Caliber offers a free app and app-based coaching tiers. HipTrain offers live, 1-on-1 video sessions. Here is which fits whom.
Full disclosure: HipTrain wrote this, and we're one of the two services we're comparing. So we're biased. Every fact about Caliber comes from published sources, which we list at the end.
Choose Caliber if you want a free or low-cost strength app, or if you like the idea of a coach guiding you mostly through an app with video check-ins. Choose HipTrain if you want a coach live with you on video for every workout, at a time you book. Caliber's free app and $19 Pro tier cost less than any HipTrain plan. For 1-on-1 coaching, though, HipTrain starts at $59.49 a month against Caliber Premium at about $200 a month.
HipTrain is live, 1-on-1 personal training over video. You fill out a two-minute questionnaire, and we match you with a coach who fits your goals and your calendar. Sign-up to first session can happen in under a day.
Your coach joins you live at the time you booked. They watch how you move, adjust exercises on the spot, and keep you steady. You work with the same coach every time, and if it's not a fit, we rematch you. You don't need a gym or equipment. Join from your phone, tablet or computer, chat with your coach between sessions, and reschedule anytime.
"It is really easy to sign up and make schedule changes." (Bruce W., Google review)
Caliber's tagline is "It's not you. It's the science." It's built in layers. The basic app is free. Caliber Pro costs $19 a month and adds group coaching. Caliber Premium is 1-on-1 coaching, done mostly through the app with video check-ins, and costs about $200 a month. Premium is sold through a consultation call, according to Garage Gym Reviews.
With Premium, your coach writes your plan and reviews your progress, but you do the workouts on your own. Caliber does not advertise live, coach-led video workouts.
Caliber has a strong reputation. Its app has a 4.84 rating from 5,985 ratings on the US App Store, and it has won awards from BarBend and Garage Gym Reviews.
Here is how the published prices line up.
If you compare 1-on-1 coaching to 1-on-1 coaching, one live 30-minute HipTrain session a week ($59.49) is about $140 a month less than Caliber Premium (about $200). Even three live 30-minute sessions a week ($179.99) costs less than Premium. Two live 60-minute sessions a week ($219.99) costs a little more.
If you don't need 1-on-1 help, Caliber's free app or $19 Pro plan will cost you less than HipTrain. See all our plans in the pricing section.
HipTrain is not a do-it-yourself app. You need to show up at a scheduled time, on camera. If you want to follow a program on your own schedule, Caliber suits that better. We also have far fewer reviews (29 App Store ratings), a smaller group of coaches, and no free tier. We don't advertise nutrition coaching or a big on-demand workout library, and we don't offer in-person sessions.
Caliber Premium includes video check-ins with your coach, but you do your workouts on your own in the app. HipTrain sessions are live, 1-on-1 video workouts with your coach the whole time.
HipTrain is HSA / FSA eligible (here's how). We could not verify whether Caliber is. Always check your own plan first.
HipTrain's first session is free, with no credit card. Caliber's basic app is free to use; a trial for Premium is not published.
It depends on what you want. Caliber's free app and $19 Pro plan are cheaper than HipTrain. For 1-on-1 coaching, HipTrain starts at $59.49 a month, compared with about $200 for Caliber Premium. Still weighing options? See HipTrain vs Future or Caliber alternatives.
Want to see if live coaching fits you? 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.