Quick Answer: For most home gyms on a budget, Horizon is the better value — the Horizon 7.0 AT sells for $1,099 (against a $2,100 listed MSRP, per Horizon’s current store pricing) with a 3.0 CHP motor and a lifetime frame and motor warranty, undercutting Sole’s comparable F80 by roughly $500. Sole is the better pick for serious runners who want decline training or a bigger screen: the Sole F85 ($2,199.99) adds a -6% decline and a 15.6” touchscreen that no current Horizon model offers. Both brands skip the subscription entirely — a rare agreement in the treadmill market.
Sole and Horizon sit next to each other in almost every “best treadmill” ranking, and for good reason: both brands sell hardware, not a monthly membership, and both back every current model with a lifetime frame and motor warranty. The difference is where each spends its engineering budget. Horizon’s parent, Johnson Health Tech, prices its Studio Series to undercut the market at every tier — the 7.0 AT’s $1,099 street price is roughly what a comparable Sole costs after a $500 discount. Sole spends that gap on decline capability and screen size at the top of its lineup, features Horizon’s Studio Series doesn’t build at any price. Below we compare them head to head on price, motor, decline, and warranty, then name the better buy for each type of shopper.
Sole vs Horizon at a glance
| Factor | Sole | Horizon | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Decline training & bigger screens | Price-to-hardware value | — |
| Entry price | F63 — $999.99 | T101 — $699 | Horizon |
| Best-overall price | F80 — $1,599.99 | 7.0 AT — $1,099 | Horizon |
| Flagship motor | 4.0 CHP (F85/F89) | 4.0 CHP (7.8 AT) | Tie |
| Decline | -6% on F85 & F89 | None — 0–15% incline only | Sole |
| Largest screen | 21.5" touchscreen (F89) | 9.3" console (7.8 AT) | Sole |
| Subscription | None — free SOLE+ app | None — Bluetooth FTMS to any app | Tie |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame & motor (folding models) | Lifetime frame & motor (all models) | Tie |
The numbers that decide it
- ~$500 — the price gap between the Horizon 7.0 AT ($1,099) and the comparable Sole F80 ($1,599.99), per each brand's current store pricing, for two machines that both carry a lifetime frame and motor warranty.
- -6% decline — the grade the Sole F85 and F89 add on top of their 15% incline ceiling, per TreadmillReviews; no current Horizon model offers decline at any price.
- 5 out of 5 — Garage Gym Reviews' value score for the Horizon 7.0 AT, citing the lifetime warranty at its discounted $1,099 price.
- 21.5" — the touchscreen on Sole's F89, the largest either brand builds; Horizon's biggest console (7.8 AT) is a 9.3" display with no touchscreen.
Horizon — best for price-to-hardware value
Horizon 7.0 AT
- 3.0 CHP motor, 20" x 60" deck, 12 mph, 0–15% incline — genuine running specs at a jogging-treadmill price.
- QuickDial roller controls and Bluetooth FTMS streaming to Peloton app, Zwift, or Kinomap — no subscription required.
- Garage Gym Reviews rated its value a flat 5/5 for the lifetime frame and motor warranty at this price.
Delivery day on a 200-lb treadmill goes a lot smoother with free two-day shipping — try Prime free for 30 days before you check out.
Horizon’s whole pitch is that the sticker price should already include the good motor. The 7.0 AT lists at $2,100 but sells at $1,099 essentially year-round, per Horizon’s own store, and that price buys a 3.0 CHP motor, a full 60-inch deck, and the same lifetime frame and motor warranty Horizon puts on its $1,999 flagship. There’s no built-in touchscreen chasing a subscription — instead you get QuickDial controls for mid-run adjustments and Bluetooth FTMS that feeds your data to whatever training app you already pay for, or none at all. Garage Gym Reviews scored its value a perfect 5 out of 5 for exactly this combination. Step up to the 7.4 AT ($1,799) for the wider 22-inch belt and a stronger 3.5 CHP motor, or the 7.8 AT ($1,999) for interval-ready Rapid Sync — our best Horizon treadmill guide ranks the full five-model 2026 lineup.
Sole — best for decline training and screen size
Sole F85
- 4.0 CHP motor — the most powerful in Sole's folding line — with a -6% decline to 15% incline range, per TreadmillReviews.
- 15.6" Android touchscreen, 22" x 60" deck, 375 lb capacity, and a wireless charging pad on the 2026 console.
- Lifetime frame and motor warranty plus 3 years on parts and electronics; TreadmillReviews rates it a best buy under $2,500.
Sole’s advantage over Horizon shows up once you move past the entry tier. The F85 is the cheapest machine from either brand with true decline — the deck drops to -6%, which lets you train downhill grades that an incline-only machine like anything in Horizon’s Studio Series simply can’t rehearse — and its 15.6-inch Android touchscreen dwarfs the 9.3-inch console on Horizon’s own flagship. For buyers who just want a solid entry treadmill, the cheaper Sole F80 ($1,599.99, 3.5 HP, 22” x 60” deck) is the more comparable match for Horizon’s 7.0 AT, and it still carries the same lifetime frame and motor warranty; our best Sole treadmill guide ranks all six current models, from the $999.99 F63 to the slat-belt ST90. What you pay for the extra capability is real: at $2,199.99, the F85 costs roughly double the Horizon 7.0 AT.
Which should you buy?
- Buy Horizon if you want the most running-capable machine per dollar — the 7.0 AT's $1,099 price and lifetime warranty are hard to beat, and you don't need decline training.
- Buy Sole if you're a serious runner who wants -6% decline simulation or the largest touchscreen either brand builds, and you're willing to pay roughly double for the F85 or F89.
- Comparing entry tiers? The Sole F80 ($1,599.99) and Horizon 7.0 AT ($1,099) are the fairest apples-to-apples matchup — same warranty, similar deck, $500 apart.
- Want the interactive-coaching angle instead? Neither brand offers trainer-led auto-incline; our [NordicTrack vs Sole](/compare/nordictrack-vs-sole/) comparison covers that trade-off in detail.
The bottom line
Both brands solved the same problem — a good treadmill shouldn’t need a subscription — but they solved it at different price points. Horizon is the better buy for most first-time treadmill shoppers: the 7.0 AT delivers real running specs and a lifetime warranty for $1,099, undercutting a comparable Sole by roughly $500. Sole is the better buy for runners who’ve outgrown a basic incline-only machine: the F85 and F89 add decline training and touchscreens that no current Horizon model offers, at a price that reflects it. Start from your budget and your training goals, and the right brand follows. Either way, slot your pick into the cardio corner of our home gym equipment guide, and for the full field of brands, see our best treadmill rankings or the best foldable treadmill picks if floor space is tight.