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

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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 advanced features require a subscription.

Fitbit continues its dominance in budget fitness trackers with the 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) and intuitive touch interface with haptic buttons make it user-friendly.

Fitness tracking includes 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen measurement, and movement reminders. Automatic exercise tracking and sleep monitoring enhance its value. Basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and a find-my-phone function are 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 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. While accuracy might not match higher-end devices, it provides valuable workout insights.

The Smart Band 9 offers a three-week battery life (with moderate use), a brighter 1200-nit display, and responsive touch controls. Smartwatch features include call and message notifications and music playback 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.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro upgrades the Smart Band 9 with a larger 1.74-inch AMOLED display and accurate GPS tracking for various activities. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and support for over 150 sports modes. While some modes offer limited data, it provides comprehensive fitness information.

Smartwatch features include music playback and phone notifications (no replies), but lacks NFC. Under $100, it offers a stylish design, responsive 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: Extensive tracking (stress and sleep), Amazon Alexa integration.

Cons: No built-in GPS.

The $50 Amazfit Band 7 features a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display, 18-day battery life (28 days in battery saver mode), and over 120 sports modes (four with automatic recognition). Its 50m water resistance allows for swimming, and health monitoring includes heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress levels, along with sleep tracking. Smartwatch features include notifications and Amazon Alexa.

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: Wide app selection, safety features (crash detection), built-in GPS.

Cons: Fewer sensors than other Apple Watches.

The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) offers an affordable Apple Watch experience with an optical heart rate sensor and built-in GPS. It automatically detects workouts, including swimming, and features 32GB of storage for additional apps from the App Store. It functions as a full smartwatch, enabling calls, messages, contactless payments, and music streaming.

Crash detection enhances safety. 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 pricier than other options, provides comprehensive health and fitness tracking. It tracks various exercises (swimming, cycling, golf, etc.) using its accurate GPS, heart rate monitor, ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensors. Animated workouts (pilates, HIIT, cardio) are included. The Body Battery feature provides insights into your body's energy levels.

The Venu 3 is a smartwatch with a bright AMOLED display and up to 14-day battery life (reduced with always-on display and automatic workout detection). It supports calls, smart assistants, and text replies (when paired with compatible phones), but app selection is limited compared to Apple and Google smartwatches.

What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker

Consider factors beyond step counting and sleep tracking: 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 tracker type. Ultra-cheap bands like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 suffice 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 is recommended. For broader functionality beyond fitness and health tracking, a smartwatch offers larger screens, built-in storage, more apps, and call/text capabilities.

Active individuals might also consider high-quality earbuds to complement their fitness tracker.