Five honest options if Kickoff isn't covered by your insurance, or you want to work out live with your coach.
A quick note on bias: HipTrain wrote this guide, and we're one of the options in it. Every fact about other services comes from what they publish themselves, and the sources are listed at the end. Where another service is the better pick, we say so.
Kickoff pairs you with a coach who is both a registered dietitian and a personal trainer. You get weekly video calls and daily texts, and the app guides your workouts. Its big draw is price: Kickoff bills health insurance and says most people pay "$0 out-of-pocket," naming Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and others. If you're not covered, its 55+ plan lists $95 a month, $513 every 6 months, or $912 a year, and says it's FSA/HSA eligible. Kickoff has a 4.83 rating from 4,167 ratings on the iOS App Store.
People look for Kickoff alternatives for a few common reasons. Their insurance isn't accepted, so the real price is higher than $0. They want to actually work out live with a coach, not train alone between check-ins. Or they want a free trial before they commit. If Kickoff is free for you and you like having nutrition help, you may not need to switch. More on that below.
HipTrain is live 1-on-1 personal training over video. Kickoff checks in with you; HipTrain trains with you. Your coach is on screen for the whole workout, watching your form, adjusting exercises and keeping the pace. You keep the same coach every session, and we rematch you if the fit isn't right.
Thirty-minute sessions cost $59.49/mo for one a week, $119.99/mo for two, or $179.99/mo for three, about $14 a session. Sixty-minute sessions cost $109.99/mo, $219.99/mo or $319.99/mo, about $25 a session. The first session is free with no credit card. HipTrain is HSA / FSA eligible through Truemed for people who qualify (check your plan). We don't bill insurance. As one member put it: "It is really easy to sign up and make schedule changes." (Bruce W., Google review)
Where we're not the right fit: we don't offer dietitian or nutrition coaching, which is a real part of Kickoff's offer. We have 30 App Store ratings, while Kickoff has thousands, and our coach roster is small. You also need to be on camera at a set time. If insurance makes Kickoff free for you, it's hard to beat on price. More in HipTrain vs Kickoff.
Best for: people who want a coach live with them for every workout, at a predictable monthly price.
Future is app-based coaching. Your coach builds your program, checks in and texts with you, and you do the workouts on your own. Future does not advertise live video workouts. It costs $50 for the first month, then $199/mo, or as little as $149/mo on a 12-month plan, and it offers a full refund if you cancel within 30 days. Future says it's HSA/FSA eligible through Truemed. It has a 4.87 rating from 10,776 iOS ratings. More in HipTrain vs Future.
Best for: people who liked Kickoff's daily accountability and want a polished app with a refund window.
Trainwell is also app coaching: a coach-built plan, with messages, video messages and live calls. It costs $149/mo, billed every 3 months, and starts with a 14-day free trial. Trainwell says plans may be HSA/FSA eligible. It has a 4.91 rating from 5,595 iOS ratings. More in HipTrain vs Trainwell.
Best for: people who want to try a real coach free for two weeks before paying.
Caliber is a strength training app with free and paid tiers, and 1-on-1 coaching that you start through a consultation call. Caliber doesn't publish its coaching price on its site; Garage Gym Reviews lists Premium coaching at about $200/mo. Caliber offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. It has a 4.84 rating from 6,076 iOS ratings. More in HipTrain vs Caliber.
Best for: lifters who want a structured strength program and like tracking numbers.
Echelon Coach is the service FlexIt became after Echelon acquired it in 2025, and flexit.fit now redirects there. Like HipTrain, it runs live 1-on-1 video sessions. Packages work with any trainer on the platform, and it also lists nutritionists you can book, which may appeal to Kickoff members who value food guidance. Monthly plans run $37.25 to $41 per 30-minute session with a 2-month minimum; pay-as-you-go runs up to $48 per 30 minutes and $88 per 60 minutes. The first session is $5, and Echelon says you "may be able" to pay with HSA/FSA by calling. We couldn't find an Echelon Coach app in the US iOS App Store when we checked. More in HipTrain vs Echelon Coach.
Best for: people who want live sessions and nutrition appointments in one place, and don't mind paying per session.
Kickoff may already be the right choice. Stay if:
Kickoff says most people pay $0 out of pocket because it bills health insurance, and it asks you to check your eligibility to confirm your co-pay. If you're not covered, its 55+ page lists $95 a month. Its homepage shows "$250 / month" crossed out next to $0, so confirm the price you'd actually pay before you start.
HipTrain and Echelon Coach both run live 1-on-1 video sessions. HipTrain costs about $14 per 30-minute session on a monthly plan and keeps you with the same coach. Echelon Coach costs $37.25 to $48 per 30 minutes and lets you book any trainer.
Kickoff is unusual because every coach is a dietitian and a trainer. Echelon Coach lists bookable nutritionists and dieticians. HipTrain, Trainwell and Caliber focus on training.
HipTrain is HSA / FSA eligible through Truemed for people who qualify. Future says it's eligible through Truemed, Trainwell says plans may be eligible, and Kickoff's 55+ plan says it's FSA/HSA eligible. Check your own plan first.
HipTrain's first session is free with no credit card. Trainwell offers a 14-day free trial. Future refunds you in full within 30 days, and Echelon Coach's first session is $5.
Want to see what training live with a coach feels like? Try your first HipTrain session free. No credit card needed.
We checked pricing and features for every service here in October 2026. They change often, so double-check before you sign up.