NOOP vs the WHOOP app: what's different?

NOOP and the WHOOP app both read a WHOOP strap but make opposite trade-offs. The WHOOP app is the official service: polished, fully supported, with a paid membership and a cloud account. NOOP is a free, independent app with no account that keeps all your data on your own device; it fully supports the WHOOP 4.0, but only live heart rate on the 5.0 and MG so far.

NOOP vs WHOOP at a glance

WHOOP's features and prices change over time, so check WHOOP's own website for the current details of its side.

When NOOP is the better fit

• You want your data on your own device. NOOP has no account, no cloud and no tracking. How NOOP handles your data.
• You don't want a subscription for an app that reads a strap you already own.
• You like to know how the numbers are made. Every NOOP score has its inputs and weights documented. Scores explained.
• You use a Mac. NOOP's Mac app adds a menu-bar heart rate and automations, like locking the Mac when you take the strap off.
• You want your history in one place. NOOP imports your WHOOP export alongside Apple Health, Health Connect and nutrition data.
• You have a WHOOP 4.0. That's NOOP's fully supported strap.

When the WHOOP app is the better fit

• You have a WHOOP 5.0 or MG and want every metric now. NOOP is still working on their overnight data.
• You want an official, supported product, with a support team and an app that installs and updates from the store.
• You don't want to sideload anything. NOOP needs a few extra steps on every platform, and a refresh every 7 days on iPhone with a free Apple ID.
• You rely on WHOOP's own service features, which only the official app provides.

Can you use both?

Yes, but not with one strap at the same moment. A WHOOP strap keeps its secure Bluetooth link with one app at a time. While it's paired with NOOP, the WHOOP app won't receive its data, and the other way round. You can switch back and forth by pairing the strap in the other app; it may need setting up again each time.

Live heart rate is the exception: it uses the standard heart-rate signal, so it can show in more than one app. Everything else needs the full link.

Before you switch to NOOP

1. Export your WHOOP data while your account is active, and import it into NOOP.
2. Check your strap model. A 4.0 gets everything; a 5.0 or MG gets live heart rate for now.
3. Check any agreement that applies to you, such as your WHOOP membership terms.
4. Install NOOP on your Android, iPhone or Mac.
5. Close the WHOOP app and pair the strap with NOOP.

Same questions, different maths

The WHOOP app scores Recovery as a percentage, Strain from 0 to 21 and Sleep as a percentage. NOOP answers the same three questions with Charge, Effort and Rest, each from 0 to 100, using published sport-science methods. Expect them to move in the same direction, not to match number for number. Resting heart rate is the clearest example: NOOP's is usually a few beats lower because it measures the lowest steady level of your night. Full explanation.

Frequently asked questions