Medical disclaimer: AirwayLab, OSCAR, and SleepHQ are data visualisation and analysis tools, not medical devices. The information these tools provide is for personal reference only and is not a substitute for professional clinical advice. Always discuss your therapy data with your prescribing clinician.
If you've been searching for an OSCAR CPAP alternative in 2026, you're probably in one of two situations. Maybe you've heard of OSCAR but want something that doesn't require downloading and installing software. Or maybe you're a DreamMapper user watching the uncertainty around Philips' sleep business and wondering what your options are beyond the manufacturer app.
Either way, there are now three well-regarded free tools in this space: OSCAR, SleepHQ, and AirwayLab. Each takes a different approach. This article explains what each one does, who it's built for, and how to choose — or combine them.
Why People Look for OSCAR Alternatives
OSCAR has been the default way to look at CPAP waveforms for years. It's open source, detailed, and trusted by the PAP community. But it has real setup friction: you download it, install it, connect your SD card, and configure it. For users who are less technical, who use a Chromebook, or who just want to check their data without managing a desktop installation, that barrier matters.
Uncertainty around Philips' sleep business — the 2021 recall, the 2024 US consent decree restricting new device sales — has also pushed many Philips users to look at third-party analysis tools for the first time. The good news: the free alternatives are more capable than any manufacturer summary app.
The Three Tools at a Glance
| Feature | OSCAR | SleepHQ | AirwayLab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation | Desktop app (Win/Mac/Linux) | Browser / mobile app | Browser only |
| Devices supported | ResMed, Philips, F&P, others | ResMed (via myAir sync) | ResMed + BMC, growing |
| Data location | Local — your device | Cloud — SleepHQ's servers | Your browser only |
| Automated scoring | Summary stats | Summary stats | Glasgow Index, FL Score, NED, oximetry |
| Open-source engine | GPL-2.0 | Closed source | GPL-3.0 |
| Cost | Free | Free + paid tiers | Free (optional premium) |
| Fits | Breath-by-breath waveform review | Cloud sync, remote access | Automated scoring, with waveform zoom |
OSCAR: A Dense, Mature Desktop Viewer
OSCAR (Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter) gives you interactive access to your full flow waveform on the desktop. You can zoom in to individual breaths, scroll through the night, and review events one by one.
What OSCAR does well:
- Interactive waveform viewer at full breath resolution — pan, zoom, and event marking
- Wide device support:ResMed, Philips, Fisher & Paykel, and several others
- Session overlays to compare nights side by side
- Detailed event logs: apneas, hypopneas, leak, and flow limitation flags
- Large, active community on ApneaBoard with years of tutorials and worked examples
Where OSCAR has limitations:
- Requires download and local installation — not available on Chromebooks or tablets
- No automated composite scoring: you see the data, but OSCAR doesn't compute a flow limitation score or breath shape index for you
- Steeper learning curve for users new to PAP data
OSCAR is built for seeing exactly what happened breath by breath on a specific night. If you're new to reading PAP data, our guide to CPAP data is a good place to start.
SleepHQ: Cloud Sync for ResMed Users
SleepHQ is a cloud-based platform designed primarily for ResMed users. Its main differentiator is convenience: if you use a ResMed machine with myAir enabled, SleepHQ can sync your data automatically without you ever touching an SD card.
What SleepHQ does well:
- Automatic sync from myAir — no SD card handling required
- Clean, accessible interfacethat's genuinely easy for new users
- Remote access: view your data on any device, share a link with your clinician
- Solid summary charts for nightly trends
Where SleepHQ has limitations:
- Cloud-hosted: your therapy data lives on SleepHQ's servers — worth considering if privacy matters to you
- Primarily supports ResMed; limited coverage for other manufacturers
- myAir sync gives you what ResMed's app reports, not the full SD card dataset
- Some features sit behind a paid subscription
SleepHQ's automatic sync genuinely removes friction for ResMed users who don't want to manage SD cards.
AirwayLab: Browser-Based, No Installation Required
AirwayLab takes a different approach from both OSCAR and SleepHQ. It runs entirely in your browser — no download, no cloud account, no data upload. You drag your ResMed SD card files onto the upload page and your analysis runs locally, in your browser, without any data leaving your device.
