All comparisons

HQ.training vs Calm

Sleep stories, or breathwork that knows your training

Calm is the big sleep and meditation library, with celebrity sleep stories, music and courses, a generous free tier and Premium at $79.99 a year. HQ is a training platform whose Relax studio adds breathwork classes, a plan, the BOLT test, and heart rate and HRV, free in every account.

Start free See pricing

What this page says about Calm comes from Calm’s own plans page, help center and App Store listings, read on 13 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check theirs before you decide.

The short version

HQ is the better pick if

  • You breathe for training and recovery, and want it beside your plan, your fitness chart and last night’s HRV.
  • You want breathwork measured: heart rate and HRV before and after each class, and a BOLT score each week.
  • You want a plan built around a goal rather than a library to browse.
  • You don’t want another subscription.

Calm is the better pick if

  • Sleep is the goal: sleep stories, many read by well-known voices, plus music and soundscapes.
  • You want meditation courses, daily sessions, Masterclasses and content for kids.
  • You want a family plan, or one for your company.
  • You want it on Apple Watch, Wear OS, Apple TV or Vision Pro.

HQ.training and Calm, side by side

  • Included
  • Partly, or at extra cost
  • Not offered
HQ.training Calm
Price Included: Free in every account Partly, or at extra cost: A free tier; Premium $79.99 a year on the web, lifetime $499.99, family $119.99 a year
Free tier Included: All of Relax, free Included: 230+ meditations, 8 sleep sessions and the basic breathing exercise, without ads
Breathwork Included: 16 classes for body, mind and sleep, beginner to advanced, with holds, rounds and spoken cues Partly, or at extra cost: Six breathing styles at 4, 6 or 8 breaths a minute
A plan Included: A 13-week breathwork plan built around your goal, with reminders Not offered: No personalised breathwork plan
BOLT test Included: A weekly BOLT test Not offered: Not offered
Heart rate and HRV Included: Before and after each class, from Apple Health or a heart-rate strap Not offered: None in the Calm app; it writes mindful minutes to Apple Health
Meditation and sleep Partly, or at extra cost: 12 guided sessions, two of them for bedtime; no sleep stories or music library Included: Sleep stories, meditations, daily sessions, music, soundscapes and Masterclasses
Wearables Included: HRV, sleep and resting heart rate from Oura, WHOOP, Fitbit and Apple Health Not offered: No Oura, WHOOP or Garmin connection
AI Included: A short note after each class, with a usage limit Not offered: No AI feature confirmed by Calm
Offline Included: Classes play offline Included: Downloads for offline listening
Reminders Included: At the times you choose Included: Mindfulness and bedtime reminders
Platforms Partly, or at extra cost: The web, an iPhone app in testing, Android next Included: iOS, Android, the web, Apple Watch, Wear OS, Apple TV and Vision Pro
Family and teams Included: Every athlete a coach or gym works with has it, free Included: A family plan for six, and Calm for Organizations at $70 a person a year
Training and coaching Included: The whole training platform: plans, zones, fitness and fatigue, and a coach if you have one Not offered: Not offered
Advertising Included: No ads, and HQ doesn’t sell your data Partly, or at extra cost: No ads in the app; its App Store privacy label lists data used to track you

What sets them apart

Breathwork you can measure

Calm guides your breath but doesn’t measure what it does to you. HQ takes heart rate and HRV before and after each class and a BOLT score each week, and puts them beside the training load and sleep from your ring or watch.

A plan, or a library

Calm is a library to browse. HQ asks what you want, energy, focus, calm, sleep, recovery or CO2 tolerance, and lays out 13 weeks of classes with reminders.

One account

Calm Premium doesn’t include Calm Sleep or Calm Health, which are separate. HQ’s Relax studio is part of the same free account as your training.

Where Calm is ahead

Sleep stories and music, a deep meditation library, family and company plans, and apps on nearly every screen. If sleep and meditation are what you’re after, Calm has far more of them.

Adding HQ alongside Calm, or moving over

  1. Start free

    Make an account. The Relax studio is in it from the first day.

  2. Take the BOLT test

    Set a baseline in the first week, then test once a week at the same time of day.

  3. Pick a goal

    Build the 13-week plan, set your reminder times, and connect your ring, strap or watch.

Questions

Does HQ have sleep stories or music?
No. HQ has two guided bedtime sessions, breathwork classes for sleep and generated sound beds, but no stories or music library.
Is HQ’s Relax studio free?
Yes, in every account. The note after a class uses HQ’s AI, which has a usage limit on every plan.
Does HQ read my Calm minutes?
No. Calm writes mindful minutes to Apple Health, and HQ doesn’t read those.

Sources

What this page says about Calm comes from Calm’s own plans page, help center and App Store listings, read on 13 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check theirs before you decide.

More comparisons

TrainingPeaks Final Surge intervals.icu TrueCoach Trainerize ABC Fitness Mindbody Wodify PushPress Zen Planner Eversports Magicline FivePointFive

Start with the account you need

Athletes are free for good. Coaches and gyms get 14 days free, then pay one flat price.

Start training free Start coaching Start your gym

Not ready yet?

Leave your email and we’ll write when something new ships.

{{ launchCaptureMessage }}

Product news only. Unsubscribe whenever you like.