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—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:

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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 offers a bright AMOLED display and durable, comfortable band suitable for sleep. The 10-day battery life (reduced with the always-on display) and intuitive touch and button controls are excellent. It includes 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, SpO2 measurement, movement reminders, automatic exercise tracking, and sleep monitoring. Basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and a find-my-phone function are also included.

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 pricier tracker. It offers health monitoring, a sleek design, and over 150 fitness modes. Basic features like pedometer, heart rate monitor, SpO2, and sleep monitoring are included, along with detailed workout insights (though accuracy may vary). The 21-day battery life and bright 1.62-inch AMOLED display are impressive. Smartwatch features include call and message notifications and music control, but 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 AMOLED display and accurate built-in GPS. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and over 150 sports modes (though some provide limited data). Smartwatch features include music control and notifications (but no replies), lacking NFC. Despite this, it's a stylish and affordable tracker with a bright screen, user-friendly interface, and excellent 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 boasts a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display, long battery life (18 days typical, 28 days in battery saver mode), and over 120 sports modes (with smart recognition of four). It offers heart rate, SpO2, 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

The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) offers a budget-friendly option with the S8 SiP chipset for fast processing. It includes an optical heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, automatic workout detection (including swimming), and 32GB of storage for apps. Full smartwatch functionality includes calls, messages, contactless payments, and music streaming. Crash detection is also a key safety feature. It offers a slim 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 pricier than other options, provides serious health and fitness tracking. It tracks various exercises (including swimming, cycling, and golf) with over 30 preloaded sports apps, utilizing accurate GPS, heart rate monitor, ECG, SpO2, and temperature sensors. Animated workouts and the Body Battery feature (assessing energy levels) are key highlights. Smartwatch features include calls, smart assistants, and text replies, though app selection is limited.

What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker

Choosing a fitness tracker involves considering hardware quality, comfort, software, and tracking accuracy. Higher prices often mean more features (heart rate monitoring, GPS, OLED displays). However, many affordable trackers provide 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 include color displays, long battery life, sports modes, sleep tracking, SpO2 sensors, and phone notifications. GPS is useful for runners and hikers, while smartwatches offer larger screens, storage, apps, and call/text capabilities. Active individuals might also consider quality earbuds.