What AirwayLab does well:
- No installation: works on any device with a modern browser, including Chromebooks
- Privacy-first: your data never leaves your browser for core analysis
- Automated composite scoring from four analysis engines: Glasgow Index (breath shape across 9 components), FL Score (percentage of flow-limited breaths), NED (per-breath airway narrowing), and oximetry framework (17-metric SpO₂/HR analysis)
- Night-over-night trend tracking with a traffic-light system
- Open-source analysis engine (GPL-3.0) — the scoring code is published and auditable
Where AirwayLab has limitations:
- ResMed SD card only — no myAir sync, no Philips or Fisher & Paykel support yet
- Waveform zoom bottoms out at a 20-second window — enough to see the breaths behind a flag, not to step through one breath at a time
- Requires an SD card in the machine (AirSense 11 models without an SD card slot aren't supported)
Many users run AirwayLab and OSCAR side by side: AirwayLab for the automated overnight scores and its own waveform zoom, OSCAR when they specifically want the desktop workflow for a night that caught their attention. See how AirwayLab compares to OSCAR in detail.
AirwayLab's core analysis is entirely local. Optional AI-powered insights require explicit consent before any data is sent.
DreamMapper Users: Your Options Beyond the App
Despite persistent rumors, Philips has not announced a DreamMapper shutdown as of August 2026. But if you use it with a Philips CPAP machine and want more detail than the app shows — or a plan B that doesn't depend on a manufacturer cloud — your path forward depends on your device.
For Philips DreamStation and System One users
Your SD card doesn't depend on any app — it keeps recording detailed therapy data, and that data is yours. AirwayLab support for DreamStation SD data is on the roadmap.
AirwayLab note
AirwayLab currently supports ResMed devices. If you're switching to a ResMed machine (or already have one), AirwayLab works with it today. If you're staying on Philips, support for your device is on the roadmap.
The uncertainty itself is a reminder of why open-source tools matter. OSCAR's GPL licence and the GPL-3.0 licence on AirwayLab's analysis engine mean the code that reads and scores your data cannot be switched off by a company decision or sold to a new owner who changes course.
Using OSCAR and AirwayLab Together
OSCAR and AirwayLab overlap more than people expect, and plenty of people keep both. A practical workflow:
1. Start with AirwayLab for the overview
Upload your SD card and get your Glasgow Index, FL Score, RERA estimate, and nightly trend summary. These composite metrics tell you at a glance whether flow limitation is present and whether it is worsening over time.
2. Zoom into the detail
If AirwayLab flags elevated flow limitation in the second half of the night, open that session in the AirwayLab viewer and zoom into the waveform to see the breaths behind the score. OSCAR's desktop viewer covers the same job offline if that is already where you work.
3. Track the trend after a change
After a pressure or EPR change, monitor your AirwayLab metrics night over night. If a metric shifts significantly, confirm it by inspecting representative waveforms — giving you both statistical confidence and visual verification.
Each tool reads the same SD card data. AirwayLab scores every night automatically and lets you zoom into the waveform behind any flag; OSCAR is a dedicated desktop viewer for the same data.
Which Tool Is Right for You?
AirwayLab fits if…
- You want automated scoring without installing anything
- You're on a Chromebook or tablet
- Data privacy is a priority — analysis stays in your browser
- You want Glasgow Index, FL Score, and NED computed automatically
OSCAR fits if…
- You want breath-by-breath waveform review on the desktop
- You use a device AirwayLab does not read yet
- You need to share specific event data with your sleep physician
- You're comfortable with a desktop application
SleepHQ fits if…
- You use ResMed and want automatic sync without managing SD cards
- Remote access and easy clinician sharing matter to you
- You're comfortable with cloud storage of your therapy data
Many people end up with more than one while working through why their metrics look the way they do. All three read the same SD card data — AirwayLab is the one that scores it for you and keeps the waveform behind each flag one click away.
Open Source and Longevity
OSCAR is licensed under GPL-2.0. AirwayLab's analysis engine is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both licences require that published source to stay public and prevent the software from being closed down or repurposed without community consent. SleepHQ is closed source.
For long-term users who rely on their analysis tools year over year, open source matters. When a closed commercial platform is discontinued, years of data access can disappear overnight — a dependency every manufacturer cloud app carries. Open-source tools can be forked, maintained by the community, and audited independently.
Learn More
AirwayLab vs OSCAR: How They Compare — a detailed comparison of AirwayLab and OSCAR, the long-standing open-source desktop app.
How to Read Your CPAP Data — a beginner-friendly guide to understanding AHI, flow limitation, and the metrics that matter.
Understanding Flow Limitation in Your PAP Data — what flow limitation is and why AHI misses it.
Your PAP Data Belongs to You — who can access your CPAP data and how to protect it.
Medical disclaimer: The information provided by CPAP analysis software — including AirwayLab, OSCAR, and SleepHQ — is for personal reference only. It is not a substitute for clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your sleep physician can help you interpret your therapy data in the context of your diagnosis and treatment plan. Always discuss any questions about your therapy with your clinician.
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