The best Apple Watch alternatives you can buy

Buying the right Apple Watch alternative

Right off the bat, we should highlight that there’s no genuine replacement for the Apple Watch. Apple’s wearable will naturally be your best bet if you own an iPhone. That being said, the likes of Garmin, Samsung, and Fitbit provide plenty of fitness and health tracking perks.

On that note, the Apple Watch Series 7 offers several health-tracking benefits over the Apple Watch SE, including blood oxygen monitoring, ECG smarts, and a more durable lens. That said, the SE is much cheaper. You should consider this pricing structure and the watches’ feature sets when shopping for either — and especially alternatives. Notably, if you own an Android phone but are seriously considering jumping over to Apple’s ecosystem for the Apple Watch benefits, the below alternatives are also for you.

The best Apple Watch alternatives

Apple Watch Series 7 alternatives

• The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the best Apple Watch Series 7 alternative. Running Wear OS 3, the watch brings stellar fitness tracking features, a slick design, and great software.
• The Garmin Venu 2 is the best Apple Watch Series 7 alternative for fitness. It’s more health-focused than its Samsung counterpart and supports iPhones, too.
• The Fitbit Versa 3 is the most affordable alternative to the Apple Watch Series 7. If you aren’t seeking the advanced health features of the Series 7 but are interested in stellar base fitness tracking support, the Versa 3 is a good shout.

Apple Watch SE alternatives

• The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is also the best Apple Watch SE alternative. Specifically, the smaller 40mm model comes in cheaper than Apple’s budget smartwatch and includes the features of its larger sibling, too.
• The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is the best Garmin alternative to the Watch SE. It is pricier, but it’s a more focused wearable for active users packing much better battery life.
• The Huawei Band 6 is the best affordable Apple Watch SE alternative. Huawei’s surprise hit has few flaws, and those that are present are made negligible by its comparatively low price.

Samsung’s newest smartwatch series is stellar. It’s the best Wear OS watch you can buy right now, largely because it’s the only Wear OS 3 device on sale. But even beyond this software advantage, both the standard and Classic models pack plenty of health tracking features. Leading that particular bouquet is a body composition monitor, something that no other smartwatch has at the moment. Wear OS 3, with One UI Watch running on top, also brings an intuitive user experience with the platform’s array of supported apps.

A few things don’t make the Galaxy Watch 4 a true Apple Watch alternative, though. The fact that it’s not compatible with iOS is the first big strike. GPS performance is pretty lackluster, while some features are also exclusive to Samsung smartphone owners.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

The Venu 2 is a smartwatch better attuned to the health-conscious crowd. Buyers get a completely overhauled software experience with the Venu 2 that’s buoyed by its vibrant OLED screen. It features excellent GPS accuracy, even more music storage for those who prefer taking their tunes with them, and excellent background health and sleep tracking. Garmin’s legacy features, like Body Battery, are also included.

However, the Venu 2 isn’t perfect. Battery life is better than the Apple Watch Series 7, but it can be erratic when you start turning on all of its sensors. Unlike the Galaxy Watch 4, the Venu 2 does play nice with iPhones, but it lacks some Android-only features. The Venu 2 is also the same price as the Series 7.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Garmin Venu 2.

Finally, Fitbit’s relatively affordable smartwatch entry is also worth a mention. Although the Versa 3 launched in 2020, it remains a viable health-focused smartwatch. In fact, its age counts in its favor, as it often finds itself on deal listings. Sure, it’s not the Fitbit with the most advanced array of sensors — that distinction belongs to the Fitbit Sense — but it covers all the necessary bases. It packs Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support, onboard music storage, and onboard GPS. You’ll lose Apple Pay support, but you’ll gain Fitbit Pay.

As a tradeoff for its lower price, the Versa 3 lacks standout tracking features and sensors. Unlike the Sense and Series 7, it lacks an ECG. Fitbit’s app offering is also far less impressive than Apple’s.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Fitbit Versa 3.

We’ve already covered the Galaxy Watch 4’s strengths and weaknesses above, but something we didn’t touch on is its price. While the Apple Watch SE targets buyers on a budget, it can’t quite crack the sub-$250 bracket. The smallest Galaxy Watch 4 (40mm dial) starts at $249, making it a viable alternative to both Apple Watch models.

Again, if you own an Apple Watch, you will need to consider another device. The smaller Galaxy Watch 4 doesn’t quite have the battery endurance to match its larger sibling, either. But if you own an Android phone and are considering buying an iPhone just for the Apple Watch, consider getting a 40mm Galaxy Watch 4 instead.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is an excellent smartwatch if you’re putting fitness and GPS tracking performance first. Battery life is excellent, lasting a week between charges. Buyers also get a host of legacy Garmin tracking smarts, from hydration tracking and sweat-loss estimate to upgraded SpO2 sensors and excellent music playback support.

However, the Vivoactive 4 isn’t without its flaws. The transflective screen is great for efficiency but falls well short of the Apple Watch SE’s visual fidelity. The watch is by no means cheap, either. You can regularly find it for under $300, but Garmin still asks for more than Apple.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Garmin Vivoactive 4.

If the price is the primary reason you’re considering an Apple Watch SE alternative, look no further than the Huawei Band 6. It’s more of a pure fitness tracker than a smartwatch, but it does include a large display, a 10-day battery life, and a ridiculous number of workout tracking modes. Like the Apple Watch SE, it cuts down on bulk, but it still feels excellent on the wrist. Blood oxygen monitoring at this price point is another bonus.

Of course, the Huawei Band 6 does fall short of the SE in certain areas. It lacks onboard GPS smarts, while its straps are not interchangeable. Its heart rate sensor does leave plenty to be desired during workouts, too. Overall, it’s a worthwhile alternative if your budget is extremely limited.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Huawei Band 6.