Fitbit might be one of the most popular fitness tracking companies in the world, but it isn’t the only one out there. Garmin, Samsung, Xiaomi, and many other companies make comparable or even better devices for the money. Whether you’re looking for a smartwatch like the Fitbit Ionic or Versa 2, or a Fitbit Charge 4 alternative, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best Fitbit alternatives you can buy right now.
Buying the right Fitbit alternative for your needs
Everybody needs something different out of their wearables, so we listed each model in a different category to help you choose the right device for your needs. Here are some quick links if you’re in a hurry:
- The Garmin Vivosmart 4 is the best Fitbit Charge 4 alternative you can buy.
- The Samsung Galaxy Fit feels a bit cheaper than the Vivosmart 4, but it’s still a good Fitbit Charge 4 alternative.
- The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is the best Fitbit Versa 2 alternative you can buy thanks to its comprehensive fitness and health tracking suite.
- The Apple Watch Series 3 is another great Fitbit Versa 2 alternative. It only works with iPhones, but the Series 3 is a much better smartwatch overall than Fitbit’s offering.
- The Garmin Venu is the best Fitbit Ionic alternative. It’s the first Garmin wearable with an OLED display.
- The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is the best Fitbit Inspire HR alternative thanks to its low price point and surprisingly long list of features.
The best Fitbit alternatives (in no particular order):
Note: We will update this best Fitbit alternatives list as more devices hit the market.
1. Fitbit Charge 4 alternative: Garmin Vivosmart 4
If you’re looking for a Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Charge 3, or Fitbit Inspire HR alternative, consider the Garmin Vivosmart 4.
Though the appearance is a little bland, this device has many of the features that make the Charge 4 great. The Vivosmart 4 offers fantastic sleep metrics, an interesting and quite useful Body Battery score, and a decent heart rate monitor. What’s less common on a device this price is the pulse oximeter sensor, which can show you your blood oxygen saturation. That, in turn, can offer some useful health insights — especially during sleep.
Also read: Do fitness trackers really work? Probably, but it’s not as simple as you think!
Previously, the big achilles heel for this device was lack of any GPS support, meaning you couldn’t even connect to your phone’s location. That’s changed in a recent update, though, which is great news for fans. The Vivosmart 4 now has connected GPS.
Throw in a few smart feature such as notifications, weather, and the ability to control music on your phone, and this is a compelling package.
Pros:
- Thin, lightweight design
- OLED display is much better than the Vivosmart 3’s
- Overall accurate fitness tracking
- Advanced sleep metrics are very useful
- Pulse ox sensor is nice to have on a lower-end tracker
Cons:
- Narrow display can be difficult to use
- Pulse ox sensor is sometimes off, doesn’t take readings all night
- No interchangeable bands
Check out our full review to learn more about the Garmin Vivosmart 4.
Garmin Vivosmart 4 specs:
- GPS: Connected GPS
- Heart rate sensor: Yes
- IP rating: 5ATM
- Display: ~0.74-inch monochrome OLED
- Battery life: 7 days
- Music storage: No
- Contactless payments: No
2. Samsung Galaxy Fit
The Samsung Galaxy Fit is a slim fitness tracker that has a beautiful AMOLED display and a lightweight design. Other killer features include 5ATM water resistance, a fairly accurate heart rate monitor, week-long battery life, and Samsung Health that provides ample social features and training programs. Perhaps the most compelling feature is the price.
Also read: Best Samsung fitness trackers: What are your current options?
We had mainly good things to say in our full Samsung Galaxy Fit review, though we did note that the setup process could be a little fiddly.
Pros:
- Fantastic AMOLED display
- Small, lightweight design
- Low price point
- Week-long battery life
- Samsung Health offers plenty of social features, training programs
Cons:
- No connected GPS
- Heart rate sensor struggles to keep up at times
- Setup process needs work
Check out our full review to learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Fit.
Samsung Galaxy Fit specs:
- GPS: No
- Heart rate sensor: Yes
- IP rating: 5ATM
- Display: 0.95-inch AMOLED
- Battery life: 7 days
- Music storage: No
- Contactless payments: No
3. Fitbit Versa 2 alternative: Garmin Vivoactive 4
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 was one of our favorite fitness trackers for a long time, and the Vivoactive 4 looks set to repeat that trick. The device features the same great software as other Garmin trackers, and the same excellent ecosystem of apps. You’ll once again get a heart rate monitor, built-in GPS, seven-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance. We also see the return of music playback (including Spotify support) which came with the Vivoactive 3 Music. All this in another sleek package that looks like you’re wearing an actual watch!
