Simply Guitar Review 2026: Cost, Free Trial and Is It Worth It?

Last updated: 28 September 2026; plans, prices and policies were read on Simply’s help center and app store listing on 27 and 28 September. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.

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Simply Guitar comes from Simply, the company behind the widely used Simply Piano app, and it applies the same idea to guitar: you play a real instrument and the app listens and tells you, chord by chord, whether you got it right. With more than 10 million downloads on Google Play and a 4.6-star rating from 368,000 reviews, it is one of the most popular ways to start.

The practical questions are the ones this review answers: what it costs, what is free, whether it works with your guitar, and how far it can take you. We read Simply’s help center and app-store listing on 27 and 28 September 2026 and priced the main alternatives the same days.

Simply Guitar at a glance

Try Simply Guitar free →

How Simply Guitar works

The first time you play, the app walks you through tuning with its built-in tuner, and you can reopen the tuner from the menu at any time. Simply stresses retuning before every session, because a guitar that has drifted out of tune is harder for the app to hear.

Lessons follow a simple loop: a short video from a guitarist shows a chord, a strumming pattern or a riff, and then you play it while the app listens through your phone’s microphone. It tells you whether the notes and chords were right and holds you on a section until you get it, so you cannot skip ahead. Short practice sessions and a daily or weekly streak, with a couple of “streak freezes” for weeks you miss, are there to keep you coming back.

Lead, Chords and combined courses

Everyone starts with the Guitar Basics courses. After that the app splits into two paths you can switch between. The Lead path teaches melodies and riffs from songs, reading tabs and technique exercises. The Chords path teaches the chords of pop, rock and jazz songs, with smooth changes and strumming so you can accompany yourself or others. Combined courses draw on both. At the time of writing the paths end at Fretboard Master I (Lead), Fingerpicking Basics III (Chords) and Rock Legend IV (combined), and Simply says it keeps adding content.

Songs, chords and Play

Subscribers also get a song library, which opens after the second lesson of Guitar Basics I and lets you learn a song step by step or jump to the full version, and a chord library with a finger chart, a video and a quick practice for every chord you have learned. On iPhone and iPad there is also Play, available once you finish Guitar Basics III: chords and lyrics scroll together so you can strum along to a song without being graded. Simply Workshops, a set of expert-led video sessions, are included with a subscription too.

How much does Simply Guitar cost?

Simply does not publish a price list for Simply Guitar. Its help center says the cost depends on your country, on whether you pay through the App Store, Google Play or Simply’s website, and on whether you choose the Individual or Family plan, and adds that because of limited-time offers “the price you see may differ from what others have paid.” To see your own price, open the app and tap Menu → Go Premium.

The best public guide is Google Play, which lists Simply Guitar’s in-app items at “$9.99–$269.99 per item”, without saying which plan each price belongs to. Both monthly and yearly plans exist, but only the yearly plan comes with a free trial, and yearly works out far cheaper per month. Older figures quoted in reviews, including earlier versions of this one, are one person’s price on one day, so treat them as a rough guide at most.

Individual or Family plan

Unlike Simply Piano, Simply Guitar has no two-person Duo plan, so a second learner means the Family plan. That plan is good value if anyone in the house also wants piano or singing, because one subscription covers every Simply app. Adding a profile does not upgrade the plan by itself.

Check your Simply Guitar price →

Is Simply Guitar free?

Only a little of it. The first part of Guitar Basics I is free and covers your first chords, which is enough to test whether the app hears your guitar properly in your room. Your first full song, the later courses, the song library and the chord library all need a subscription.

How the free trial works

• The trial is 7 days and appears only on the yearly plan; choose monthly and no trial is offered.
• It is one per account or Apple ID, even if you create a new account.
• It becomes a paid yearly subscription automatically. Cancel at least 24 hours before it ends; deleting the app does not cancel it.
• Apple or Google may place a small temporary charge to check your card, which disappears if you cancel in time.

Canceling and refunds

Canceling stops the next renewal; you keep access until the current period ends. Refunds depend on where you paid:

A refund also ends your premium access, though your progress stays saved. If you are not sure you will keep practicing, put the trial’s end date in your calendar.

Which guitars work with Simply Guitar?

• Acoustic and classical: both work through the microphone. Simply recommends a pick from the start on steel-string guitars; nylon-string classical guitars can be played with your fingers.
• Electric: works, but plug it into an amp pointed at your device and switch off distortion. An unplugged electric is too quiet for the app to hear reliably. On iPhone and iPad, Simply also supports the iRig HD2 audio interface (not the newer iRig HD X).
• Bass, ukulele and other instruments: not supported.
• Left-handed players: the diagrams are right-handed. Simply suggests either learning right-handed or using a left-handed or restrung guitar so the charts match.

If the app misses notes, Simply’s own fixes are to retune, take the phone out of its case, and wear headphones during sections with background music so the microphone only hears your guitar. Wired headphones or AirPods work best; other Bluetooth headphones can lag.

What you need to use it

• A 6-string guitar and, for an electric, a small amp.
• A phone or tablet: iPhone or iPad on iOS 15 or later, or Android 6 or later. Chromebooks work but are not fully supported, Amazon Fire tablets are not supported, and there is no Windows or Mac app.
• A quiet room, since the microphone does the grading.
• Patience with your fingertips. Sore fingertips are normal for the first weeks on steel strings; Simply suggests building up slowly, and says 15 minutes a day is enough.
• Language: the app is available in 10 languages, with lesson videos voiced in English and subtitled.

