Bioactive graded coating of hydroxyapatite (HA) on Ti6A14V substrate made through subsonic thermal spraying was investigated in the present study. Pure Ti powder was selected as material of bottom layer, Ti70%+HA30% powder as transitional layer and HA powder as working layer. To be compared, another coating (non-graded coating) was prepared by spraying HA on pure Ti bottom layer directly. The tensile test shows that the bond strength between bottom layer and substrate is higher than that between transitional layer and working layer, and the bond strength between bottom layer and working layer of the non-graded coatings is the lowest. This indicates that the graded structure leading to the changes of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) from bottom layer to working layer is beneficial to the bond strength. The cross-section and surface morphology of the coatings were observed using optical microscope (OM), and SEM. The phases were determined using XRD. The results show that the bottom layer is composed of TiN, TiO2, Ti2O3, the working layer is composed of HA, Ca4P2O9 and Ca-3(PO4)(2), and the transitional layer is composed of the composite of above two layers. From the implant point of view, micro-cracks and porosities formed in working layer surface are helpful to the growth of green bone and the bond strength between implant and bone.