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 choices cater to all needs and wrist sizes.

TL;DR – The Best Budget Fitness Trackers:

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Our Top Pick:

Fitbit Inspire 3

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Xiaomi Smart Band 9

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Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

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Amazfit Band 7

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Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

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Garmin Venu 3

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*Contributions by Kevin Lee*

1. Fitbit Inspire 3

Best Budget Fitness Tracker

Our Top Pick:

Fitbit Inspire 3

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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 Inspire 3. For under $100, it boasts 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 interface with two haptic buttons minimize interruptions. Features include 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, movement reminders, automatic exercise tracking, and sleep monitoring. Basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and a find-my-phone function are also included (via Bluetooth), though music storage and contactless payments are absent.

2. Xiaomi Smart Band 9

Best Ultra Cheap Fitness Tracker

Xiaomi Smart Band 9

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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 packs features you'd expect in a more expensive tracker. It includes a pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen saturation monitor, sleep monitoring, and over 150 fitness modes (running, HIIT, etc.). While accuracy might not match high-end devices with GPS, it provides valuable workout insights. The improved battery life (three weeks with moderate use) and bright 1.62-inch AMOLED display (1200 nits) are significant upgrades. Touch controls are responsive, and it offers basic smartwatch features like call and message notifications and music control, though phone pairing can be finicky.

3. Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

Best Budget Fitness Tracker with GPS

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

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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) rectangular AMOLED display and a surprisingly accurate built-in GPS. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO₂ monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and support for over 150 sports modes (though some offer limited data). Smartwatch features include music playback and notifications (no replies), but NFC is absent. Despite this, its stylish design, bright screen, intuitive interface, and impressive battery life make it a strong contender under $100.

4. Amazfit Band 7

Best Budget Fitness Tracker With Health Monitoring

Amazfit Band 7

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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 capabilities. Its large (1.47-inch) always-on AMOLED display, slim and comfortable band, and long battery life (18 days, 28 days in battery saver mode) are highlights. It supports over 120 sports modes (with automatic recognition of four), is water-resistant to 50m, and offers heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress monitoring, along with sleep tracking. Smartwatch features include notifications and Amazon Alexa integration.

5. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

Best Budget Apple Watch

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

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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

A budget-friendly Apple Watch, the 2nd-gen SE uses the same S8 SiP chipset as the Series 8, offering speedy performance. It includes an optical heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, automatic workout detection (including swimming), and 32GB of storage for apps from the App Store. As a full smartwatch, it handles calls, messages, contactless payments, and music streaming. Crash detection is also included. It offers a slim, comfortable design and decent battery life (for an Apple Watch).

6. Garmin Venu 3

Best Budget Fitness Tracker for Workouts

Garmin Venu 3

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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, is ideal for serious 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) are included, and the Body Battery feature provides insights into energy levels. It’s a smartwatch with a bright AMOLED display, up to 14 days of battery life (reduced with always-on display and automatic workout detection), and standard smartwatch features (calls, assistants, texts), though app selection is limited compared to Apple and Google watches.

What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker

Choosing a fitness tracker involves more than just step counting or sleep tracking. Consider hardware quality, comfort, software, and tracking accuracy. Higher prices often mean more features (heart rate monitoring, GPS, OLED displays). However, many affordable trackers offer substantial health data.

What kind of fitness tracker do I need?

Your needs determine the right tracker. The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 suffices for basic step counting, heart rate monitoring, and timekeeping. Many budget options offer color displays, long battery life, sports modes, sleep tracking, blood oxygen sensors, and phone notifications. For runners and hikers, GPS is beneficial. For broader functionality beyond fitness and health, a smartwatch with a larger screen, storage, apps, and call/text capabilities is preferable. Active individuals might also want a good pair of earbuds.