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:

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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 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 in always-on mode) minimizes charging needs, while touch technology and two buttons ensure easy navigation. It provides 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, and movement reminders. Automatic exercise tracking and sleep monitoring enhance its functionality. Basic smartwatch features include phone notifications and a find-my-phone function (via Bluetooth), although music storage and contactless payments are not supported.

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 boasts a 1.62-inch AMOLED display and exceptional battery life, offering basic tracking and 150 sports modes. It includes a pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen saturation monitor, and sleep monitoring. Over 150 fitness modes (running, HIIT, etc.) provide detailed workout data (though accuracy may be less precise than higher-end devices). Its three-week battery life and 1200-nit display are significant upgrades. Touchscreen navigation is responsive, and it offers basic 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

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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

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro enhances the Smart Band 9 with 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 modes offer limited data). Limited smartwatch features include music playback and phone notifications (but no replies). Despite lacking NFC, its sub-$100 price point makes it a stylish option with a bright screen, user-friendly interface, and impressive battery life.

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 offers a large (1.47-inch) always-on AMOLED display, long battery life (18 days typical use, 28 days in battery saver mode), and over 120 sports modes (with automatic recognition for four). Its 50m water resistance makes it suitable for swimming. Health monitoring includes heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress, 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

The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) provides a budget-friendly Apple Watch experience. It features an optical heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, automatic workout detection (including swimming), and 32GB of storage for apps from the App Store. It functions as a full smartwatch, allowing 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

The Garmin Venu 3, while the priciest on this list, offers comprehensive fitness tracking. It tracks various exercises (swimming, cycling, golf, etc.) using its highly accurate GPS and heart rate monitor, and includes over 30 preloaded sports apps. Animated workouts (pilates, HIIT, etc.) are also available. 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, smart assistants, texts). App selection is more limited than Apple or Google smartwatches.

What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker

Fitness trackers offer more than just step counting and 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 still provide extensive health data.

What kind of fitness tracker do I need?

Your needs determine the tracker type. For basic step counting, heart rate, and time, an ultra-cheap band like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 suffices. These often include color displays, long battery life, sports modes, sleep tracking, blood oxygen sensors, and phone notifications. For runners, bikers, and hikers, GPS is recommended. For broader functionality beyond fitness and health, a smartwatch offers a larger screen, storage, app access, and call/text capabilities. Active individuals may also want high-quality earbuds.