TL;DR: Coachbox and Vekta are both modern European coaching platforms, but they answer different questions. Vekta is a performance modelling system: it builds Critical Power, W’ and Pmax from training data instead of relying on FTP, detects intervals with machine learning, writes an AI summary after every session and recalculates zones daily (Vekta). Vekta lists seven WorldTour-level teams that moved to it in 2025 and 2026 (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks). Coachbox is a coaching platform with lactate testing built in: planning, communication, team management, testing, Coachbox AI, coach education in the Coachbox Academy and athlete matchmaking in one place, with free athlete accounts and pricing from 19 EUR per month billed yearly, excl. VAT. In our view Vekta goes further on cycling analytics, and Coachbox fits coaches who measure physiology with lactate tests and want the coach to hold one subscription. Which one fits depends on whether your coaching is built around the model or around the practice.
Two Modern Platforms, Two Different Ideas of Coaching
Coachbox and Vekta both started from frustration with the status quo, but they diagnosed different problems.
Vekta diagnosed an analytics problem. It argues that FTP is a single number from a single test and that one blended load score hides how a session was built (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks). So Vekta built a performance modelling system: Critical Power, W’ and Pmax derived from training data (CP & W’), load split into separate Volume and Intensity scores (Volume & Intensity), durability measured at increasing levels of accumulated work (Durability), and AI that detects intervals and writes session summaries. Vekta names Lidl-Trek, Team Jayco AlUla, Liv AlUla Jayco, FDJ-Suez, Decathlon CMA CGM, Team TotalEnergies and Team AMANI as the seven WorldTour-level teams that moved to it in 2025 and 2026 (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks).
Coachbox diagnosed a practice problem. Coaches lose hours to scattered tools: schedules in Excel, communication in WhatsApp, test results in spreadsheets. So Coachbox puts training planning and device sync at the core, with lactate testing, Coachbox AI, in-app communication, the Coachbox Academy and a way for athletes to find a coach around it, and athletes who train with a coach use the app for free.
Both diagnoses are reasonable. The question is which problem is yours.
At a Glance
| Coachbox | Vekta | |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Coaching platform with lactate testing built in | Performance modelling and AI analysis (Vekta) |
| Performance model | Zones from lactate tests and thresholds you set, dated so each workout is read against the zones valid on that day | Critical Power, W’ and Pmax from training data, updated daily (CP & W’, Vekta FAQ) |
| Lactate testing | LT1 and LT2 detected automatically in under a minute | We did not find lactate test analysis in their help center (Vekta support) |
| AI | Coachbox AI answers questions about athletes and writes changes into the plan; AI workout builder; feedback suggestions; lactate protocol reader | Machine learning interval detection, AI session summaries, AI workout builder (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Device sync | Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, Polar, Suunto, Fitbit, Apple Watch (through Apple Health on iPhone), Rouvy; Zwift through a workout file export | Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead, COROS, Zwift, WHOOP and Oura; data from Stryd, Tymewear, CORE and Flowbio sensors comes in through the session files (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks, device sync) |
| What an athlete with a coach pays | Nothing | A seat at 19.99 EUR/month or 179.99 EUR/year as listed, VAT basis not stated; the coach decides per athlete who pays it (Vekta pricing) |
| Coach account | Plan from 19 EUR/month billed yearly (25 EUR monthly) up to 149 EUR (190 EUR), excl. VAT, with 5 to 100 active athletes included | Free, permanently (Vekta pricing) |
| Education | Coachbox Academy | Start guides and in-depth support articles; Vekta states it has no accredited coach education (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Proof points | 25,000+ users, including IRONMAN World Champion Frederik Van Lierde | Seven WorldTour-level teams, as listed by Vekta (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
Feature Comparison
Performance Modelling and Analysis
| Feature | Coachbox | Vekta |
|---|---|---|
| Performance model | Zones from lactate tests and configured thresholds | For cycling: CP, W’, Pmax and an estimated VO2max, updated when a change is detected (Athlete Profile, VO2max) |
| Zone updates | From test results, stored by date | Seven zones rebuilt daily from CP, W’ and Pmax (Vekta for coaches) |
| Interval detection | Session analysis | Machine learning, with each effort labelled by intensity and stimulus (Intervals & classification) |
| Load tracking | PMC-style load trends | Volume and Intensity scored separately, Load-8, Load-2 and Strain (Load & Strain) |
| Durability analysis | Not available | Peak power at 0 to 50 kJ/kg of accumulated work (Durability) |
| W’ balance | Not available | Second by second, with a preview on prescribed sessions (W’ Balance, Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Race detection | Not available | Automatic, classified by race type (Intervals & classification) |
| Session summaries | Coachbox AI suggests feedback on a finished workout when you ask | Written automatically after every session, sent to coach and athlete (Vekta for coaches) |
Where Vekta leads: This category. In our view Vekta’s modelling goes further than most platforms on the market: the CP and W’ foundation, the durability views and the automatic interval detection take analysis work off the coach every day. For cycling analysis driven by power data, it is hard to match.