Looking for something for slimmer wrists? The Vivoactive 4S variant has you covered.
What’s new this time around is the pulse oximeter sensor for measuring blood oxygen, along with all-day stress tracking and Body Battery. The screen has also received a slight upgrade.
Pros:
- Garmin Pay support is convenient
- Music storage is standard
- Week-long battery life
- Unique breathwork exercises
- Accurate fitness and health tracking
- Useful and accurate sleep tracking
Cons:
- Display isn’t technically as good as the Versa 2’s
- High price
Check out our full review to learn more about the Garmin Vivoactive 4.
Garmin Vivoactive 4 specs:
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate sensor: Yes
- IP rating: 5ATM
- Display: 1.4-inch transflective MIP
- Battery life: 8 days
- Music storage: 3.5GB
- Contactless payments: Yes
4. Apple Watch Series 3
The Apple Watch Series 3 isn’t the most capable Apple Watch you can buy, but its discounted price point makes it a much more compelling package in 2020. The Series 3 has a great Retina display and a customizable design. It also comes with built-in GPS and a heart rate sensor, making it a good option for athletes.
It misses out on some of the new features introduced with Series 4 and Series 5 watches, but we think this price point makes up for those deficiencies.
Pros:
- Beautiful, customizable design
- Sharp, vibrant display
- Plenty of third-party app support
- Cheap now that newer models are out
Cons:
- 1-day battery life
- Only compatible with iOS
Learn more about the Apple Watch in our best smartwatches buyer’s guide.
Apple Watch Series 3 specs:
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate sensor: Yes
- IP rating: 5ATM
- Display: 1.66-inch OLED
- Battery life: 1 day
- Music storage: 2GB
- Contactless payments: Yes
5. Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Blaze alternative: Garmin Venu
A recent addition to Garmin’s lineup of excellent fitness trackers, the Garmin Venu is a top-end fitness tracker with a price to match. For that entry cost though, you’ll get a beautiful OLED screen, Garmin Pay support, music storage, five-day battery life, and great fitness tracking features.
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All the usual suspects are present: there’s heart rate tracking, GPS (plus GLONASS), sleep monitoring, activity tracking, 5ATM water resistance, etc. But there are the more interesting features, such as the pulse ox sensor, unique breathwork exercises, and stress tracking. It’s essentially the same multisport watch as the Vivoactive 4 (above), but with an OLED display and slightly shorter battery life.
This is a fantastic package, if you can stomach the price.
Pros:
- Crisp OLED screen with an always-on display
- Garmin Pay support is convenient
- Music storage is standard
- Unique breathwork exercises
- Accurate fitness and health tracking
- Useful and accurate sleep tracking
Cons:
- Touchscreen can be finicky
- High price
Check out our full review to learn more about the Garmin Venu.
Garmin Venu specs:
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate sensor: Yes
- IP rating: 5ATM
- Display: 1.2-inch AMOLED
- Battery life: 5 days
- Music storage: 3.5GB
- Contactless payments: Yes
6. Fitbit Inspire HR alternative: Xiaomi Mi Band 4
The Fitbit Inspire HR is a great budget option from Fitbit that offers a heart rate monitor, great battery, and connected GPS; all for under $100. But if you really want to see some impressive value, look no further than the Xiaomi Mi Band 4.
The Mi Band 4 is insanely affordable at $40, which is amazing considering that it comes with a color screen, heart rate sensor, 20-day battery life, connected GPS, and plenty more features. It looks a bit simple perhaps, but it does everything you really need to keep in shape for a fraction of the cost. And it even has basic smartwatch features! What’s not to like?
Pros:
- Low price point
- Accurate fitness, health, and sleep tracking
- Connected GPS is a big plus
- 20-day battery life
- Plenty of smart features and customization options
Cons:
- Mi Fit app won’t be everyone’s first fitness app choice
- Heart rate sensor struggles with high-intensity workouts
Check out our full review to learn more about the Xiaomi Mi Band 4.
Xiaomi Mi Band 4 specs:
- GPS: Connected GPS
- Heart rate sensor: Yes
- IP rating: 5ATM
- Display: 0.95-inch OLED
- Battery life: 20 days
- Music storage: No
- Contactless payments: Yes, with region restrictions
Why you should trust the editor
Not only does Jimmy Westenberg love wearables, he loves helping people find the right devices to suit their needs. He’s been our resident fitness reviewer at Android Authority since 2016 and has reviewed hundreds of fitness products and other wearables in that time.
Through his rigorous testing of fitness products and deep knowledge of health devices and services, you can rest assured knowing Jimmy will give you honest recommendations.