The 7 Best Metronome Apps for Guitar (…and 1 undecided)

Metronomes are an essential part of any guitar player’s practice routine.  If you’re trying to play in tempo, increase picking speed, or find the ideal tempo for a song, then you need a metronome to get you there.  

Traditionally, metronomes have been simple time-keeping devices which did only one thing:  keep a regulated beat.  It was up to you to decide in your head how to interpret that beat.  3/4?  6/8?  Subdivisions?  More recently, electronic metronomes have added a lot of features, allowing you to choose the emphasized beat, subdivisions, and even alternating time signatures.  Nowadays, of course, apps provide the most handy and powerful metronome tools out there.

If you visit the app shops, though, and just type in ‘metronome’ you’ll find hundreds of apps.  A total of 649(!!) in the iOS store, and over 250 in the Android store.  Here’s a quick list of the 7 best metronome apps for guitar to help you fit your needs and your budget.

About this particular list of the best metronome apps:

• Rankings are determined by Reviews, Number of Downloads, Usability, and Aesthetics.
• App store reviews are shown for both a)  the most recent version of the app and b)  the overall history of the app.
• This list leans towards the iOS world, but Android versions are noted as well.

1.  Tempo

by frozen ape | Website
Platform: iOS and Android
Reviews: 111 (5 stars)
Overall Reviews: 4,114 (4.5 stars)
Price: $1.99  

The Verdict:  Tempo packs in lots of advanced metronome features, but the real strength is in it’s different “modes”. It has modes for practice sessions, setlist setup, and gigging.  There are tons of great reviews from musicians using it for the full range of practice sessions to live performance. It also gets a nice mention from one of the admin’s over at HarmonyCentral.com.

  

2. Pro Metronome (Pro Version)

by Xiao Yixiang, EUM Lab | Website
Platform: iOS
Reviews: 364 (5 stars)
Overall Reviews: 2,333 (4.5 stars)
Price: $2.99 (for “Pro” version, free version available also)

The Verdict:  Highly customizable and very hip looking, Pro Metronome has received a lot of good press.  And judging by the reviews, it’s been able to deliver on the good press.  Has a nice retro UI and can even play back on your TV via AirPlay.

3. Metro Timer Pro

by Onyx Apps | Website
Platform: iOS
Reviews: 118 (4.5 stars)
Overall Reviews: 1,187 (4.5 stars)
Price: $2.99 (for “Pro” version, free version available also)

The Verdict:  Once again, a highly customizable metronome with an attractive user interface.  Onyx Labs pushes the idea that this metronome app has more exact timing than all the others.  There seems to be some confusion on the name, though.  The title in the App Store is Metronome Ϟ, but the website, logo, and app store description refer to it as MetroTimer.  Hmmm.

4. Metronome – reloaded

by Uwe Hollatz | Website
Platform:  iOS
Overall Reviews: 121 (4.0 stars)
Price: Free

The Verdict: “Metronome – reloaded” produces an electronic steady tempo in the performance of music. It is useful for all musicians for practicing and playing a musical instrument. 

5. The Metronome by Soundbrenner

by Soundbrenner  | Website
Platforms: iOS
Reviews: 10,250 (4.7 stars)
Price: Free

The Verdict:  An intuitive interface, jam-packed with features, powerful customisation and flawless accuracy. The Metronome is a must-have for every musician.

6. Metronome

by MarketWall.com |  Website
Platforms: iOS
Reviews: 18 (5 stars)
Overall Reviews: 34,126 (3 stars)
Price: Free

The Verdict:  This is the definitive, basic metronome.  The graphics look like a classic pendulum metronome.  And it has the capabilities of a classic, pendulum metronome (which is to say, not that many…).  I’m most amazed, however, that it has over 34,000 reviews.  Clearly, this apps been on the market for a while and it’s ‘free’ status has made it a favorite.

7. Metronome+

by Dynamic App Design |  Website
Platform: iOS and Android
Reviews: 20 (4 stars)
Overall Reviews: 416 (4 stars)
Price: Free (with In App purchases)

The Verdict:  Metronome+ digs into more features for practicing – recording your playing, programming a change of tempos, and even adding a tuner. While the app seems powerful, I don’t like the extensive use of In App Purchase for features. And it doesn’t seem to have the amount of users as the other apps.

New App:  Verdict Undecided…

Tempo Advance

by Yonac Inc. | Website (Website is gone)
Platform: iOS
Reviews: 22 (5 stars)
Overall Reviews: 272 (4 stars)
Price: $3.99

The Verdict:  Welcome to a metronome on steroids.  The extensive feature list includes the ability to pre-program a song (or setlist) with tempo changes, polyrythms, subdivision accents, and then present them in ‘gig’ mode for performances.  The app is endorsed, and partially designed, by Mike Mangini (drummer for Dream Theater).  The negative is that this metronome is more than most musicians need.  Sometimes ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’.  Sometimes.