Where Coachbox leads: The origin of the numbers. Vekta’s model estimates physiology from field data; its help center notes that power-based workouts from the AI Workout Builder need at least 30 synced rides with power data, which Vekta uses to calculate CP (Create a Workout). Coachbox anchors zones in measured blood lactate: you run a step test, Coachbox detects LT1 and LT2 in under a minute, and the zones update from that measurement. For coaches who prefer measurement over estimation, that anchor matters, and it produces a branded test report you can hand to the athlete.
Physiological Testing
| Feature | Coachbox | Vekta |
|---|---|---|
| Lactate testing | Included in every plan | We did not find it in their help center (Vekta support) |
| LT1/LT2 detection | Automatic, under a minute | We did not find it in their help center (Vekta support) |
| Entering test data | Type in the values or photograph a paper protocol | A lab or field-test value can be entered by hand, with Vekta’s own estimate kept beside it (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Spirometry | Spirometry data can be added to a lactate test | We did not find it in their help center (Vekta support) |
| Test reports | Branded PDF | We did not find test reports in their help center (Vekta support) |
| Price per test | 3 to 6 EUR excl. VAT depending on the plan, with 5 to 20 free tests at the start of your license | Not applicable |
Where Coachbox leads: This is the clearest structural difference. In Vekta’s help center we did not find a way to record and analyse a lactate step test (Vekta support); you can enter a lab or field value by hand (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks). Coachbox runs the chain from test to zones to report to prescription, and every plan starts with free tests. For coaches who sell testing as a service, the test lives in the same place as the training that follows.
Where Vekta leads: The no-test path. Vekta’s continuous estimation means athletes who never test still get thresholds that follow their training (Vekta FAQ). Coachbox athletes without test data work from zones you set, which stay as they are until you update them.
Training Delivery
| Feature | Coachbox | Vekta |
|---|---|---|
| Training calendar | Calendar with annual planning | Calendar with sessions, notes, events and a weekly summary of load, recovery and wellness (Calendar Overview) |
| Workout builder | AI builder: type a session in plain language and get a structured workout | AI builder from plain language, voice on mobile (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Planned workouts to devices | Garmin, COROS, Wahoo and Rouvy; Polar and Suunto do not accept planned workouts, so the athlete follows the session in the Coachbox app | Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, Hammerhead and Zwift (Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, Hammerhead, Zwift) |
| Zwift | Export a workout file and place it in Zwift yourself | Structured sessions pushed to Zwift automatically (Zwift) |
| Strava | One-time import of your Strava export | Not integrated, by design (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Mobile workout planning | Plan and adjust workouts in the Coachbox app on iPhone and Android | Full creation and editing, with voice input (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Multi-sport | Cycling, running, triathlon, swimming, strength and core sessions | Cycling, running and swimming modelled, triathlon split per discipline; strength sessions can be marked complete (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Fuelling | Not covered here | Carbohydrate recommendation in g/h with every prescribed session (Carbohydrate Recommendations) |
| Adaptive plans | Coach-driven periodization | Plans that update as athlete data changes (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
Common ground: both products turn a plain-language description into a structured workout, send it to Garmin, COROS and Wahoo, and let you plan workouts from your phone (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks).
Where Vekta leads: Voice and indoor. On its mobile app Vekta builds a workout from your voice, and pushes sessions to Zwift automatically (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks, Zwift). Every prescribed session also comes with a carbohydrate target.
Where Coachbox leads: Device coverage and strength work. Vekta says it does not yet integrate directly with Apple Watch, Polar or Suunto (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks); athletes on those devices upload FIT files by hand (Manually Import FIT Files). On Coachbox, Polar, Suunto, Fitbit and Apple Watch activities come in by themselves. Strength and core sessions sit in the same calendar as endurance work, where Vekta describes strength as mark-as-completed (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks).
