Polar follows Garmin's lead as 'optional' subscriptions becomes the new normal

Polar has announced a new €9.99/month subscription that's very different from Garmin Connect+ but immediately invites comparisons because of the timing and outrage surrounding that service. The fact is, the number of fitness smartwatches that don't have a subscription is dwindling, and I'd be shocked if the remaining brands like COROS and Suunto don't decide to follow suit — not to mention Samsung.

Polar's "Fitness Program" doesn't lock key data behind a paywall like Fitbit Premium or Oura Membership. Even more so than Connect+, I'd call this subscription optional; your Polar Vantage V3 or Vantage M3 will function the same way they did yesterday.

Instead, it's a training program linked directly to your Polar Flow data, in case you want a cheaper, native alternative to TrainingPeaks. It builds a months-long workout program tailored to your "fitness level, effort, and recovery," adapting automatically based on your progress and daily energy level.

I intend to test Polar Fitness for myself, but early signs point to it being very useful to athletes! Still, Polar (like Garmin) has always appealed to athletes who like the idea of a subscription-free watch, and the Fitness Program is pretty similar to the Garmin Coach training program that Garmin watch owners get for free.

How Polar Fitness Program compares to Garmin Connect+

Garmin Connect+ is an eclectic bundle of premium features like customizable data charts, better live-tracking safety tools, new social badges, training videos for Garmin Coach, and live activities in the Connect app — all topped by semi-useful AI insights.

By contrast, the Polar Fitness Program is a straightforward, focused training guide that more closely aligns with Garmin Run Coach. They both have workout video guidance, but the similarities end there.

Polar collects data like your training frequency, duration, intensity, and preferred training days, then combines it with your VO2 Max to create a training calendar of cardio and strength training workouts.

Each completed workout will net you stars, depending on how long you successfully stay in your target heart rate zones. And every four weeks, you'll get a badge based on how many stars you earned.

Aside from the official video guides to show proper form for strength and mobility exercises, most of this program comes down to training load, guiding athletes to hit a pyramid of HR zones with a foundation of low-HR cardio paired with some high aerobic and a peak of hard anaerobic.

Polar already has a free Running Program with an adaptive workout plan to train for a specific race distance. This Fitness Program is more generalized for any type of athlete and focuses on improving your "cardiovascular health and endurance" whether or not you have a race ahead. That gives it more universal appeal, but it's still fair to point out that some Polar fans will wish this program was free, too — just like Garmin Coach.

On the other hand, it's for the best that Polar made its subscription so specialized, because that makes it less likely that it'll lump other premium features in with it — while Garmin could easily throw any cool new feature into Connect+.

That said, if Polar wants more people to subscribe, it could follow Garmin's lead and make the Fitness Program more generalized, adding AI, premium data graphs, and more.

A subscription for every smartwatch

Some fitness smartwatches have always had subscriptions, but that was the trade-off for buying a cheaper Fitbit or Amazfit; if you had to pay later for Fitbit Premium or Zepp Fitness, at least the upfront cost wasn't bad.

With brands like Garmin, Polar, Suunto, and COROS, athletes appreciated the subscription-free experience so much that they'd pay more than the market rate for one, knowing it'll last years without any hidden fees.

Then Garmin broke rank and made its subscription the new normal. I doubt Polar timed its subscription after Garmin's on purpose, but it does feel like every other Garmin-like brand is going to see subscriptions as an exciting new opportunity, no matter how much their users grumble. After all, if everyone is doing a subscription, people can't take their business elsewhere.

I also think more mainstream smartwatches will follow Garmin's lead. Samsung has been building up its AI insights with Energy Score last year and Samsung Health Coach and vascular load later in 2025. Everything is free for now, but I fully expect all these insights behind a $10/month paywall by next year.