These apps are mentioned in the breakdown of this job. Open each one to compare strengths and limits. The order of the list is not a ranking of fitness.
Rank 23. Review score: 58 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 387,733 ratings
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Teaches fast and clearly, beginners play their first song within a couple of days and that genuinely hooks them. It breaks on two things: note detection glitches and marks a note as played when you never touched a string, and after three or four lessons everything hits a paywall, which frustrates people the most. The song library is fine for starting out, but often lacks your favorite artists.
Praised: Fast start and a first song by day two, clear lesson delivery, songs for beginners
Complaints: Note detection glitches and counts notes you never played, access gated behind subscription after a couple of lessons, few songs from popular artists, server asset download errors
Best for: A total beginner who wants to play their first song fast and is willing to pay after the free start.
Rank 29. Review score: 55 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 60,619 ratings
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The content and teachers are genuinely strong, adult beginners take to it and start playing fast. But the app fails on the technical side: it crashes on the onboarding questions, feedback mode glitches, audio sometimes drops during practice, and songs are often simplified instead of full versions. Many say that for 150 a year they only get videos and tabs without the live feedback competitors offer.
Praised: Strong teachers and clear delivery, fast progress for adult beginners, well-structured lesson path
Complaints: Crashes on onboarding questions, feedback mode glitches and the mic hears poorly, songs are simplified instead of full versions, the app is worse than the website
Best for: An adult beginner who wants a structured course from good teachers and can tolerate technical glitches.
Rank 12. Review score: 63 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 25,385 ratings
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Justin as a teacher is genuinely strong, he explains clearly and with theory, and adult beginners play real songs within a couple of weeks. But the app is weaker than his own website: ads pop up every 15 seconds during practice, the mic hears chords poorly, lessons don't register as completed, and the app version only offers the first three grades, which are free on the site.
Praised: Justin explains clearly with theory, fast progress on real songs, good structure and exercises, responsive support
Complaints: Ads every 15 seconds during practice, mic hears chords poorly, lessons don't register as completed, the app only has the first three grades that are free on the site, favorite songs removed from the library
Best for: An adult beginner who needs a clear teacher and structure and is willing to tolerate ads or move to the website.
Rank 24. Review score: 58 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 12,028 ratings
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The app hooks beginners hard: you play live against your own guitar, levels and competition motivate, and people genuinely progress within a couple of months. But it has been dumbed down for advanced players, cut iconic songs over licensing, and input latency plus lost progress after updates erode trust. Many are annoyed that songs and tabs increasingly sit behind extra charges on top of the subscription.
Praised: Live play against your own guitar, motivating levels and competition, real beginner progress in a couple of months, clearly explained exercises
Complaints: Iconic songs cut over licensing, input latency, too easy for advanced players, progress lost after updates, songs and tabs locked behind extra charges on top of the subscription
Best for: Beginners who want to learn by playing along to real songs and enjoy a competitive level-based format
Rank 34. Review score: 52 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 7,636 ratings
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People praise the convenient interface and the big library of songs from classical to modern, and beginners enjoy learning their favorite tracks. But the app rushes through lessons too fast, sometimes drops you into a song without really teaching anything, and often demands payment after a couple of free lessons. The main technical pain is that the mic barely hears the guitar, especially electric without an amp, and scores notes at the wrong moments.
Praised: Convenient interface, big library from classical to modern songs, learning favorite songs as a beginner, some free learning in exchange for watching an ad
Complaints: Mic barely hears the guitar, especially electric without an amp, lessons go too fast, drops you into a song without teaching, often demands payment after a couple of lessons, songs chopped into too-small pieces
Best for: Beginners who want to jump straight into learning familiar songs and can tolerate a jerky learning curve
