Seven services, ranked by what each one does best, with real prices and plain answers.
Full disclosure: HipTrain wrote this guide, and we're one of the seven picks. So yes, we're biased. To keep it fair, every fact about other companies comes from what they publish or from a named review site, with links at the end. Where someone else is the better choice, we say so.
"Online personal training" covers two very different things. Most of the big names (Future, Trainwell, Caliber, Ladder) coach you through an app: a plan, messages and check-ins. A smaller group, including HipTrain and Echelon Coach, puts you on a live video call with a coach at a set time. Pick the style first, then the price.
Live or app-based. This is the big one. With a live service, a coach watches you move, fixes your form in the moment and expects you at a set time. With an app-based service, you get a plan and a coach who checks in by message or short video. Both can work. Ask yourself whether you need someone waiting for you, or whether you'd rather train whenever it suits you.
Price per session. Monthly prices hide a lot. A $199 plan with no live sessions and a $59.49 plan with four live sessions are very different deals. We show per-session math wherever the company publishes enough to do it.
Same coach, a real trial, and HSA / FSA. Seeing the same coach builds trust and progress. A free trial lets you test the fit before paying. And if you have an HSA or FSA, check whether the service is eligible, since that can mean paying with pre-tax dollars. Always confirm with your own plan.
HipTrain is live 1-on-1 personal training over video. You book sessions that fit your week, and you see the same coach every time. Your coach is vetted and certified, and the specialties include strength, mobility, Pilates, stretching and rehab training. You don't need a gym or equipment. It works on the web, iPhone and Android, and you can chat with your coach in the app between sessions. Start with a two-minute questionnaire and we match you with a coach. If the fit isn't right, you can switch coaches anytime.
Prices: 30-minute sessions are $59.49/mo (once a week), $119.99/mo (twice) or $179.99/mo (three times), which works out to about $14 a session. 60-minute sessions are $109.99, $219.99 or $319.99 a month, about $25 a session. Your first session is free, with no credit card needed, and HipTrain is HSA / FSA eligible. One Google reviewer wrote: "I am 68 years old, she is VERY patient with me." (Douglas Hendrick, about coach Miranda Moronta).
Best for: people who want a real coach watching them live, on a set schedule, without paying in-person trainer prices.
Future pairs you with a coach who builds your workouts in the app and keeps in touch by text. It does not advertise live sessions. Future lists $199/mo, $50 for the first month, or $149/mo if you prepay for 12 months, and offers a 30-day full refund. It says you can pay with HSA / FSA through Truemed. Future has a large following too: 4.87 on iOS from more than 10,000 ratings, and Garage Gym Reviews names it Best Overall.
Best for: self-starters who like a coach-built plan and messaging, and want to train on their own clock. Compare it with us at HipTrain vs Future or see Future alternatives.
Trainwell (formerly CoPilot) is mostly app-based coaching with calls. It lists $149/mo billed quarterly and offers a 14-day free trial that starts with a 40-minute call. Trainwell also powers Peloton Personal Trainer at $99.99/mo. On HSA / FSA, Trainwell says you "may be eligible." It has 4.90 on iOS from more than 5,500 ratings.
Best for: people who want to try a human coach for two weeks before paying. More at HipTrain vs Trainwell and Trainwell alternatives.
Caliber has a free strength-training app, a Pro plan at $19/mo with group coaching, and Premium 1-on-1 coaching at about $200/mo, sold through a consultation call, per Garage Gym Reviews. Premium mixes app-based coaching with video check-ins. HSA / FSA eligibility is not confirmed in our sources. Caliber has 4.84 on iOS from about 6,000 ratings.
Best for: lifters who want to start free and add coaching later. See HipTrain vs Caliber and Caliber alternatives.
Kickoff's coaches are both dietitians and trainers. You get a weekly video call plus daily texts. Kickoff says it costs "$0 out-of-pocket" through insurance with Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and 100+ other plans. Self-pay is $250/mo, about $60 a week. It offers a coach-swap guarantee.
Best for: anyone whose insurance is accepted, and anyone who wants nutrition help alongside exercise, which HipTrain does not offer. More at HipTrain vs Kickoff.
Ladder runs team workout programs with a coach's voice in your ear. It's not 1-on-1. It costs $29.99/mo or $179.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial and no card needed. Ladder is not HSA / FSA eligible. It has a 4.95 iOS rating from more than 200,000 ratings.
Best for: the lowest monthly price if you don't need personal attention. See HipTrain vs Ladder.
Echelon Coach (formerly FlexIt) offers live 1-on-1 video sessions, like HipTrain. It lists $36 to $40 per 30 minutes and $72 to $80 per 60 minutes, with packs from about $30.60. Your first session is free or $5. Garage Gym Reviews named FlexIt its "Best Live Training" pick. HSA / FSA eligibility is not published.
Best for: people who want live sessions without a monthly plan. See HipTrain vs Echelon Coach.
Where HipTrain isn't the right fit. We're small. Our app has 29 ratings, while the big apps have thousands, and our coach roster is a handful of featured coaches, not hundreds. You need to show up on camera at a set time, so if you want fully self-paced workouts, an app like Future fits better. We don't offer nutrition coaching, insurance billing, in-person sessions or a big on-demand workout library.
Live video gets you closest, because a coach can watch and correct you in real time. App-based coaching is more flexible but less hands-on. A typical in-person trainer costs $75+ a session, so online is usually much cheaper. See online vs in-person training.
Ladder has the lowest monthly price at $29.99, but it's not 1-on-1. For live 1-on-1 sessions, HipTrain starts at about $14 a session. Kickoff can be $0 if your insurance is accepted. Our affordable trainers guide has the full math.
HipTrain is HSA / FSA eligible. Future works with Truemed, and Trainwell says you may be eligible. Ladder is not. Check your own plan before you buy.
HipTrain and Echelon Coach both do. Several smaller services do too. See our live online personal trainers guide.
HipTrain's first session is free with no card. Trainwell has 14 days free, Ladder 7 days, and Echelon Coach's first session is free or $5. Future offers a 30-day full refund.
Want to see if live coaching fits you? Try your first HipTrain session free. No credit card needed. You can also see all our plans.
We checked pricing and features for every service here in October 2026. They change often, so double-check before you sign up.