Does Simply Guitar actually work?

For getting a beginner from no chords to playing songs, yes. The 4.6-star rating from 368,000 Google Play reviews reflects what the app does well: instant feedback on every chord, songs early enough to stay motivated, and a structure that tells you exactly what to practice next.

Its limits come from the same design. The app hears what you play, not how. It cannot see a thumb wrapped too far round the neck, a tense wrist or a strumming hand that moves from the elbow. Simply publishes advice on posture in its help center, but nothing in the app checks it. Filming your hands now and then, or a few lessons with a teacher, fills that gap.

Tips to get the most out of Simply Guitar

A few habits make the app work better and cover for its blind spots:

• Test detection during the free lessons. Before you pay or start the trial, make sure the app reliably hears your particular guitar in the room where you will practice. That is the one thing worth confirming up front.
• Practice in a quiet room, and tune every time. The microphone does the grading, so background noise and a guitar that has drifted out of tune are the most common causes of missed chords.
• Keep sessions short and daily. Ten to fifteen minutes a day builds calluses and muscle memory better than one long weekly session, and it matches how Simply’s streaks are designed.
• Watch your own hands. Film a short clip of your fretting and strumming hands every week or two and compare it with a free technique video. It is the cheapest substitute for a teacher’s eye.
• Use both paths. Strumming chords and picking single-note riffs train different skills. Alternating between the Chords and Lead paths keeps practice varied and makes the combined courses easier.

What we like and what we don’t

What we like

• Real-time feedback on a real guitar, which makes solo practice far less aimless.
• Songs early, which keeps beginners going through the sore-fingers stage.
• A built-in tuner and clear guidance for electric players.
• Two clear paths, so you can lean toward strumming or toward riffs and lead.
• A Family plan that covers every Simply app.

What we don’t

• No feedback on technique, because it cannot see your hands.
• Opaque pricing and a trial that only comes with the yearly plan.
• Only a small free section, less than Simply Piano gives away.
• Detection depends on the room: noise, a phone case or an unamplified electric cause misses.
• No bass or ukulele, and no left-handed view.

Simply Guitar vs the alternatives

These are the options most worth comparing, as listed on each company’s site on 28 September 2026. Only Simply Guitar pays us a commission; Fender and Guitar Tricks run affiliate programs we have not joined, so everything else is listed on merit.

For the full ranking, see our guide to the best apps to learn guitar. If someone in the house prefers keys, Simply Piano uses the same method, and a Family plan covers both; our best apps to learn piano guide compares the piano field.

Who should use Simply Guitar

Choose Simply Guitar if you are starting from zero, you want to play songs you know within weeks, you need structure to keep practicing, or you are buying for a child. As a guided first few months of guitar it is one of the best options.

Look elsewhere, or add a teacher, if you want lead guitar beyond the basics, music theory, or feedback on technique. JustinGuitar’s free course and Fender Play are good next steps, and even a handful of lessons with a teacher will catch habits the app cannot see.

Start the free Guitar Basics lessons →

Frequently asked questions

Is Simply Guitar worth it?

For a beginner, or a child old enough to hold a guitar, yes: it listens to you play, corrects you instantly and gets you strumming real songs within the first weeks, which is when most people give up. It is not worth it if you want detailed technique, theory or lead playing beyond the intermediate level, because it cannot see your hands.

How much does Simply Guitar cost?

Simply does not publish a price list. Its help center says the price depends on your country, whether you pay through the App Store, Google Play or Simply’s website, and whether you choose an Individual or Family plan. Google Play lists Simply Guitar’s in-app items at $9.99 to $269.99. Open the app and tap Go Premium to see your own price.

Is Simply Guitar free?

Only the first part of the Guitar Basics I course is free. The rest of the courses, the song library and the chord library need a subscription. The 7-day free trial is only offered on the yearly plan, once per account or Apple ID.

Does Simply Guitar work with an electric guitar?

Yes, with any 6-string guitar. For an electric, plug it into an amp pointed at your phone or tablet and turn off distortion; an unplugged electric is usually too quiet for the app to hear. On iPhone and iPad it also supports the iRig HD2 interface.

Can I use Simply Guitar with a bass or ukulele?

No. Simply Guitar only works with 6-string guitars, whether classical, acoustic or electric. Bass and ukulele are tuned differently and are not supported.

Is Simply Guitar good for left-handed players?

It works, but it does not flip its diagrams. Simply’s own advice is to consider learning right-handed, or to use a left-handed or restrung guitar so the chord charts match what you see in the app.

Can one Simply Guitar subscription cover the family?

Only on the Family plan, which has five premium profiles and includes Simply Piano, Sing and Draw as well. The Individual plan has one premium profile; unlike Simply Piano, Simply Guitar has no two-person Duo plan.

Simply Guitar or Fender Play?

Simply Guitar is better if you want the app to listen to every chord and correct you. Fender Play is song-driven, also teaches bass and ukulele, and is closer to video lessons from a teacher. Both let you start free.

Related guides

• Best apps to learn guitar
• Simply Piano review
• Best apps to learn piano
• ArtistWorks piano review