Comparison

VO2 Max vs VO2 Max Calculator

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

VO2 Max

Track your body's oxygen absorption at peak effort with detailed insights and performance estimates for running and cycling. Visualize trends, compare personal bests, and understand your cardio fitness level with a redesigned dashboard and Apple Watch integration.

Highlights
  • VO2 max estimation for running and cycling
  • Performance estimates (W/kg, FTP)
  • Redesigned dashboard with trends and personal bests
  • Interactive charts with customizable date ranges
  • Apple Watch complications and iPhone widgets
  • Cardio fitness level comparison by age and sex
Features
Read full description

VO₂ Max shows how much oxygen your body can absorb at peak effort. The redesigned dashboard puts the latest measurement, rolling averages, and your personal best in one view so you immediately see how training affects cardio fitness. ESTIMATES FOR RUN & BIKE - New tab turns VO₂ max + weight + power into W/kg and FTP estimates for running and cycling. - Compare modeled race times and power against your actual HealthKit FTP/power. NEW DASHBOARD - Trend cards highlight the 7-day average, any selected range, and your best value with percentage deltas. - The interactive chart responds to 1W, 2W, 1M, 3M, 1Y, or All filters and animates every new HealthKit reading. - Entry tiles list the test type, source, and timestamp so you can compare prediction and max-exercise tests. INSIGHTS & GUIDANCE - The info sheet matches your value with the correct age and sex bracket to explain whether it is poor, good, or superior. - Manual refresh, HealthKit warnings, and empty states keep permissions and sync issues obvious. - Trial countdown and subscription access stay a tap away. APPLE WATCH + WIDGETS - All complication families are supported, so your latest VO₂ max is available on every watch face. - iPhone Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets follow the dashboard range you selected. - The Widget Showcase walks you through pinning widgets or complications and previewing layouts. HOW VO₂ MAX IS CAPTURED 1. Wear Apple Watch for at least 24 hours, then record several Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Run, or Hiking workouts with heart rate and GPS. 2. Apple may need several qualifying workouts and passive measurements before the first VO₂ max estimate appears. 3. Give this app read access to Cardio Fitness (VO₂ Max) in Apple Health so the dashboard, widgets, and complications can display the data. Requires Apple Watch Series 3 or later. VO₂ Max makes it easy to see if your cardio fitness plan is working today, over the last weeks, and all time. Terms and conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

VO2 Max Calculator

This app calculates your VO2 Max in just 3 minutes using a simple heart rate method. It's based on scientific research and provides general health information, not medical advice.

Highlights
  • Passive VO2 Max reading
  • 3-minute calculation
  • Based on scientific research
  • General health information
  • Video tutorial available
Features
Read full description

Lay down and take a VO2 Max reading. 3 mins. Simple. How is this done? Read this published scientific paper by UTH N., SORENSEN H., OVERGAARD K., PEDERSEN PK. (2004) Estimation of VO2max from the ratio between HRmax and HRrest--the Heart Rate Ratio Method. Eur J Appl Physiol. Jan;91(1):111-5. For help watch this video https://youtu.be/lV5oyoW213A or contact me on https://twitter.com/ZoneTrainingApp/ for help. Note: This is not a medical test, and data use to calculate VO2Max is calibrated against the average population. Medical disclaimer: The medical/health information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of medical/health advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON OUR MOBILE APPLICATION IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Screenshots

VO2 Max4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: VO2 Max at Free against VO2 Max Calculator's $1.99. VO2 Max also leads on rating (3.8 vs 2.4) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months). VO2 Max Calculator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (38% vs 26%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

VO2 Max is free to download; VO2 Max Calculator costs $1.99 up front. VO2 Max sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. VO2 Max Calculator asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VO2 Max holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VO2 Max has 131 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of VO2 Max's written reviews are positive against 38% of VO2 Max Calculator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VO2 Max ships an update every 2 weeks, VO2 Max Calculator every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
VO2 Max versus VO2 Max Calculator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVO2 MaxVO2 Max Calculator
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating3.8 (131 ratings) — better2.4 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews26.0% of reviews38.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings131 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBernhard HeringTheo Scott

Customer experience

VO2 Max

All ratings131 ratings
Positive69.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative25.2%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive26.0%
Neutral3.1%
Negative70.8%

VO2 Max Calculator

All ratings14 ratings
Positive35.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive38.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative61.5%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

VO2 Max

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$22.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$79.99
None

VO2 Max Calculator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VO2 Max free?
VO2 Max is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VO2 Max Calculator free?
VO2 Max Calculator costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, VO2 Max or VO2 Max Calculator?
VO2 Max is rated higher. VO2 Max averages 3.8 out of 5 from 131 ratings, while VO2 Max Calculator averages 2.4 from 14 ratings.
Do VO2 Max or VO2 Max Calculator have ads?
Neither VO2 Max nor VO2 Max Calculator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VO2 Max or VO2 Max Calculator?
VO2 Max ships an update every 2 weeks, and VO2 Max Calculator every 7 months. Most recently, VO2 Max was updated on October 26, 2026 and VO2 Max Calculator on October 24, 2026.

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