The Best Budget Fitness Trackers for Staying Active in 2025

Whether you're starting a fitness journey or seeking deeper workout insights, a fitness tracker can gamify exercise and provide valuable data. Fortunately, many affordable wearables—often smartwatch alternatives—offer excellent value. From feature-rich options rivaling top smartwatches to basic step counters and heart rate monitors, budget-friendly fitness trackers cater to all needs and wrist sizes.

TL;DR – The Best Budget Fitness Trackers:

-----------------------------------------

Our Top Pick

Fitbit Inspire 3

See it at Amazon

Xiaomi Smart Band 9

See it at Amazon

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

See it at Amazon

Amazfit Band 7

See it at Amazon

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

See it at Amazon

Garmin Venu 3

See it at Amazon

*Contributions by Kevin Lee*

1. Fitbit Inspire 3

Best Budget Fitness Tracker

Our Top Pick

Fitbit Inspire 3

See it at Amazon

Product Specifications

Size: 39.3mm x 18.6mm
Thickness: 11.75mm
Battery life: 10 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, SpO2
Tracking: Swim, sleep, steps
Water resistance: Up to 50m

PROS

Bright AMOLED touchscreen
Long battery life

CONS

Some more advanced features require a subscription

Fitbit continues its dominance in budget fitness trackers with the Fitbit Inspire 3. For under $100, it offers a bright AMOLED display and a durable, sleek, and comfortable band suitable for sleep. Its 10-day battery life (reduced with the always-on display) and intuitive touch and button controls make it exceptionally user-friendly. The Inspire 3 excels in fitness tracking, providing 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, and movement reminders. Automatic exercise tracking and sleep monitoring further enhance its capabilities. While it includes basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and a find-my-phone function, it lacks music storage and contactless payment options.

2. Xiaomi Smart Band 9

Best Ultra Cheap Fitness Tracker

Xiaomi Smart Band 9

See it at Amazon

Product Specifications

Size: 46.53mm x 21.63mm
Thickness: 10.95mm
Battery life: 21 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, SpO2
Tracking: Swim, sleep, steps
Water resistance: Up to 50m

PROS

Over 150 sports modes
Impressive 21-day battery life

CONS

Tracking isn't always 100% accurate

The sub-$50 Xiaomi Smart Band 9 boasts a 1.62-inch AMOLED display and exceptional battery life, offering comprehensive basic tracking and 150 sports modes. It rivals Fitbit in features, including a pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen saturation monitor, and sleep monitoring. Over 150 fitness modes—from running and HIIT to kickboxing and swimming—provide detailed workout insights (though accuracy may not match higher-end devices with GPS). Its three-week battery life and 1200-nit screen brightness are significant upgrades. While touch responsive, the lack of physical buttons might be a drawback for some. Pairing with a phone can also be finicky.

3. Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

Best Budget Fitness Tracker with GPS

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

See it at Amazon

Product Specifications

Size: 43.27mm x 32.49mm
Thickness: 10.8mm
Battery life: 21 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, GPS, SPO2
Tracking: Swim, sleep, stress
Water resistance: Up to 50m

PROS

Accurate built-in GPS
Large, full-color AMOLED display

CONS

No NFC

An upgrade to the Smart Band 9, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro features a larger 1.74-inch AMOLED display and a surprisingly accurate built-in GPS for mapping workouts. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and support for over 150 sports modes. While offering music playback and phone notifications, it lacks the ability to respond to notifications and NFC support. Despite this, its sub-$100 price point makes it a stylish and feature-rich option.

4. Amazfit Band 7

Best Budget Fitness Tracker With Health Monitoring

Amazfit Band 7

See it at Amazon

Product Specifications

Size: 37.3mm
Thickness: 12.2mm
Battery life: 18 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, SpO2
Tracking: Swim, period, sleep
Water resistance: Up to 50m

PROS

Tons of tracking including stress and sleep
Amazon Alexa and other smartwatch features built-in

CONS

No built-in GPS

The $50 Amazfit Band 7 packs impressive features, including a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display, an 18-day battery life (extending to 28 days in battery saver mode), and over 120 sports modes (with automatic recognition of four). Its 50m water resistance, heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress monitoring, along with sleep tracking, make it a comprehensive health tracker. Smartwatch functionality includes on-watch notifications and Amazon Alexa integration.

5. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

Best Budget Apple Watch

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

See it at Amazon

Product Specifications

Size: 40mm x 34mm
Thickness: 10.7mm
Battery life: 18 hours
Connectivity: Cellular (optional), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, GPS, accelerometer
Tracking: Swim, sleep, period
Water resistance: Up to 50m

PROS

Huge selection of apps
Special safety features, like crash detection and built-in GPS

CONS

Fewer sensors than other Apple Watch options

The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) offers a budget-friendly Apple Watch experience with an optical heart rate sensor and built-in GPS. It automatically detects various workouts, including swimming, and its 32GB storage allows for app downloads. As a full-fledged smartwatch, it enables calls, messaging, contactless payments, and music streaming. Crash detection is a key safety feature. While slim and comfortable, its battery life is relatively short by smartwatch standards.

6. Garmin Venu 3

Best Budget Fitness Tracker for Workouts

Garmin Venu 3

See it at Amazon

Product Specifications

Size: 45mm
Thickness: 12mm
Battery life: 14 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth, 802.11n
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, GPS, temperature
Tracking: Swim, sleep, stress, energy
Water resistance: Up to 50m

PROS

Highly accurate GPS and heart rate monitor
Helpful Body Battery feature

CONS

Limited app selection compared to other smartwatches

Garmin's Venu 3, while the priciest on this list, provides serious health and fitness tracking. It tracks various exercises (swimming, cycling, golf, etc.) using its highly accurate GPS, heart rate monitor, ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensors. Animated workouts (pilates, HIIT, cardio) and the insightful Body Battery feature add to its value. It functions as a smartwatch, receiving calls and texts, but its app selection is limited compared to Apple and Google smartwatches. The 14-day battery life is reduced with the always-on display and automatic workout detection.

What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker

Choosing a fitness tracker involves considering hardware quality, comfort, software, and tracking accuracy. Higher-priced trackers offer features like heart rate monitoring, GPS, and OLED displays. However, many affordable trackers provide substantial health data. The best choice depends on individual needs and usage.

What kind of fitness tracker do I need?

The ideal tracker depends on your needs. A basic tracker like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 suffices for step counting, heart rate monitoring, and timekeeping. These budget options often include color displays, long battery life, sports modes, sleep tracking, blood oxygen sensors, and phone notifications. For runners and hikers, GPS support is recommended. For broader functionality, a smartwatch provides a larger screen, storage, app access, and call/text capabilities. Active individuals might also consider pairing their tracker with high-quality earbuds.