with a clear path, Fender Play and Guitar Tricks. If budget is the main concern, JustinGuitar's website lessons are free.
Is there a free guitar learning app?
JustinGuitar's lessons on the website are free (the app has paid plans after a free first section). Most paid apps have a free trial, from 7 to 14 days, and some keep a small free tier. Hear the Chord is free too, as a reference for chords, scales and progressions.
Can you learn guitar from an app alone?
You can learn a lot: chords, strumming, reading tab, many songs. What apps miss is someone watching your hands and posture. A few lessons with a teacher, or filming yourself and comparing with the video lessons, catches habits an app can't see.
How much do guitar lesson apps cost?
At the time of checking (29 Sep 2026), full plans ranged from about $120 to $180 a year, and monthly plans from about $20 to $30. Fender Play was $19.99/month or $149.99/year; Guitar Tricks $29.95/month or $179/year. Prices change and vary by country, so check before subscribing.
Do guitar apps work with acoustic guitars?
Yes. Apps that listen, such as Yousician and Simply Guitar, use your phone or tablet microphone, so an acoustic guitar works without any cable. Video-lesson apps work with any guitar.
Should I cancel the free trial before it ends?
Most trials convert to a paid plan automatically. Guitar Tricks, for example, says its 14-day trial converts to a monthly membership. Set a reminder a day or two before the trial ends if you are not sure you want to continue.
Sources
- Fender Play prices: www.fender.com/products/fender-play-subscription (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Fender Play free trial: play-support.fender.com/hc/en-us/articles/44538271886235-Free-Trial-FAQs (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Fender Play instruments and features: www.fender.com/play (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Yousician trial, instruments, platforms: yousician.com/ (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Yousician App Store prices: apps.apple.com/us/app/yousician-learn-guitar-bass/id959883039 (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- JustinGuitar free lessons: www.justinguitar.com/ (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- JustinGuitar app plans: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.musopia.fourchordsjustin (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Guitar Tricks prices and lessons: www.guitartricks.com/pricing (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Guitar Tricks trial: support.guitartricks.com/hc/en-us/articles/10303323626647-How-To-Get-A-14-day-Free-Trial (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Simply Guitar free content and trial: piano-help.hellosimply.com/en/articles/5849114-what-can-i-access-for-free-in-simply-guitar (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Simply Guitar platforms and pricing: piano-help.hellosimply.com/en/articles/5912097-subscribe-to-simply-guitar (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Simply Guitar feedback: apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-guitar-learn-guitar/id1476695335 (checked 29 Sep 2026)
Updated September 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.