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:

Our Top Pick### Fitbit Inspire 3

0See it at Amazon### Xiaomi Smart Band 9

0See it at Amazon### Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

0See it at Amazon### Amazfit Band 7

0See it at Amazon### Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

0See it at Amazon### Garmin Venu 3

0See it at AmazonContributions by Kevin Lee

1. Fitbit Inspire 3: Best Budget Fitness Tracker

Our Top Pick### Fitbit Inspire 3

0See 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 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. The 10-day battery life (reduced with the always-on display) and intuitive touch interface with haptic buttons minimize interruptions. Features include 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, and movement reminders. Automatic exercise tracking and sleep monitoring enhance its utility. Basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and a find-my-phone function are included (via Bluetooth), but 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 pricier tracker. Its sleek design 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 not rival higher-end devices). Three weeks of battery life and a bright (1200 nits) 1.62-inch AMOLED display are notable upgrades. Touchscreen navigation is responsive, offering call/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) rectangular AMOLED display and a surprisingly accurate built-in GPS. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO₂ monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and over 150 sports modes (though some modes offer limited data). Limited smartwatch features include music playback and phone notifications (no replies). Despite lacking NFC, its sub-$100 price point makes it a stylish and functional option.

4. Amazfit Band 7: Best Budget Fitness Tracker with Health Monitoring

### Amazfit Band 7

0See 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: Extensive tracking (stress, sleep), Amazon Alexa integration.

Cons: No built-in GPS.

The $50 Amazfit Band 7 offers impressive features: a large (1.47-inch) always-on AMOLED display, 18-day battery life (28 days in battery saver mode), over 120 sports modes (with automatic recognition of four), and 50m water resistance. Health monitoring includes heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress, alongside sleep tracking. Smartwatch functionality includes 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: Huge app selection, safety features (crash detection), built-in GPS.

Cons: Fewer sensors than other Apple Watches.

The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) offers a budget-friendly option within the Apple ecosystem. It utilizes 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. Full smartwatch functionality (calls, messages, payments, music streaming) and crash detection are included.

6. Garmin Venu 3: Best Budget Fitness Tracker for Workouts

### Garmin Venu 3

0See 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 most expensive on this list, offers serious fitness tracking capabilities. It tracks various exercises (swimming, cycling, golf) with over 30 preloaded sports apps, leveraging highly accurate GPS and heart rate monitoring, along with ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensors. Animated workouts and the insightful Body Battery feature (measuring body rest) are key differentiators. Smartwatch features include calls, smart assistants, and text replies (with compatible phones), but app selection is limited.

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 provide substantial health data.

What Kind of Fitness Tracker Do I Need?

Your needs dictate your choice. Ultra-cheap bands like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 suffice for basic step tracking, heart rate monitoring, and timekeeping. Many offer color displays, long battery life, sports modes, sleep tracking, blood oxygen sensors, and phone notifications. GPS is beneficial for runners and hikers. For broader functionality, a smartwatch provides a larger screen, storage, apps, and call/text capabilities. Active individuals might also consider pairing their tracker with good earbuds.