The short answer
Use WHOOP if you want a band you never take off to charge a watch, you use Android, or you want what its higher tiers add, such as stress monitoring on Peak, or ECG and blood-pressure insights on Life. It has years of refinement behind its recovery score and Strength Trainer.
Use Auralo if you already wear an Apple Watch and don't want a second wearable or a membership from $199 a year. Recovery, a learned sleep coach, a smart alarm, a plan that ticks itself off and the Watch app are free, with no account, and everything is worked out on your iPhone.
Features side by side
| Feature | Auralo | WHOOP |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery & sleep | ||
| Recovery score | YesAgainst your own last 30 days | Yes |
| Sleep coach | YesSleep need learned from your nights, bedtime and wind-down | Sleep Planner |
| Smart alarm | YesApple Watch, light sleep in a 30-minute window | Haptic alarm |
| Shows how sure each score is | YesWith the reasons | Not found |
| Your day | ||
| A plan that ticks itself off | YesFrom Apple Health, nothing to log | Weekly Plan goals |
| Strain target band | YesFor example 35 to 55 | Strain target |
| What-if forecast for tomorrow | YesMove bedtime, see tomorrow's range | Not found |
| Personal experiments | YesOne at a time, judged after 14 days | Journal shows what moved recovery |
| Training | ||
| Strength log | Yes Coming in the next beta"Last time" beside every set | Strength Trainer |
| Muscle recovery map | Yes Coming in the next beta | Not found |
| Hevy and Strong import | Yes Coming in the next beta | NoRequested, not built |
| Hardware | ||
| Works on older Apple Watches | YesReads any Watch's Apple Health data. Watch app: watchOS 11 | Uses its own band |
| Works with other wearables | YesAnything that syncs to Apple Health | No |
| Works with iPhone only | YesRougher estimates, and it says so | NoNeeds the band |
| No extra hardware to buy | Yes | Band included with membership |
| Privacy | ||
| No account | Yes | No |
| Health data stays on device | YesNo servers for health data | NoWHOOP's cloud |
| No analytics | YesNone in the app | NoPer its App Store label |
| Price (US) | ||
| Monthly | FreeAuralo+ $1.99 | Yearly only for new members |
| Yearly | FreeAuralo+ $19.99 | $199 to $359One, Peak or Life, band included |
Features and prices as of October 2026, US prices. "Not found" means we looked in the app's App Store listing and help pages and couldn't confirm it. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
What it costs
| Cost | Auralo | WHOOP |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | The Apple Watch or wearable you have, or iPhone alone | WHOOP band, included with membership |
| Free version | Yes: scores, plan, sleep coach, Watch app | No. The band needs a membership |
| Monthly | Auralo+ $1.99, optional | Not offered to new members |
| Yearly | Auralo+ $19.99, optional | One $199, Peak $239, Life $359 |
| First year, cheapest way in | $0 | $199 |
Features and prices as of October 2026, US prices. "Not found" means we looked in the app's App Store listing and help pages and couldn't confirm it. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Switching from WHOOP
- Wear your Apple Watch to bed. Auralo needs overnight heart-rate variability, resting heart rate and sleep. Turn on Sleep in the Watch app and keep the Watch charged in the evening.
- Overlap for two weeks if you can. While your WHOOP membership is still active, turn on its Apple Health integration. Auralo reads its sleep and resting heart rate (WHOOP doesn't share HRV), and Auralo learns your usual in the first couple of weeks either way.
- Export what you want to keep. WHOOP keeps your history in its own service. Ask WHOOP for a data export before the membership ends; once it lapses, the band stops syncing to Apple Health.
- Bring your lifting log. WHOOP's Strength Trainer history can't be imported into Auralo. If you log in Hevy or Strong, Auralo's import Coming in the next beta brings that history across.
Expect different numbers. WHOOP's recovery and Auralo's recovery use different inputs and scales, so compare each with its own trend, not with each other. See how a recovery score works.
Questions
Is Auralo a free WHOOP alternative?
If you have an Apple Watch, for most people yes. Auralo's recovery, strain target, sleep coach, smart alarm and daily plan are free, with no account. WHOOP is the better pick if you want a screenless band, Android, or the extra health features in Peak and Life.
Can I use WHOOP and Auralo together?
Yes, while your membership is active. Turn on WHOOP's Apple Health integration and Auralo reads its sleep and resting heart rate. If you wear an Apple Watch to bed too, Auralo picks one device per night so nothing is counted twice.
Does Auralo work with a WHOOP band after the membership ends?
Not for new data. WHOOP says nothing new syncs until a membership is active again, so nothing reaches Apple Health. With an Apple Watch, Auralo gives you recovery, sleep and strain for free, HRV included.
Will Auralo's recovery score match WHOOP's?
No, and it shouldn't be expected to. They use different inputs and scales. Auralo compares last night with your own last 30 days, and every score says how sure it is.
Is this medical advice?
No. Both give wellness information. If something feels wrong, talk to a doctor.
Also compare: Auralo vs Oura · Auralo vs Athlytic · Auralo vs Bevel · Apple Readiness vs Auralo · All comparisons
Sources, checked 21 October 2026
- WHOOP membership pricing
- WHOOP on the App Store (features and privacy label)
- WHOOP Community: Hevy integration request
- What Auralo reads from each wearable: Works with your wearable
WHOOP is a trademark of its owner. Auralo isn't affiliated with WHOOP. Auralo gives wellness information, not medical advice.