Fretwork vs JustinGuitar vs Yousician vs Fender Play
If you want free and are happy to pace yourself, JustinGuitar. If you want an app that listens and scores your playing, Yousician or Fender Play. If you want a daily plan with a check at the end of every skill, and a free start with no trial clock, Fretwork. All four can take a beginner to playing songs.
Prices and features checked · Written by the Fretwork team · How we check
All four side by side
| Fretwork | JustinGuitar | Yousician | Fender Play | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Stages 0–1 free for as long as you like, no card, no trial clock | The website course is free: three levels, nine grades, and a song library of 670+ songs | No permanent free plan shown on its US sign-up page; a 7-day free trial | 7-day free trial on the monthly plan, 14 days on the annual plan |
| Paid plans | Player $12.99/month or $89.99/year; Pro $19.99/month or $149.99/year; 14-day money-back guarantee | Optional paid extras, such as short courses (about $10 each), a music theory course, books and a lessons app with in-app purchases | Premium $14.99/month or $89.99/year (one instrument); Premium+ $29.99/month or $139.99/year (all instruments) | $19.99/month, or $12.50/month billed annually |
| How lessons work | Interactive lessons: explain, see and hear (animated tab with playback), practise, then a check | Video lessons taught by Justin Sandercoe, on the website, YouTube and the app | Game-style play-along exercises and songs | Short video lessons (about 3–5 minutes), with tab and chord charts |
| Listens to you play | No. Microphone feedback is on the roadmap | Not on the free website lessons | Yes. It listens through your device’s microphone and scores you in real time | Yes, in beta. Feedback Mode listens as you play along and rates your accuracy |
| Checks before you move on | Yes. Every one of the 80 skills ends with a check (timing test, ring test, quiz or play-along) | Lessons and grades you work through at your own pace | Exercises are scored as you play | Practice exercises with each lesson; Feedback Mode scores some exercises |
| Daily plan | Yes. A daily session sized to 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes | A set order of grades and modules; practice routines are suggested in lessons | A guided path with daily goals | Paths you choose by instrument and style |
| Instruments | Guitar only | Guitar | Guitar, piano, bass, ukulele and singing | Guitar, bass and ukulele |
Sources: JustinGuitar; Yousician; Fender Play; Fretwork pricing and how-it-works pages.
Quick guide
- Lowest cost: JustinGuitar (the website course is free throughout).
- Feedback on your playing: Yousician (real time) or Fender Play (Feedback Mode, in beta).
- More than guitar: Yousician (piano, bass, ukulele, singing) or Fender Play (bass, ukulele).
- Daily plan and a check before each new skill: Fretwork.
- Free start with no trial clock among the apps: Fretwork (Stages 0–1).
One-to-one comparisons
Our interest: Fretwork wrote this page, so read it knowing we’re one of the options. We’ve tried to be fair, including where the others do something better. Prices and features come from each provider’s own pages and published reviews, checked on 2 November 2026. Prices change; check before you buy. Spot something wrong? Email hello@guitarfretwork.com and we’ll fix it.