Guitar Start Guide
The number that matters here is not the $10 to $15 a month, it is what that turns into once you stop counting. At roughly $90 to $120 a year, two years of Fender Play costs more than most one-off beginner courses, and the free trial rolls straight into a paid subscription unless you cancel before it ends.
Jamorama sits at the other end of that arithmetic: $97 paid once, down from a $287 list price, for ten courses sequenced by Mark McKenzie with jam tracks to play over. Nothing in it listens to you, there is no scoring, and the videos were filmed some years ago, so it is not a like-for-like swap. It is a course you own rather than a service you rent.
See why we recommend Jamorama →
Song-based lessons that listen to your playing and give instant feedback — a low-pressure way for beginners to start.
Try Simply Guitar free →Before you sign up, it’s worth knowing the true Fender Play cost — not just the trial, but what you pay once it renews. Fender Play is a subscription service of bite-sized video lessons from Fender, built around learning real songs quickly. It’s slick, beginner-friendly, and priced like a streaming service. Here’s the pricing at the time of writing, what’s included, and whether it earns its keep.
Is there a Fender Play free trial?
Yes. Fender typically offers a free trial — often around 7 to 14 days depending on the current promotion — that unlocks the full lesson library so you can explore properly before paying. It’s a real trial of everything, not a stripped-back free tier. As with any trial, it usually converts into a paid subscription automatically, so add a reminder to cancel if you decide it’s not for you.
Fender Play subscription price
Fender Play is refreshingly cheap compared with app subscriptions, and the annual plan is the standout deal. Prices vary by region and promotion, so treat the table as approximate rather than exact.
| Plan | Approx. price | Effective monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | $0 (limited time) | $0 |
| Monthly subscription | around $10–$15/month | ~$10–$15 |
| Annual subscription | around $90–$120/year | ~$8–$10 |
One nice touch: a single subscription covers guitar, bass and ukulele, so you’re not paying separately if you want to branch out. Fender also bundles Play with some instrument purchases, so if you’re buying a starter guitar, check whether a few free months are included.
What’s included in the subscription
- Structured, skill-based lesson paths for guitar, bass and ukulele.
- Song lessons across genres, taught in short, digestible videos.
- Chord and technique tutorials filmed from clear camera angles.
- The ability to pick a genre and learn songs you actually want to play.
Unlike mic-listening apps, Fender Play doesn’t grade your playing in real time — it’s video instruction you follow along with. Some beginners love that freedom; others miss the instant feedback. For the full breakdown of who it suits, read our Fender Play review.
Cheaper and free alternatives
If any subscription feels like too much, there’s a genuinely free route worth knowing about — see is JustinGuitar really free for the honest answer. For a paid course that’s structured a little differently, our Jamorama review covers a strong beginner option. And if you want the wider view of learning tools, our guitar apps section rounds up the field.
Is Fender Play worth it?
For the price of a couple of coffees a month, Fender Play is one of the better-value subscriptions in this space — especially on the annual plan. It’s ideal if you learn well from video and want to play real songs early. If you crave real-time feedback on your playing or prefer a completely free path, look elsewhere. Use the free trial to binge a genre you love; if you’re still watching after a week, it’s an easy yes.
Our beginner recommendation: If you’re tallying up what Fender Play costs, put Jamorama on the shortlist too – it’s a structured course that often works out friendlier on the wallet while still walking you through the fundamentals.
A one-time-payment option if you don’t want another subscription
Fender Play is a subscription with a free trial, so the total depends on how long you keep paying. If you would rather pay once, Jamorama is a video course with a single one-time price — $97 on the vendor’s own page when we checked on 30 September 2026 — and no auto-renewal.
- Choose Fender Play if you learn best from song-based video and want to play real songs early.
- Choose Jamorama if you would rather follow a structured beginner course you own — chords, strumming, blues, fingerstyle and lead — and you do not need an app to listen to you.
What to know about Jamorama before you buy: it does not listen to your playing, its song library is smaller than an app’s, its material is not refreshed often, and some 2023–2025 Trustpilot reviews report problems with account access and support. We cover this in What to check before you buy.
Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. See what’s inside Jamorama →
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Fender Play free trial?
It varies by promotion, but it’s commonly around 7 to 14 days. The trial usually unlocks the whole library, so use it to explore lessons for the instrument and genre you care about most.
Does one subscription cover more than one instrument?
Yes. A Fender Play subscription typically covers guitar, bass and ukulele under a single price, which is handy if you want to try more than one.
Is the annual plan worth it over monthly?
If you plan to stick with it, yes — the annual plan usually works out noticeably cheaper per month. If you’re unsure, start monthly and switch once you know the habit has stuck.
Can I cancel Fender Play easily?
Yes, you can cancel at any time and keep access until the billing period ends. If you subscribed via an app store, cancel through your device’s subscription settings.
What to Read Next
Prefer one structured course you own for life over renting an app? Jamorama is our top recommendation — a 10-part video course, pay once, with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
See what’s inside Jamorama → Read our reviewHow we reviewed this (updated 16 October 2026): this page is based on the vendor’s official information, pricing and policies and on public user feedback. We have not hands-on tested Fender Play.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we genuinely rate.
Related: guitar lessons with no monthly fee, is JustinGuitar free and is Simply Guitar free.