Simply Guitar vs Yousician vs Fender Play

Prefer to pay once?

These apps are all subscriptions. If you would rather buy a course once, Jamorama is about $97, paid once, with 60 days to get your money back. It is the option we recommend most for adult beginners.

See why we recommend Jamorama →

Also worth a look · app

Simply Guitar

Song-based lessons that listen to your playing and give instant feedback — a low-pressure way for beginners to start.

Try Simply Guitar free →

Looking for the best guitar app comparison to settle things once and for all? Simply Guitar, Yousician and Fender Play are three of the most popular ways to learn at home, and they suit noticeably different people. Simply Guitar is the friendliest on-ramp for total beginners. Yousician is the feedback-driven challenger. Fender Play is the polished, taught-path option. This three-way breakdown compares how each teaches, what they cost, and who should pick which — so you don’t waste a free trial finding out the hard way.

The one-line summary of each

Simply Guitar (from the makers of Simply Piano) is the gentlest introduction, holding your hand through your very first notes and chords. Yousician is the most gamified and feedback-heavy, grading every note in real time. Fender Play is the most course-like, with a curated video path and a strong focus on getting you playing popular songs. All three listen to your playing through the mic.

Simply Guitar: the gentle start

Simply Guitar is built for people who’ve never held a guitar. It walks you through tuning, holding the instrument, and your first chords with unusually clear, encouraging steps, and it listens to check you’re getting notes right. The trade-off is depth: once you’re past the basics, keen learners may outgrow it faster than the other two. For a closer head-to-head on its song-listening approach, see our Yousician vs Simply Guitar comparison.

Yousician: the feedback machine

Yousician turns practice into a scored game. It’s excellent at pushing you to play cleanly and in time, with levels and challenges that keep you coming back. Some beginners love the pressure; others find the constant grading a bit much on a tired evening. Its curriculum goes deeper than Simply Guitar and it covers several instruments.

Fender Play: the guided path

Fender Play feels like a proper video course. You follow a path with a real instructor, learning skills and songs in a sensible order, with less scoring and more explanation. It’s a comfortable middle ground for adult beginners who want structure without gamified pressure. It also tends to be the cheapest of the three at the time of writing.

Best guitar app comparison table

Feature	Simply Guitar	Yousician	Fender Play
Best for	Absolute beginners	Feedback-driven learners	Guided, song-focused learners
Teaching style	Very gentle, step by step	Gamified with real-time scoring	Instructor-led video path
Depth	Basics-focused	Deeper, multi-instrument	Solid beginner-to-early-intermediate
Feedback	Listens and checks notes	Instant grading on pitch and timing	Self-checked; instructor demonstrates
Free option	Limited free content plus trial	Freemium with daily limits	Free trial
Rough price	Around $10-15/month (at time of writing)	Around $20/month or less annually (at time of writing)	Around $10/month or less annually (at time of writing)

How to choose between them

Rather than agonising, match the app to your situation. Here’s a quick decision guide:

Never touched a guitar and feel nervous? Start with Simply Guitar.
Motivated by scores, streaks and challenges? Pick Yousician.
Want to be taught by an instructor along a clear path? Choose Fender Play.
On a tight budget? Fender Play is usually the cheapest, and all three offer a free way to test them.

Whichever you lean towards, use each app’s free trial before paying — the “feel” of an app matters more than any spec sheet. Our full library of reviews and comparisons can help you sanity-check against course-style options too.

A third option · pay once

Jamorama

All three apps above charge on a recurring basis. If you would rather pay once, Jamorama is a fixed beginner video course: $97 once on the vendor’s page (checked 30 September 2026) with a 60-day refund through ClickBank. It cannot listen to your playing, so it does not replace an app that gives feedback. On Trustpilot it shows a 1.4 score from 41 reviews, with older reviews praising the teaching and a few from 2023 to 2025 reporting account or support problems (we did not test it hands-on). Choose an app above if you want feedback as you play; consider Jamorama if you want one paid-once path. What to check before buying.

Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you.

See Jamorama on the vendor’s page →

Our recommendation

For nervous first-timers, Simply Guitar; for feedback lovers, Yousician; for a guided, affordable path, Fender Play. All three are capable — the best one is the one whose style keeps you practising.

If you want structure over guesswork: Any of these three can get you strumming, and honestly the best one is the one you’ll open every day. If you’d rather follow a single clear path than juggle three free trials, Jamorama lays out the whole beginner journey in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the best guitar app for a complete beginner?

Simply Guitar is usually the friendliest starting point because it assumes zero experience and guides you through the very first steps. Beginners who want more depth or feedback may prefer Yousician or Fender Play.

Which app is the cheapest?

At the time of writing Fender Play is typically the most affordable, especially billed annually. Prices change often, so always confirm the current rate on each app’s site.

Can I switch apps later?

Absolutely. Many learners start gentle with Simply Guitar and move to Yousician or Fender Play for more depth. Your skills carry over regardless of which app you use.

Do these apps work with any guitar?

Yes. All three listen through your device’s microphone, so acoustic or electric works. An electric plugged into an interface can improve note detection but isn’t required.

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