Fretwork vs JustinGuitar: which is better for learning guitar?
JustinGuitar is the better free video course, and it is free all the way through, which Fretwork is not. Fretwork is the better fit if you want a daily plan and a check at the end of every skill. Fretwork’s first two stages are free with no card, so you can try both before paying anything.
Prices and features checked · Written by the Fretwork team · How we check
Side by side
| Fretwork | JustinGuitar | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Listens to you play | No. Microphone feedback is on the roadmap | Not on the free website lessons |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Instruments | Guitar only | Guitar |
Sources: Fretwork: guitarfretwork.com/pricing/ and /how-it-works/. JustinGuitar: Guitar World, JustinGuitar review (2022); justinguitar.com.
Which should you choose?
Choose JustinGuitar if…
You want a complete beginner-to-advanced course for free, taught on video by one teacher, and you are happy to pace yourself.
Choose Fretwork if…
You want a set amount to do each day and a check that tells you a skill is solid before you move on, rather than deciding that yourself.
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 JustinGuitar 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.