Today Guitar Tuner apps are a dime a dozen with many seeming to offer the same features in a different package.  So how do you sift through the mix?  Is the tuner consistently accurate, does it have a tone generator, is a metronome included…?  Using a tuner should be intuitive and easy.  A great app will have you in tune as fast as possible letting us get back to why we are all here to begin with, to play guitar!  To help show the good and bad of the various tuners out there, below are my top Guitar Tuner apps available on Android and iOS.

Top 10 Guitar Tuner Apps

Cleartune

Starting of the list is an industry standard if you will.  Cleartune comes in at $3.99 and is quite straightforward with what it is has to offer.  There aren’t to many bells and whistles on this one.  With its main feature being a chromatic tuner, the only other features include adjustment of the pitch and temperament settings.  Cleartune won’t blow your mind with features, especially considering the price, but it fights for top dog when it comes to tuning accuracy and consistency, easily making it one of the top 3 choices within all available mobile guitar tuner apps.

Pros

• Highly consistent and accurate chromatic tuner.
• Temperament adjustments.

Cons

• High price for few features.

TonalEnergy

TonalEnergy scored points with me after testing dozens of guitar tuner apps.  It includes a metronome and array of other features including adjusting how close to pitch you need to be for it to signal in tune.  Another main selling point of this app is its recording capabilities.  Not meant to track records, the recording functionality is great to record parts while using the metronome and tuner.  You can listen pack to see if you are staying in time or on pitch (great for guitarists who sing as well).  Maybe not the best looking app on the list, TonalEnergy still earns a spot with its great features and low price.

Pros

• Included metronome.
• Pitch sensitivity adjustment.
• Can record while using metronome or tuner to check timing and pitch.

Cons

• Simple design, not as intuitive as other options.

Pro Guitar Tuner

Although it might not have the flashiest name of the bunch, Pro Guitar Tuner definitely has some things going for it.  For one, even though it is a phone app, it looks and feels retro and analog.  The graphics they use give it a really nice feel.  Many of the other apps listed offer a tone generator.  Pro Guitar Tuner offers one as well but is the only to offer numerous presets for what that tone sounds like.  So instead of tuning to the sound of pitch fork, you can tune to what sounds like another actual instrument.  Pro Guitar Tuner is another of the $3.99 priced apps.

Pros

• Cool retro analog feel.
• Adjustable tone generator with numerous instrument style presets.

Cons

• Beside tone generator, not many extra features.

TuneORama

If you dig Pro Guitar Tuner’s look and feel but want to save some cash or don’t need its tone generator features, TuneORama might be the perfect fit.  It is priced a dollar cheaper at $2.99 and does lack a few features.  However, the tuner itself works great and the look of the app brings out that vintage analog feel.  TuneORama is essentially the littler brother to Pro Guitar Tuner.

Pros

• $2.99 price point is affordable.
• Vintage feel and graphics.

Cons

• No additional features besides the tuner.

Get Tuneorama here

Guitar Toolkit

Guitar Toolkit is one of those just under 10 dollar apps.  The tuner that comes with the app is well regarded and easy to use, but what gives for the high price?  Guitar Toolkit comes with the most features available in ‘tuner’ app.  Like some others it has a metronome, but additionally it offers help with chords, arpeggios, scales, etc.  If you are looking for a chord book and tuner that fits in your pockets and are willing to look past the $9.99 price tag, Guitar Toolkit may have just what you need for a new multi-function guitar tuner app.

Pros

• Included metronome.
• Essentially a chord book in your pocket.

Cons

• Hight cost at $9.99.
• Basic tuner doesn’t offer many features.
  

iStroboSoft

This guitar tuner app is quite pricey relative to its competitors on the market.  The reason for this is the belief behind strobe tuners being the most accurate.  For many, strobe tuners versus the standard counterpart is all of matter of taste.  If strobe is your thing though, iStroboSoft is chalk full of features to make up for that hefty price tag.  These features include an extremely sensitive and wide range tuner.  The app also allows you to boost the input by connecting an external mic as well as having a filter for tuning in a noisy space.

Pros

• Uses a strobe tuner.
• Supports external mic.
• Filter when tuning in noisy space.

Cons

• $9.99 is a high cost for many for a guitar tuner application.

InsTuner

Coming in at the same price as Cleartune, what makes InsTuner different?  InsTuner is similar to Cleartune with its clean interface and ease of use.  Although it lacks a few nit-picky settings, InsTuner is a great option for the beginner crowd.  The app has numerous instrument presets so if you are tuning something other then a guitar and aren’t sure of its standard tuning, the guitar tuner app can help out.

Pros

• Offers various instrument presets if you are tuning another instrument, or even messing around with alternate tuning.
• Good for beginner guitarist.

Cons

• At the same, the tuner itself doesn’t seem to stand up as well to Cleartune.

Cadenza

This is the cheapest option so far on this list.  With a price point of $1.99 can it stand up to the competition?  The short answer is yes, no doubt.  The Cadenza guitar tuner app is solid enough, easy to use, and accurate, although maybe not the best.  However, Cadenza also includes a metronome.  Many other apps offer this feature, like Guitar Toolkit mentioned above, but not at such a great price.  Cadenza is a great option if you want a tuner metronome combo and aren’t willing to spend a pretty penny.

Pros

• Affordable at only $1.99.
• Included metronome.

Cons

• Not the cleanest interface.
• Tuner is limited in settings.

Pano Tuner

This list wouldn’t be complete with out at least one free option.  Being a tuner in a phone app, many people expect to pay nothing.  So what do you get for nothing, and what is the best option.  Pano Tuner definitely puts up a good fight.  It offers nothing fancy.  Its simple, its small (file size wise), and its free!  The tuner is accurate and there isn’t really anything about it that one could complain about.  Pano does offer a paid version if it turns out you need those few extra features and enjoy their tuner.

Pros

• Free to download and use basic tuning.
• Tuner works great.

Cons

• Have to pay to get any additional features.

Guitar Tuna

I wanted to include one more free option because for many, paying for a guitar tuner app is just out of the question when so many free ones are available.  Finding a good freebie is tough though.  So how does Guitar Tuna stack up?  Well besides its great name, the app looks great and is extremely accurate.  In addition, it offers some training exercises / games to help improve one’s ear.  Guitar Tuna is great for people not looking to pay and beginners alike.

Pros

• Free to download.
• Includes training type games to help develop a player’s ear.

Cons

• Limited pitch range for tuner.

So there are 10 of the best guitar apps on the market.  Sure there are countless other options but for the price, sometimes even free, these apps really hit the nail on the head.  All offer accurate tuning which when it comes down to it is the main feature needed in a tuner, right?

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