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 variations—are available. 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 to dominate the budget fitness tracker market 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) minimizes charging needs. Navigation is simple via touchscreen and two buttons.

The Inspire 3 excels at fitness tracking, offering 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, and movement reminders. Automatic exercise tracking and sleep monitoring provide valuable insights. Basic smartwatch features include phone notifications and a find-my-phone function (via Bluetooth), though music storage and contactless payments are absent.

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 packs essential fitness tracker features: pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen saturation monitor, and sleep monitoring. It also offers over 150 fitness modes, providing data on calories burned, heart rate, and workout duration. While accuracy might not match higher-end devices with GPS, it offers valuable workout insights.

The Smart Band 9 boasts a three-week battery life (with moderate use) and a brighter 1.62-inch AMOLED display (1200 nits). Its responsive touchscreen (lacking physical buttons) facilitates easy access to fitness metrics and limited smartwatch features like call and message notifications and music playback control. However, phone pairing can 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, rectangular 1.74-inch AMOLED display and a surprisingly accurate built-in GPS for workout tracking. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO₂ monitoring, sleep tracking, and stress monitoring, along with support for over 150 sports modes. However, many modes only track heart rate and time.

Smartwatch features include music playback and phone notifications (no replies), but NFC is absent. Despite this, the sub-$100 Smart Band 9 Pro offers a stylish design, bright screen, user-friendly interface, and impressive battery life.

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 significant capabilities. Its 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display shows health and workout data clearly, while the band remains slim and comfortable. Eighteen-day battery life (28 days in battery saver mode) is a major plus.

It supports over 120 sports modes (four with automatic recognition) and 50m water resistance. Health monitoring includes heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress, while sleep tracking provides quality insights. Smartwatch features include 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. It uses the same S8 SiP chipset as the Series 8, providing speedy processing. Features include 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-fledged smartwatch, it allows calls, message replies, contactless payments, and music streaming. Crash detection automatically calls emergency services. It’s slim, comfortable, and has impressive battery life (for an Apple Watch).

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, 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, temperature, and other sensors. Animated workouts (pilates, HIIT, cardio) are included.

The standout feature is the Body Battery, providing insights into energy levels based on activity, stress, and sleep. It’s a moderately sized smartwatch with a bright AMOLED touchscreen and up to 14 days of battery life (reduced with always-on display and automatic workout detection). Standard smartwatch features are available, but app selection is limited compared to Apple and Google watches.

What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker

Fitness trackers are more than step counters and sleep monitors. Consider hardware quality, comfort, software, and tracking accuracy. Higher prices often mean more features (heart rate monitoring, GPS, OLED displays, etc.), but affordable trackers still 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 include color displays, long battery life, sports modes, sleep tracking, blood oxygen sensors, and phone notifications.

For runners, bikers, and hikers, GPS support is worthwhile. For broader functionality beyond fitness and health tracking, a smartwatch offers larger screens, built-in storage, app access, and call/text capabilities. Active individuals might also consider a good pair of earbuds.