The AEKE S1 Pro and the Tonal 2 are both cable-based smart gyms. You get digital weight instead of plates, and a screen that coaches you through the workout. They also cost about the same on the price tag, somewhere around $4,300 to $4,600. The difference is what happens after you pay: Tonal bills you $59.95 a month, and AEKE doesn’t bill you at all.
So we added everything up over three years, including the bench, accessories and shipping, to see what each one really costs.
Prices checked October 11, 2026, before tax. We used AEKE’s list price. AEKE often runs discounts (it showed $3,999 when we looked), but those come and go, so we left them out of the maths.
Quick answer
- Cost: the AEKE S1 Pro comes to about $4,799 over three years with its bench, and nothing more to pay. The Tonal 2 comes to $7,243 with its accessory bundle, installation and membership.
- The gap: Tonal is only about $286 more on day one, but the membership adds $59.95 every month, so you end up around $2,444 behind after three years.
- Weight: Tonal lists up to 250 lb of resistance and AEKE lists 220 lb, so Tonal has a bit more headroom if you lift heavy.
- Setup: the AEKE arrives assembled and rolls into place, while the Tonal gets mounted on your wall by an installer.
- Pick Tonal if: you want the more established brand with its classes and coaches, and you don’t mind paying monthly for them.
AEKE S1 Pro vs Tonal 2: Cost Over Three Years
We priced both with a bench and starter accessories, so the comparison is as fair as the official pages allow. Tonal’s Essentials bundle includes a bench, so we matched it with AEKE’s Complete Set plus its folding bench, which AEKE lists as a $200 add-on.
| AEKE S1 Pro + bench | Tonal 2 + Essentials bundle | |
|---|---|---|
| Machine | $4,599 (Complete Set, list price) | $4,295 |
| Bench | $200 add-on | Included in the bundle |
| Accessories | Not itemized on AEKE’s page | $495 (Essentials bundle) |
| Shipping and install | Free shipping, no installation | From $295 |
| Membership, 36 months | $0 | $2,158.20 ($59.95 a month) |
| Total after year 1 | $4,799 | $5,804.40 |
| Total after year 2 | $4,799 | $6,523.80 |
| Total after 3 years | $4,799 | $7,243.20 |
In other words, the two machines start $286 apart. After that Tonal adds $719.40 a year and AEKE adds nothing, so the gap only grows, to $2,444.20 after three years. If you skip the bench and the accessory bundle on both sides, it’s the same story: $6,748.20 for Tonal against $4,599 for AEKE, still $2,149.20 apart.
What the table leaves out
- Tax: none of these totals include sales tax.
- Financing: Tonal lists 36 months through Affirm, and the interest isn’t in our numbers. AEKE’s product page doesn’t list financing.
- What’s in the box: AEKE says “20+ accessories” but doesn’t say which ones come with the Complete Set, so check before you order.
- Warranty: both give you 2 years on the machine. Tonal also sells extended plans, listed at $425 for 4 years and $449 for 5 years.
- Renting: Tonal can also be rented through Whim for $219 a month for the first 3 months, then $279. That’s $9,864 over 36 months, but it includes the bundle, membership and installation, and you can send it back.
What Tonal’s Membership Gets You
Every Tonal comes with a 12-month membership commitment. After that it’s month to month, and you can pause or cancel. The membership is what makes Tonal feel smart: the weight adjusts as you get stronger, your progress is tracked, and you get live and on-demand classes across 16 workout types, multi-week programs, form cues and a spotter-style safety feature.
Image Credit: Tonal
If you cancel, Tonal’s support page says you keep a basic mode. You can still train with the handle, bar or rope, and it keeps counting reps and time, but the smart features are gone. So cancelling saves money and leaves you with a much plainer machine.
AEKE S1 Pro: No Monthly Fee, With One Catch
AEKE’s product page says “No Subscription Fees” and “No Hidden Costs, Ever.” The AI coaching, guided courses and camera-based form tracking are all included in the price. The catch is that the AI features and guided courses need an internet connection. Without one, you’re left with the free workout mode. If you care about gear that keeps working without the cloud, read our take on the local-first smart home. And if monthly fees are what you’re trying to dodge, our guide to hidden smart home fees shows how quickly they add up.
Space, Setup and Weight
The Tonal is the tidier of the two, because it sits flat on the wall. The AEKE takes more room to train in, but it folds up and rolls away when you’re done.
Image Credit: Tonal
| AEKE S1 Pro | Tonal 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max resistance | 220 lb total, 110 lb per arm, in 1 lb steps | 5 to 250 lb, in 1 lb steps |
| Setup | Arrives assembled and rolls into place, no wall mounting | Professionally mounted on your wall, needs 7 ft of clear wall |
| Space needed | About 3.2 sq ft folded, about 5 by 6 ft to train, ceiling of 7 ft 3 in or more | 50.9 in tall, 21.5 in wide, sticks out 5.5 in, 7 by 7 ft of floor space |
| Monthly fee | None | $59.95, 12-month minimum |
| Without internet or membership | Free workout mode works offline, AI coaching and classes need internet | Basic lift mode with handle, bar or rope, smart features need an active membership |
| Trial and warranty | 30-day return, 2-year warranty on the machine | 30-day money-back guarantee, 2-year limited warranty |
Each brand measures resistance its own way, so treat 220 lb against 250 lb as a rough guide. And neither one replaces a barbell and rack if heavy squats and deadlifts are your main lifts.
Which One Should You Buy?
Our verdict: for most people the AEKE S1 Pro is the better buy. It costs about $2,400 less over three years, and the price never changes after day one. Just go in knowing that AEKE is a young brand with a short track record, and that the bench ships separately and later than the machine.
The Tonal 2 is worth the extra money if the brand, the classes and coaches, up to 250 lb of resistance and a tidy wall-mounted setup matter more to you than about $720 a year. If you already own a rack and plates, or you think you might stop using it after a few months, skip both. A good adjustable bench and a set of dumbbells cost a fraction of either machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the AEKE S1 Pro have a subscription?
No. The AI coaching and guided courses are included in the price. They need an internet connection, but the free workout mode works offline.
How much is the Tonal 2 membership?
$59.95 a month plus tax, with a 12-month minimum. After that it’s month to month. Over 36 months that’s $2,158.20 before tax.
Can you use a Tonal without a membership?
Only in a basic way. You keep the handle, bar and rope modes plus rep and time tracking, but you lose the smart features.
How much does a Tonal 2 really cost?
The machine is $4,295. Tonal says you need an accessory bundle for many movements, which is $495 for Essentials or $595 for Ultimate. Shipping and installation start at $295. With Essentials and 36 months of membership, the total is $7,243.20 before tax.
Which one takes up less space?
The AEKE S1 Pro folds to about 3.2 square feet, but it needs about 5 by 6 feet of clear floor to train. The Tonal 2 sits flat on the wall but lists 7 by 7 feet of floor space for installation and use.
