GuitarPal vs PracticeMap
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GuitarPal
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Guitar practice can easily become unfocused: you pick up your guitar, play whatever comes to mind, and lose track of what you intended to work on. GuitarPal helps you turn those moments into structured practice sessions. Plan what to work on, stay focused while you play, and track your progress over time—all without unnecessary distractions. PRACTICE YOUR WAY • Start a free or timed practice session • Begin instantly or set a specific duration • Adjust your practice settings at any time STAY FOCUSED • Use the built-in metronome • Practice with optional backing tracks • Organize multiple exercises into a clear sequence • Add notes and reminders to each exercise TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Log your practice automatically • Review your total practice time and practice days • Follow your streaks and build a more consistent routine BUILT FOR GUITAR PLAYERS GuitarPal is for players who want more structure without more complexity—whether you are building a new practice habit or improving an existing routine. It is not a course library or content platform. It is a focused, reliable companion that helps you make each practice session count. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
PracticeMap
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[An active (paid) Apple Music subscription is required to play any music.] PracticeMap is a player for people practicing an instrument and for anyone learning songs by ear. It works with the Apple Music you already have - no file prep, no importing - and lets you loop the phrases you can't play yet as many times as you need. ■ Slow it to half speed, and the pitch stays put Play back anywhere from 50% to 125%. Nothing sags a semitone, so the note you hear is the note you play. Work through fast passages one note at a time, still in the original key. ■ The song becomes a map Every song is laid out across ten rows, whatever its length, so you always know where you are. ■ One tap to split Tap "+" and a marker drops at the current position. No naming, no dialogs. The stretch between two markers becomes a practice unit, and you can loop just that. ■ Leave yourself notes "The chord changes here." "Different fingering from here." Attach a note to any marker. It stays on screen while you play, so you can read it without stopping. ■ Speed Trainer Set a number of laps, and the playback speed steps up automatically each time you hit it. Start slow and creep up to the original tempo. ■ Your practice adds up Time spent playing and the number of loops are recorded automatically. Today's total is waiting on the home screen. ■ Find the tempo Tap along with the song for four beats or more and PracticeMap works out its BPM. ■ Pick up where you left off Markers, playback position, and speed are saved per song, automatically. Open it tomorrow and carry straight on. ---------- WHAT YOU CAN PRACTICE WITH - Songs from the Apple Music catalog - Songs already in your Apple Music library, including your own MP3s and CD rips that you imported in the Music app and synced through iCloud Music Library WHAT ISN'T SUPPORTED - Reading files directly from your device (MP3s sitting in the Files app) - Songs from other streaming services PLEASE NOTE - This app works with Apple Music only. An active (paid) Apple Music subscription is required; without one, no songs will play. - All playback happens through Apple Music. The app never downloads, copies, or exports audio. - Requires an iPhone running iOS 17 or later. - No ads. No usage data is collected. Everything you record stays on your device. PRICING - Free for up to three songs. No feature is held back - markers, looping, speed control, Speed Trainer, practice records, and tempo detection all work from the start. - From the fourth song onward, a one-time in-app purchase removes the song limit. It is a single payment, not a subscription. - This is separate from your Apple Music subscription. Buying it does not give you access to Apple Music. ---------- One day the phrase you've been chasing simply falls under your fingers. May the patient repetition that leads up to it be a little more enjoyable. Here's to a richer musical life for all of us.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GuitarPal at none against PracticeMap's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PracticeMap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GuitarPal asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | GuitarPal | PracticeMap |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 文海 赵 | YUKIO SAITO |
In-app purchases
GuitarPal
No in-app purchases
PracticeMap
- Unlock unlimited songs$6.99









