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 were a DreamMapper user — Philips shut the platform down in January 2026, and you need something new.
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 gold standard for CPAP data analysis 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.
The DreamMapper shutdown in January 2026 pushed a large group of Philips users into the market for the first time. Many had never needed a third-party analysis tool before. The good news: the free alternatives are now more capable than DreamMapper ever was.
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 SD card |
| 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 | GPL-2.0 | Closed source | GPL-3.0 |
| Cost | Free | Free + paid tiers | Free (optional premium) |
| Best for | Breath-by-breath waveform review | Cloud sync, remote access | Automated pattern analysis |
OSCAR: The Desktop Standard for Waveform Review
OSCAR (Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter) is the most detailed free CPAP analysis tool available. It gives you interactive access to your full flow waveform — 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 the right tool when you want to see 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 before opening OSCAR for the first time.
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 is the path of least resistance if you're on ResMed and want the simplest possible setup. The automatic sync genuinely removes friction for 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 (GPL-3.0) — the analysis code is publicly verifiable
Where AirwayLab has limitations:
- ResMed SD card only — no myAir sync, no Philips or Fisher & Paykel support yet
- No interactive waveform viewer — for breath-by-breath review, OSCAR is still the right tool
- 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, OSCAR when they want to drill into a specific 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 After the Shutdown
If you were using DreamMapper with a Philips CPAP machine and lost access when the platform closed in January 2026, your path forward depends on your device.
For Philips DreamStation and System One users
OSCAR supports DreamStation and System One EDF files. Install OSCAR, insert your SD card, and your data should load. OSCAR gives you considerably more detail than DreamMapper provided — event-level review, waveform access, and trend history going back as far as your SD card holds. Check the OSCAR device compatibility list before assuming your specific model is supported.
AirwayLab note
AirwayLab currently supports ResMed devices only. If you're switching to a ResMed machine (or already have one), AirwayLab will work with it. If you're staying on Philips, OSCAR is your best free option.
The DreamMapper shutdown is a reminder of why open-source tools matter. OSCAR's GPL licence and AirwayLab's GPL-3.0 licence mean neither can be switched off by a company decision or sold to a new owner who changes course.
Using OSCAR and AirwayLab Together
OSCAR and AirwayLab are not alternatives to each other — they complement each other well. A practical workflow many users follow:
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. Use OSCAR to investigate the detail
If AirwayLab flags elevated flow limitation in the second half of the night, open that session in OSCAR and zoom into the waveforms. OSCAR's interactive viewer is the right tool for breath-by-breath inspection of specific events.
3. Track trends in AirwayLab, verify in OSCAR
After a pressure or EPR change, monitor your AirwayLab metrics night over night. If a metric shifts significantly, confirm the change by inspecting representative waveforms in OSCAR — giving you both statistical confidence and visual verification.
Each tool gives you a different view of the same underlying SD card data. Using both is not redundant — it is thorough.
Which Tool Is Right for You?
Choose OSCAR if…
- You want breath-by-breath waveform review
- You use a non-ResMed device (Philips, Fisher & Paykel, others)
- You need to share specific event data with your sleep physician
- You're comfortable with a desktop application
Choose SleepHQ 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
Choose AirwayLab 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
Use more than one ifyou're working through why your metrics look the way they do. Each tool gives you a different view of the same underlying data, and they genuinely complement each other.
Open Source and Longevity
OSCAR is licensed under GPL-2.0. AirwayLab is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both licences require the source code to remain 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. The DreamMapper shutdown demonstrated what happens when a closed commercial platform discontinues — years of data access can disappear overnight. Open-source tools can be forked, maintained by the community, and audited independently.
Learn More
AirwayLab vs OSCAR: What Each Tool Does Best — 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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