Best guitar apps: top choices for learning, tuning, recording and more

Man with acoustic guitar, holding his phone
(Image credit: Getty/fizkes)

Nowadays, nearly everyone has the power of a small computer contained within their pocket. While you may think of your smartphone as a potential distraction from your guitar playing, it can also be a boon for it. The best guitar apps can really help with your musical ventures, integrating into your practice regimen to help you become the guitar player you really want to be.

Whether it’s a basic tuner or a fully-fledged multi-track recorder that’ll let you lay down ideas with EQ and effects, the modern guitarist has plenty of options when it comes to apps for their guitar playing – and they keep getting better. You don’t have to be a new player to take advantage of them, either – there are plenty of great apps that’ll help you solidify what you’ve already learned through practice, such as metronomes and loopers.

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You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

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Matt McCracken
Junior Deals Writer

Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the country in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at.