Athlete and Team Management
| Feature | Coachbox | Vekta |
|---|---|---|
| Athlete profiles | Training and testing history combined | Profile per sport with CP, W’, peak power and VO2max (Athlete Profile) |
| Teams and staff | Unlimited coaches on every plan | Workspaces per team or business, with Admin and Coach roles (Workspaces) |
| Coach dashboard | Roster overview | Load, recovery, sleep, HRV, resting heart rate and wellness for all athletes in one view (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| What an athlete costs | Athletes pay nothing; your plan includes 5 to 100 active athletes, then 1.50 to 2.50 EUR excl. VAT per extra active athlete | Each athlete needs a seat, paid by the coach or the athlete (Vekta pricing) |
| Recovery data | HRV, sleep and resting heart rate from the athlete’s device; injuries logged as milestones | Morning check-in, plus sleep and HRV from Garmin, WHOOP and Oura (Wellness Check-in, Garmin, WHOOP, Oura) |
| Coach education | Coachbox Academy | No accredited coach education, by Vekta’s own description (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks) |
| Athletes finding a coach | Athletes can find a coach through Coachbox matchmaking | We did not find a coach-finding service on their site (Vekta) |
Common ground: both products bring HRV, sleep and resting heart rate from the athlete’s devices next to the training.
Where Vekta leads: The roster view. Vekta puts load, recovery, sleep, HRV, resting heart rate and wellness for every athlete on one screen (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks, Vekta for coaches), and adds WHOOP and Oura as sources.
Where Coachbox leads: The practice around the roster. Athletes pay nothing, so the whole roster can join without a second subscription. The Academy develops the coach, and athletes looking for a coach can find you through Coachbox.
Communication
| Feature | Coachbox | Vekta |
|---|---|---|
| In-app messaging | In-app messaging and comments on workouts | Chat inside each session’s analysis (Chat) |
| Per-workout feedback | Yes | Yes, opened by an automatic session summary (Chat) |
| AI support in communication | Coachbox AI answers questions about any athlete and suggests feedback on a finished workout | AI session summary after every workout (Vekta for coaches) |
| Connection to Claude and ChatGPT | Yes, over MCP | Yes, through the Vekta API, free with every subscription and read-only apart from workspace invitations (Vekta for coaches, Vekta API) |
In our view this category is close. Both products let coach and athlete talk about a specific session, and both connect to Claude and ChatGPT (Vekta for coaches). Vekta’s automatic post-session summaries give every conversation a starting point (Chat). Coachbox pairs messaging with an assistant you can ask about any athlete’s history before you write, and that can write changes into the training plan.
Languages and Pricing Model
| Coachbox | Vekta | |
|---|---|---|
| Coach account | Base 19 EUR/month billed yearly or 25 EUR monthly (5 athletes), Build 49 or 65 EUR (25), Peak 79 or 99 EUR (50), Prime 149 or 190 EUR (100), all excl. VAT | Free, permanently (Vekta pricing) |
| Extra athletes for the coach | 2.50, 2, 1.75 or 1.50 EUR excl. VAT per extra active athlete per month, by plan | 19.99 EUR/month or 179.99 EUR/year per athlete seat the coach chooses to cover, as listed; VAT basis not stated (Vekta pricing, Billing) |
| What an athlete with a coach pays | Nothing | 19.99 EUR/month or 179.99 EUR/year when the coach does not cover the seat, as listed; VAT basis not stated (Vekta pricing) |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | 14 days, once per account; a coach can add unlimited athletes during it (Vekta for coaches, Billing) |
| Club pricing | Custom, on request | We did not find separate team pricing on their site (Vekta pricing) |
| Interface language | Not compared here | Their website and help center are in English; we did not find other interface languages (Vekta support) |
Coachbox lists its prices excl. VAT; an active athlete is one with workouts planned in the future. Vekta lists its prices in euro and bills in the currency of the country where you first subscribe (Billing). Vekta does not say whether its listed prices include VAT, so we show them as listed and do not convert them. Vekta is run by GRAIG SAS in France (terms of use), where the standard VAT rate is 20%.
The models are mirror images. Vekta charges nothing for the coach account and bills per athlete seat, which the coach or the athlete pays (Vekta pricing). Coachbox charges the coach a plan with athletes included and charges athletes nothing. What each costs you depends on your roster size, who pays the seat on Vekta, and whether you bill yearly or monthly, so we don’t add them up into one total. For a full analysis, see Vekta Pricing.
What Vekta Does Better
Cycling analytics. CP and W’ modelling updated daily, W’ balance second by second, durability at increasing levels of accumulated work, race detection, torque analysis and a physics-based climb calculator (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks, Torque, climb calculator). If your coaching value lives in the depth of your analysis, in our view Vekta gives you more instruments in one platform than most.
AI that removes daily work. Machine learning interval detection (in Vekta’s own published benchmark, 97.54 percent mean accuracy over 50 sessions (benchmark)), automatic session summaries to coach and athlete, and a workout builder that works from voice. Vekta reports that coach Ulisses Abbud took on 25 percent more athletes without adding hours (Vekta for coaches).
