Short answer: yes, the ring keeps working. But Oura is clear that most of what you buy an Oura Ring for sits behind the membership.
What you keep without a membership
- Your three daily scores: Readiness, Sleep and Activity
- Ring battery level, basic profile information and app settings
- Explore content
- Your stored data, and the ability to download it as CSV through the Membership Hub
That list comes straight from Oura’s help centre (last updated October 16, 2026). Oura Help: Oura Membership (opens in a new tab) Oura’s buying guide gives the same short list. Oura: What to know when buying an Oura Ring (opens in a new tab)
What you lose
The detailed biometrics and personalised insights behind those scores, and access to the Oura API, which matters if you pipe your data into another app. Oura Help: Oura Membership (opens in a new tab) Oura’s FAQ puts it simply: without a membership the ring can be used “only with limited functionality.” Oura Help: General FAQs (opens in a new tab) One more change: Oura on the Web was discontinued on October 5, 2026, so the app and the Membership Hub are now the only ways in. Oura Help: Oura Membership (opens in a new tab)
What it costs
$5.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US, with the first month included for new members. The membership follows your account, not the ring, so it carries over when you upgrade, and returning a ring does not cancel it. Oura: What to know when buying an Oura Ring (opens in a new tab) On an Oura Ring 5 at $399, three years of the annual plan brings the total to $608.97 by our arithmetic.
Cancelling and coming back
Oura says cancelling does not delete anything: as long as you keep your account, your data is still there when you re-enrol. There is no option to pause. Gen2 rings never needed a membership; Gen3 and newer do. Oura Help: Oura Membership (opens in a new tab)
If you would rather not pay at all
Wareable reports the Ultrahuman Ring Pro has no subscription for core data, with optional paid add-ons. Wareable (Ultrahuman Ring Pro review) (opens in a new tab) See Oura Ring 5 vs Ultrahuman Ring Pro, our no-subscription shortlist, and how every brand charges in sleep tracker subscriptions compared.
Questions
Does the Oura Ring work without a subscription?
Yes, with limited functionality. Oura says that without an active membership you see only your three daily scores (Readiness, Activity and Sleep), ring battery, basic profile information, app settings and Explore content.
How much is the Oura membership?
Oura lists $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US. New members get the first month included with a ring; a second ring on the same account does not add another free month.
Do I lose my data if I cancel Oura membership?
No, according to Oura. Your data stays saved as long as you do not delete your account, comes back if you re-subscribe, and can be exported as CSV through the Membership Hub without a membership. You lose access to the Oura API.
Do older Oura rings need a membership?
Gen2 rings do not, and Oura says they will not be charged. The membership applies to Gen3 and newer, including Oura Ring 5, and many newer features do not work on Gen2.
Is the Oura membership worth it?
That depends on whether you use more than the three scores. Over three years the annual plan adds $209.97 to a $399 Oura Ring 5, for $608.97 in total. If you only want the headline scores, a subscription-free ring such as Ultrahuman Ring Pro costs $479 up front with no core fee.