Fretwork vs Fender Play: which is better for learning guitar?
Fender Play has a big library of short video lessons around popular songs and a beta mode that listens to your playing. Fretwork is free for its first two stages, has a cheaper entry plan, and ends every skill with a check.
Prices and features checked · Written by the Fretwork team · How we check
Side by side
| Fretwork | Fender Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Stages 0–1 free for as long as you like, no card, no trial clock | 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 | $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 | Short video lessons (about 3–5 minutes), with tab and chord charts |
| Listens to you play | No. Microphone feedback is on the roadmap | 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) | Practice exercises with each lesson; Feedback Mode scores some exercises |
| Daily plan | Yes. A daily session sized to 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes | Paths you choose by instrument and style |
| Instruments | Guitar only | Guitar, bass and ukulele |
Sources: Fretwork: guitarfretwork.com/pricing/ and /how-it-works/. Fender Play: fender.com/fender-play; Guitar World, Fender Play review (updated July 2024).
Which should you choose?
Choose Fender Play if…
You want polished video lessons built around well-known songs, from a brand you know, and maybe bass or ukulele as well.
Choose Fretwork if…
You want to start without a trial clock, follow a daily plan sized to your time, and pass a check before each new skill.
Can you use both?
Yes, and plenty of learners do. Fretwork’s first two stages are free with no card, so you can try it alongside Fender Play and keep whichever you actually practise with. Whatever you pick, the thing that matters most is short, daily practice: see how much to practise and whether to learn with an app or a teacher.
See all four compared side by side
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.