Elite validation. Vekta lists seven WorldTour-level teams that moved to it in 2025 and 2026 (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks). Coachbox has no proof point of that kind at the top of pro cycling.
Zero-cost coach entry. The coach account is free permanently, and during the 14-day trial you can add as many athletes as you like (Vekta pricing).
What Coachbox Does Better
Testing is in the platform. Lactate step tests with automatic LT1/LT2 detection, spirometry data on the same test, zones that update from the result and branded PDF reports, included in every plan. Vekta’s estimates come from training data (CP & W’); Coachbox’s thresholds come from a measurement you take, and testing can become a paid service in your practice.
The whole roster gets on board. Athletes who train with you use Coachbox for free. On Vekta, every athlete needs a seat at 19.99 EUR per month or 179.99 EUR per year as listed, paid by you or by the athlete (Vekta pricing).
One plan for the practice. Your plan includes 5 to 100 active athletes, and only athletes with future workouts planned count. Above that, each extra active athlete costs 1.50 to 2.50 EUR excl. VAT per month.
A practice, not just a model. The Academy develops your methodology, athletes can find you through Coachbox, and communication, planning and testing share one home. A marketplace and athlete payment automation are on the Coachbox roadmap (coming later), extending the same idea.
Multi-sport and device reality. Runners, triathletes, swimmers and strength work share one calendar, and Polar, Suunto, Fitbit and Apple Watch activities sync on their own.
Who Should Choose Vekta
Vekta is the better fit if you:
- Coach performance-focused cyclists who train with power, and you are fine with a seat per athlete
- Build your value on analytical depth: durability, W’ balance and modelling precision are your language
- Want AI to take over daily analysis work: interval detection, summaries and zone updates without manual steps
- Have athletes on Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, Hammerhead or Zwift, the platforms Vekta connects to directly (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks)
- Do not run lactate tests and are happy to anchor training on estimates from field data
- Want to build workouts by voice on your phone
- Want fuelling targets attached to every session you prescribe
Ideal Vekta user: A performance cycling coach with committed athletes on Garmin, Wahoo or Zwift, whose service is built on analytical insight rather than testing, education or roster volume.
Who Should Choose Coachbox
Coachbox is the right choice if you:
- Use lactate testing, or want testing to become a paid part of your service, with results flowing into zones automatically
- Coach a real-world roster: mixed budgets and mixed sports, where free athlete accounts decide who gets on the platform
- Pay for your athletes’ software and want one plan with athletes included
- Want one subscription for the practice: planning, communication, testing and education
- Coach triathletes, runners or swimmers and want strength and core work in the same calendar
- Have athletes on Polar, Suunto, Fitbit or Apple Watch
Ideal Coachbox user: An endurance coach managing 10 to 50+ cyclists, runners or triathletes who tests athletes and wants the whole coaching practice, not just the analysis, on one platform.
Switching Between Vekta and Coachbox
From Vekta to Coachbox: Garmin, Wahoo and COROS connect to both products (Vekta vs TrainingPeaks). Athletes on Polar, Suunto or Apple Watch get automatic sync instead of manual FIT uploads (Manually Import FIT Files). You recreate your zone structures, and the first lactate test replaces estimated thresholds with measured ones. What you give up: CP and W’ modelling, durability analysis, automatic session summaries and automatic Zwift delivery. If those instruments carry your coaching, weigh that honestly.
From Coachbox to Vekta: In our view your cycling analysis will deepen. What you give up: the lactate testing workflow, free athlete accounts, Academy access and coach finding for athletes, and your platform cost shifts from one plan with athletes included to a seat per athlete (Vekta pricing).
In our view the platforms are not direct substitutes: Vekta replaces your analytics stack, Coachbox replaces your practice stack.
The Bottom Line
Vekta and Coachbox both rebuilt endurance software around what their founders saw missing. Vekta rebuilt the model: Critical Power, W’, durability, and AI that does analysis work for you. The WorldTour teams it lists are a strong signal, and in our view it is one of the strongest tools for analytics-driven cycling coaches. Read our full Vekta Review for the complete picture, or see how it stacks up against the incumbent in Vekta vs TrainingPeaks.
Coachbox rebuilt the practice: testing, planning, communication and education in one platform, with athletes on board for free and one plan for the coach.
Choose based on where your coaching creates value. If it is in the depth of the model, choose Vekta. If it is in the breadth of the practice, and in zones your athletes can watch being measured, Coachbox was built for you.
