Best overall: Amazfit Bip 5 (~$80) — big screen, built-in GPS, and long battery life. Best design: Amazfit GTS 4 Mini (~$90) — slim AMOLED display with GPS. Best cheap fitness band: Amazfit Band 7 (~$50). Best for the Fitbit ecosystem: Fitbit Inspire 3 (~$80). None match an Apple Watch, but all cover the fitness basics.
You don’t need to spend $400 to count steps, track sleep, and see your notifications. Budget smartwatches have improved enormously, and the best ones now include built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, and battery life measured in weeks rather than hours.
The trade-off is the app ecosystem: budget watches don’t run the full range of third-party apps you’ll find on an Apple Watch or a Wear OS device. If you mainly want fitness tracking, notifications, and a good-looking display, though, you can get everything you need under $100. Prices vary with sales, so check listings for current deals.
Best Smartwatches Under $100
1. Amazfit Bip 5 — ~$80 | Best Overall
The Bip 5 packs a large, bright display, built-in GPS, heart-rate and blood-oxygen tracking, and support for Bluetooth calls into a lightweight watch. Battery life is measured in about a week or more of typical use, which is far beyond what most premium smartwatches manage.
The screen is an LCD rather than AMOLED, so blacks aren’t as deep, and its third-party app support is limited. For fitness and everyday use, it’s the best-value pick in this bracket.
2. Amazfit GTS 4 Mini — ~$90 | Best Design
The GTS 4 Mini has a slim, lightweight body with a crisp AMOLED display and built-in GPS, and it looks far more expensive than it is. It’s a comfortable choice for smaller wrists, and it tracks a wide range of sports and sleep.
The smaller screen makes reading long notifications less comfortable, and it doesn’t include a full-scale app store. It’s ideal if style and comfort matter as much as features.
3. Amazfit Band 7 — ~$50 | Best Cheap Fitness Band
The Band 7 is a fitness band rather than a full smartwatch, with an AMOLED display, heart-rate and sleep tracking, and a very long battery life. It’s light enough to wear all day and night, which helps with sleep data.
It doesn’t have built-in GPS, so it relies on your phone for route tracking. If you want the basics at the lowest price, it’s hard to beat.
4. Fitbit Inspire 3 — ~$80 | Best for the Fitbit App
If you like the Fitbit app’s simplicity and its clear health and sleep insights, the Inspire 3 gives you that in a small, comfortable tracker with a colour screen and about 10 days of battery life. It’s excellent for step counting, active minutes, and sleep tracking.
Some advanced insights need a Fitbit Premium subscription, and it relies on your phone for GPS. It’s best for people who want a simple, motivating tracker rather than a mini smartphone.
Compare the Options
| Watch | Price | GPS | Battery (typical) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazfit Bip 5 | ~$80 | Built-in | About a week or more | All-round value |
| Amazfit GTS 4 Mini | ~$90 | Built-in | Around 10 days | Style, smaller wrists |
| Amazfit Band 7 | ~$50 | Via phone | About two weeks | Lowest price |
| Fitbit Inspire 3 | ~$80 | Via phone | About 10 days | Fitbit app users |
What You Give Up vs an Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch
Budget watches skip a few things: a rich third-party app store, contactless payments in many cases, cellular connectivity, and refined health features like ECG. They also sync through the maker’s own app, so notifications and data handling vary. For most people who want a step counter, sleep tracker, and workout log, these limitations rarely matter.
If you need contactless payments, apps, or cellular, consider stretching to a refurbished Apple Watch SE or a Galaxy Watch, which often sell for more than $100 but far less than new flagships. Our guide to buying refurbished electronics safely covers how to do it without getting burned.
What to Check Before You Buy
- Phone compatibility. Check that the watch works with iPhone or Android, whichever you use.
- GPS. If you run or cycle without your phone, built-in GPS matters.
- Battery life. Weeks rather than days makes a watch far easier to live with.
- Subscription features. Some brands lock advanced insights behind a paid plan.
- Strap comfort. A comfortable strap is what you’ll notice most on your wrist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cheap smartwatches accurate?
For steps, sleep trends, and workouts, they’re generally good enough for everyday use. Heart-rate accuracy can vary during intense exercise, so treat the numbers as guides rather than medical measurements.
Can a budget smartwatch replace a Fitbit or Apple Watch?
For fitness and notifications, yes. If you need apps, contactless payments, or advanced health features, you’ll probably want to spend more.
Do cheap smartwatches work with iPhone?
Most do, through their companion app, though some features like replying to messages are more limited on iPhone than on Android. Check compatibility on the product page.
How long do budget smartwatches last?
Batteries typically last a week or more per charge, and the watches themselves generally last a couple of years with careful use. Battery capacity slowly declines over time.
Final Thoughts: The Amazfit Bip 5 is the best all-rounder, the GTS 4 Mini wins on looks, the Band 7 is the cheapest useful tracker, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 suits Fitbit fans. Choose based on the features you’ll actually use, not the longest spec sheet.
Find Today’s Smartwatch Deals
Smartwatch prices drop often — check Amazon for current offers.
Prices, features, and battery figures are approximate and vary by model and use — always check the current listing before purchasing.
