The Best Budget Fitness Trackers for Staying Active in 2025

Whether you're starting a fitness journey or want 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:

Fitbit Inspire 3

Xiaomi Smart Band 9

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

Amazfit Band 7

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

Garmin Venu 3

1. Fitbit Inspire 3: Best Budget Fitness Tracker

Fitbit Inspire 3

Smartwatches and fitness trackers don't have to break the bank, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 proves it. For under $100, you get a bright AMOLED display and a durable, sleek, and comfortable band—perfect for sleeping. Its 10-day battery life (reduced with the always-on display) minimizes charging needs. Navigation is easy via touchscreen and two haptic buttons.

The Inspire 3 excels at fitness tracking with 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen (SpO2) 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 aren't supported.

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

2. Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Best Ultra Cheap Fitness Tracker

Xiaomi Smart Band 9

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9, priced under $50, packs features you'd expect in a more expensive tracker. Its sleek design includes health monitoring, a 1.62-inch AMOLED display, and impressive battery life—giving Fitbit a run for its money.

It offers a pedometer, heart rate monitor, SpO2 sensor, and sleep monitoring. Over 150 fitness modes (running, HIIT, swimming, etc.) provide detailed workout data (though accuracy may not match higher-end devices with GPS). The battery lasts up to three weeks with moderate use, and the 1200-nit display ensures visibility in bright sunlight. While lacking physical buttons, the touchscreen is responsive. Smartwatch features include call and message notifications and music playback control (though phone pairing can be finicky).

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

3. Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro: Best Budget Fitness Tracker with GPS

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

Want more than the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers? The Smart Band 9 Pro boasts a larger, 1.74-inch rectangular AMOLED display (resembling an Apple Watch) and a surprisingly accurate built-in GPS for tracking workouts. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and support for over 150 sports modes. Many modes primarily track heart rate and time.

Smartwatch features include music playback and phone notifications (but no replies or NFC). Under $100, it's a stylish tracker with a bright screen, user-friendly interface, and long battery life.

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

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

Amazfit Band 7

The Amazfit Band 7 ($50) packs a lot of features: a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display, slim and comfortable design, and long battery life (18 days typical use, 28 days in battery saver mode). It supports over 120 sports modes (four with automatic recognition) and 50m water resistance. Health monitoring includes heart rate, SpO2, and stress, plus sleep tracking. Smartwatch features include notifications and Amazon Alexa integration.

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

5. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen): Best Budget Apple Watch

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

Not all great Apple Watches are expensive. The 2nd-gen Apple Watch SE offers an optical heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, automatic workout detection (including swimming), and 32GB of storage for apps from the App Store. It also supports calls, messages, contactless payments, and music streaming. Crash detection is a valuable safety feature.

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

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

Garmin Venu 3

Garmin's Venu 3, while the priciest on this list, is worth it for serious fitness tracking. It tracks various exercises (swimming, cycling, golf, etc.) using a highly accurate GPS and heart rate monitor. Over 30 preloaded sports apps, animated workouts (pilates, HIIT, cardio), ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensors provide comprehensive data. The Body Battery feature assesses your body's 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, text replies). App selection is limited compared to Apple and Google smartwatches.

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

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 usually mean more features (heart rate monitoring, GPS, OLED displays, etc.). Many basic trackers offer ample health data at affordable prices.

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 step counting, heart rate monitoring, and timekeeping. Many budget options include color displays, long battery life, sports modes, sleep tracking, SpO2 sensors, and phone notifications. GPS is helpful for runners, bikers, and hikers. For broader functionality beyond fitness and health tracking, a smartwatch offers a larger screen, storage, apps, and call/text capabilities. Active individuals may also want a good pair of earbuds.