Top Percussive Massage Guns Compared

There are many different massage devices, and they range from just over $100 to over $600.  Some are very well known and others are more niche.  Although they often look similar, the key features, such as the number of speeds and battery life, can vary a lot.

This article is a comparison of the key features of a range of popular massage devices.

The key features for comparison are:

1. The number of speed settings
2. Number of massage head attachments
3. Stall force (how much pressure can be applied)
4. Noise level of the devices when in use
5. Battery life
6. The Price
7. Shipping times

We've designed the AlphaGun X to be one of the best value percussive massagers - cheaper than similar devices but with more speeds, more massage heads and longer battery life, but without compromising on the basics like shipping time or noise levels.

Since we launched the new upgraded AlphaGun X in 2023, we've added even more speeds, heads and battery life. The new AlphaGun X also has an amplitude length of 16mm now as well - only the Theragun matches this.

The devices we've compared are:

1. The HyperVolt ($299 + $49 for case)
2. The AlphaGun X ($179, case included)
3. The Theragun Prime ($299, no case)
4. The KraftGun Force ($369, case included)
5. The Exogun ($199, case included)
6. The Opove ($199, case included)

So let's see how they compare...

More speeds means that you can start at a lower speed setting and increase more gradually, as the jump between each speed level is less steep.

If you're particularly sore or new to using percussive massage devices, this is a big deal. It's also helpful if you're using the device to ease pain or discomfort - starting a lower speeds and gradually increasing will make using the device more comfortable.

Many users will find the top speeds of any device too intense and not use them at all.  So devices with only 3-4 speeds effectively only have 1-2 speeds for many users - and those speed settings will have a large jump between them.

But a device with 30 speeds, for example, should still have at least 15-20 settings even a user looking for a lower intensity will find effective. A device with nearly 100 speeds will have many more, and there would be a very smooth increase from one to the next.

A device with more speeds may be more comfortable and usable for a wider range of people.

With that in mind, here is a comparison of the number of speed settings each device offers.

The AlphaGun X has the most speeds by far at over 90 - and the widest range of speed settings. Starting a 1,000 RPM (the lowest of the devices we compared) to 3,300 RPM, it's by far the most customizable of the devices we compared.

This is part of the 2023 upgrade - the previous AlphaGun X had 30 speeds, which is still more than most.

The Hypervolt and KraftGun both have 3 speeds, while the Theragun has 5 and the Exogun has 6.

The AlphaGun X has 99 - the most speeds and the widest range - starting at the most gentle right up to the highest RPM of the devices we tested.

Massage heads

The HyperVolt comes with 5 massage heads.  The Theragun Prime, KraftGun, Opove and Exogun all have 4 heads, while the AlphaGun X comes with 7 massage heads.

Some massage heads, such as the soft round head, are versatile and designed for the full body.  Others are designed for more specific purposes, so the more a device has the more tailored your massage could be.

At 10, the AlphaGun X has more than double the number of massage heads as the average of 4.

Stall Force

The stall force is how much pressure can be applied to the device before it cuts out - "stalls".

All the devices we compared have more than 30lb, which should be enough for almost all users.

The Theragun Prime and Opove have the lowest stall force at 30lb, while the Exogun and HyperVolt have slightly more at 40lb.  The AlphaGun X has slightly more at 45lb and the KraftGun has the highest stall force at 80lb.

Noise Level

All the devices had a maximum noise level of between 60-65db apart from the Exogun which was louder with a maximum of 70db.

60-65db is comparable to a normal conversation volume or an electric toothbrush.

While the noise levels are all quite similar at the max speed, the devices with more speeds such as the AlphaGun X (which has 99 speeds) has lower noise level at their lowest settings.

Battery Life

Battery life ranged significantly.  The Opove and AlphaGun X had the longest time between charges (up to 6 hours) and the Theragun Prime had the shorted battery life.

Price

The most expensive device is the KraftGun at $369, while the AlphaGun X has the lowest price - it is currently reduced from $299 - at $179.

Some of the most expensive devices, such as the HyperVolt and the Theragun, do not come with a carry case - to get one you'll need to pay an extra $49.

All other devices include a carry case at no extra cost.

Amplitude

The amplitude (also called stroke length) is the depth that a massage gun head moves back and forth.

The higher amplitude, the deeper the massage gun will get into your muscles, and, the more effective the massage should be.

Generally, cheaper and smaller devices have lower amplitudes.  This is reflected in our results, to an extent.

The Theragun and the AlphaGun both have the highest amplitude at 16mm, followed by the HyperVolt at 14mm and the Kraftgun (12mm), Exogun (12mm) and the Opove (10mm)

Shipping Times

Most of the devices we compared took less than 7 days to arrive and were shipped from the USA.

However, it was not the case that the more expensive the devices had faster shipping.  In fact, the most expensive (the KraftGun) has the slowest shipping at up to 54 days in the USA.

Out of the lower cost devices, both the Opove and the AlphaGun X took 2-4 days or less to arrive.

How The AlphaGun Compares

The AlphaGun has the same or better battery life (up to 5 hours) as the top alternatives, including the HyperVolt and Theragun, the same 1 year warranty, and about the same noise level (60-65 dB).

But while most massage guns have 4-5 massage heads and 3-6 speeds, the new AlphaGun X has 10 attachment heads, 99 speed settings and an LCD display, making it more capable of giving your whole body a highly customized massage.

Although the AlphaGun has a lower stall force than some alternatives, with a max RPM of 3,300 its still among the most powerful massagers on the market for less than $300.

Finally, AlphaGun X is also significantly cheaper than the alternatives compared below.

Compared to the Hypervolt, for example, the AlphaGun X is around half the price but has similar battery life, 1 year warranty and shipping time.

In addition, the AlphaGun X has an LCD screen which allows you to adjust it to 99 speed settings instead of the HyperVolt's 3, and while the AlphaGun X is about the same noise level and slightly lower stall force, it has a higher RPM at 3,£00. 

Crucially, the AlphaGun X has 7 attachment heads - more than any of the massage guns we compared.

Click here to find out more about the AlphaGun X

Full data table