Guitar Tricks vs Fender Play
Verdict at a glance
Fender Play for absolute beginners on a budget; Guitar Tricks if you want song depth and a real refund safety net.
Fender Play is cheaper ($19.99/mo, $149.99/yr vs $29.95/$179), built for beginner-to-intermediate players with short lessons, and annual members get 10% off Fender gear - but its terms allow no refund for a partial period. Guitar Tricks offers 11,000+ lessons, 1,000+ songs, a 14-day trial and a 60-day guarantee. Editorial recommendation based on price/features only - not hands-on testing.
Cheapest over 12 months: Fender Play $149.99/yr on annual billing (verified)Longest trial: Guitar Tricks (14 days, per its trial terms)Strongest refund window: Guitar Tricks (60-day terms - see table)
Editorial verdict from verified public facts (price, trial, refund, library, structure) - not hands-on testing. How we judge: How we rate.
Prices & trials last checked: Oct 2026 - confirm at checkout. Editorial from published facts, not hands-on testing: How we rate.
Side by side
Guitar Tricks
| Price (monthly) | $29.95/month |
|---|---|
| Price (annual) | $179/year |
| Cost over 12 months | $359.40 paying monthly, or $179 on annual billing (saves $180.40) - from verified prices, before any sale pricing; confirm at checkout |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial (billing collected, no charge for 14 days; auto-converts unless cancelled) |
| Refund | 60-day money-back guarantee (cancel within 60 days of Full Access signup for a full refund) |
| Library size | 11,000+ lessons (pricing page: 'Over 11,000 lessons'; also 1,000+ songs) |
| Structure & features | Core Learning System; Song lessons; Tabs/notation for lessons (per affiliate page) |
| Genres/styles | acoustic, blues, rock, country, fundamentals |
| Levels | beginner, intermediate, experienced |
| Best for | beginners, intermediate, structured learners |
Fender Play
| Price (monthly) | $19.99/month |
|---|---|
| Price (annual) | $149.99/year ($12.50/month billed annually); annual members get 10% off Fender gear |
| Cost over 12 months | $239.88 paying monthly, or $149.99 on annual billing (saves $89.89) - from verified prices, before any sale pricing; confirm at checkout |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on monthly plan; 14-day free trial on annual plan (new members; auto-rolls to paid unless cancelled) |
| Refund | No refunds for partial subscription periods — monthly and annual terms state refunds cannot be claimed for a partial period; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle (Fender Play Terms of Use) |
| Library size | Thousands of lessons (product page; no exact count stated) and 1,000s of songs |
| Structure & features | Short guided lessons; Structured paths (details to verify) |
| Genres/styles | beginner fundamentals, songs and riffs — genre list to verify |
| Levels | beginner, intermediate |
| Best for | beginners, kids (with parent check — to verify) |
Not sure? Take the 60-second gear-fit quiz
Answer a few questions and get a guitar + lessons starting point, then run the numbers in the total-cost calculator.
Pros & cons
Guitar Tricks pros
- Clear step-by-step structure
- Strong beginner path
Cons / watch-outs
- Highest monthly price in this set ($29.95/mo, verified)
- Annual plan ($179/yr) costs more than TrueFire, JamPlay, Fender Play or Pickup Music annual options checked
Fender Play pros
- Low intimidation for day-one players
- Fender brand trust
Cons / watch-outs
- No refunds for partial subscription periods (per its Terms of Use)
- Catalog depth is 'thousands' of lessons, smaller than TrueFire/JamPlay libraries
Who should pick which?
- Pick Guitar Tricks if you are: beginners, intermediate, structured learners.
- Pick Fender Play if you are: beginners, kids (with parent check — to verify).
Cost over 12 months
Paying monthly for a year is almost always the expensive way to learn. Using the verified list prices in our data (see each table above): compare the monthly-billed total against the annual total before you commit, and run your own numbers - guitar included - in our total cost calculator. Trial first either way, and check current deals & trial terms before paying, because sale pricing changes.
FAQ
Which is cheaper over a year?
See the 12-month row in each table - it is calculated only from prices we verified on the platforms' own pages; if a price is marked to verify, we say so instead of guessing.
Can I try both free?
Guitar Tricks: 14-day free trial (billing collected, no charge for 14 days; auto-converts unless cancelled) Fender Play: 7-day free trial on monthly plan; 14-day free trial on annual plan (new members; auto-rolls to paid unless cancelled)
What if I pick wrong?
Guitar Tricks refund: 60-day money-back guarantee (cancel within 60 days of Full Access signup for a full refund) Fender Play refund: No refunds for partial subscription periods — monthly and annual terms state refunds cannot be claimed for a partial period; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle (Fender Play Terms of Use)
Have you tested these hands-on?
No. This comparison is editorial and based only on verified public facts, labelled as such - see How we rate for the rubric.
How we reached this verdict (methodology)
We score only facts a platform publishes about itself: list price and billing terms, free-trial length and conditions, refund policy, stated lesson count, curriculum structure, and listed styles/levels - weighted as Price/value 25%, Trial & refund 20%, Library 20%, Structure 20%, Genre depth 15% (full rubric: How we rate). We have not hands-on tested either platform, we do not use star ratings from review sites, and anything a platform does not publish (for example a USD price) is marked to verify rather than estimated. Prices last verified 2026-10-17 - always confirm at checkout, because sale pricing changes faster than any review page.
Decision flowchart (in words)
- Start both trials in the same week if both offer one - a trial you use beats any table, including ours.
- Need one guided path, lesson after lesson? Weight the Structure score and the first-named platform's beginner pathway.
- Already know the style you want (blues, metal, fingerstyle...)? Weight Library and Genre depth, and check your style is listed, not just implied.
- Price decides it? Use the 12-month annual row above, not the monthly headline - then check current deals & trials.
- Still tied? Pick the one with the longer/stronger refund terms, learn for a month, and switch only if you stopped opening it.
Mistakes to avoid with either platform
- Paying annually before finishing a trial - the discount is not a saving if you quit in month two.
- Judging by lesson count alone: 80,000 lessons you never open are worth less than a 200-lesson path you finish.
- Subscribing to two overlapping platforms at once (some libraries now bundle together - check before doubling up).
- Letting a trial auto-renew by accident: set a cancel reminder on day one, whichever you choose.
More questions
Can I switch later without starting over?
Yes - beginner fundamentals transfer between platforms; chord shapes and timing are the same everywhere. What does not transfer is your place in a specific curriculum, which is why trialling both first is cheaper than switching mid-year.
Do either of these replace a private teacher?
No online platform in our data watches your hands in real time (one lists 1-on-1 video feedback - see its table above). If posture or pain is a concern, a few in-person lessons complement any subscription.
Our verdict
Fender Play for absolute beginners on a budget; Guitar Tricks if you want song depth and a real refund safety net.
Fender Play is cheaper ($19.99/mo, $149.99/yr vs $29.95/$179), built for beginner-to-intermediate players with short lessons, and annual members get 10% off Fender gear - but its terms allow no refund for a partial period. Guitar Tricks offers 11,000+ lessons, 1,000+ songs, a 14-day trial and a 60-day guarantee. Editorial recommendation based on price/features only - not hands-on testing.