The key
Apple and Fitbit are two of the biggest names in the wearables business, but they take drastically different approaches to fitness tracking, health monitoring, and smart features.
Apple remains the smartwatch industry’s premier player—with Apple Watch models consistently ranking at the summit of our top smartwatch rankings—yet the choice is more limited than Fitbit’s wares. Apple’s watches are also only suitable for iPhone users.
On the other hand, Fitbit’s two smartwatches and three fitness trackers can work with iOS and Android devices, and offer a more basic and intuitive approach to daily activity tracking and wellness. The brand’s tracking is also fundamental to Google’s Pixel Watch range.
We’ve spent years using devices from Apple and Fitbit, and understand their benefits and pitfalls inside out. Here’s how they compare in all the key areas.
Essential reading:
- Pick the right Fitbit for your needs
- The top smartwatches if you have an iPhone
- How to choose the right Apple Watch case size
Fitbit wearables: Brief overview
Fitbit has more options than Apple, offering both smartwatches and fitness trackers. Below is a quick breakdown of the collections.
Versa and Sense smartwatches
The Versa 4 and the Sense 2 are Fitbit’s latest smartwatches, released in 2022. They’ll also be the last from the brand, with Google confirming in August 2024 that there won’t be any new models produced.
However, they are still solid wearables to consider (for now). They don’t come close to the functionality of an Apple Watch (or Pixel Watch, below), so it’s better to think of them as Fitbit trackers in a watch body, rather than ‘proper’ smartwatches.
The Versa 4 and Sense 2 look very similar, though the latter does bring serious health sensors such as ECG, skin temperature, and an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor that tracks stress. The Versa 4 still has SpO2, GPS, and heart rate monitoring, and its lesser functionality means it’s cheaper.
Google Pixel Watch – the unofficial Fitbit
Fitbit’s tracking has been incorporated into each iteration of the Google Pixel Watch, with the watch series now in its third generation.
With an AMOLED display and access to a wide range of apps, the Pixel Watch 3 represents the pinnacle of the Fitbit experience. It packs all the features, sensors, and tracking feedback of the Sense 2 but with a much friendlier operating system (Google’s Wear OS).
The only drawback is the battery life. The 45mm version is relatively capable, lasting around two days on a single charge, though the 41mm edition is still limited to around 24-28 hours from our testing. Fitbit’s less feature-packed watches can last much longer than either.
Charge, Luxe & Inspire trackers
These are the classic, wristband-style fitness tracker devices Fitbit is best known for.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is its entry-level tracker. It’s brimming with features, including heart rate, SpO2, temperature sensor, and a color screen. It offers plenty of bang, for a sub-$100/£100 buck.
The most advanced is the Charge 6, the flagship fitness tracker. It brings all the features from the Sense 2 (GPS, ECG, stress tracking, skin temperature), puts it in a wristband form factor, and adds integrated Google services (Pay/Maps) over its predecessor.
Then there’s the aging Fitbit Luxe, a fitness tracker that’s a bit of a throwback to the Fitbit Alta with its slim, fashion-focused design and is the only Fitbit fitness tracker to include a color touchscreen display. It also features core fitness tracking features, a heart rate monitor, and a SpO2 sensor.
Apple Watch models: Brief overview
Apple may not match Fitbit’s sheer volume of wearables, but there are now three distinct versions of the Apple Watch to consider.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the latest middle child, coming in a 42mm or 46mm case featuring a very edge-to-edge display. You get 1-2 days of battery life, solid-performing GPS, ECG readings, gesture control, a temperature sensor for advanced women’s health tracking, and much more.
Below that sits the Apple Watch SE, which was last updated in 2022. It comes in 44mm and 40mm case sizes and typically only provides around 24 hours of battery life. Notably, it lacks the ECG, and the edge-to-edge, always-on display of the Series 10 (and below). However, it does have all the basics, such as access to the App Store, Apple Pay, and solid GPS.
The flagship model remains the Apple Watch Ultra 2, released in 2023. It comes in a single 49mm size (in titanium or black), which means it’s pretty huge and is designed for outdoors and extreme sports. It’s rugged, offers 100m water resistance, dual-frequency GNSS, and also features 2-3 days of battery life as standard.
Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Apple Watch Series 10
Each brand’s latest watches deliver comparable features, sensors, and tracking smarts. We still prefer the Series 10 for Apple’s attention to the little details in watchOS 11 and the superior integration with the iPhone, but, in truth, there’s little to separate them.
On the looks front, there are AMOLED displays across both devices and removable bands with plenty of first and third-party strap options.
Both are available with or without LTE support, providing phone-free support for features like smart assistant support (Google Assistant for Pixel Watch 3; Siri for Apple Watch Series 10), music playback via Bluetooth headphones, and notifications/calls.
The Apple Watch can only be paired to iPhones, while the Pixel Watch 3 only works with Android.
Both offer ECG sensors to measure heart rate rhythms, alert the user to low/high heart rates, and measure blood oxygen levels (for wellness purposes). Solid GPS and heart rate monitoring are also present during activity monitoring and workout tracking.
The Pixel Watch 3 keeps Fitbit at its core, with step counts, stress tracking, and super-reliable sleep tracking underpinning the experience. The Apple Watch offers motivating activity-tracking features via the Move, Exercise, and Stand rings, and its native sleep tracking is much improved. There’s little to pick between them.
Battery life is also very similar, with the smaller editions of both watches lasting for over 24 hours (but not much more) and the bigger models generally lasting for at least a couple of days.
- Winner: Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch SE v Fitbit Versa 4
The Apple Watch SE and the Fitbit Versa 4 are the smartwatches below the two mentioned above, with some bigger features left out to keep the price down.
In terms of design, they look similar to those pricier Apple and Fitbit smartwatches, with the Series SE offered in two size options (40mm and 44mm) and the Versa 3 only 40mm. They both offer AMOLED displays with the option of an always-on mode and similar waterproofing that make them safe for swimming and showering up to 50 meters depth.
Features-wise, the SE offers notifications, on-wrist music, Siri control, Apple Pay, and an LTE version – as well as the mighty App Store. The Versa 4 has similar support, swapping Siri for Google Assistant or Alexa, but doesn’t offer any form of LTE connectivity. There’s nothing in the way of apps for Fitbit.
As health and fitness trackers, the SE misses out on the ECG and blood oxygen sensor on the Series 10, but still has a very reliable optical heart rate monitor (and can pair up external heart rate sensor). The Versa 4 also has a solid optical heart rate monitor, and will constantly scan for heart rate rhythm issues.
Both have plenty of sports modes including GPS, but the Apple Watch is by far the better workout companion. Both are excellent sleep trackers too – although Fitbit’s presentation of heart rate, wellness metrics, and sleep data is simpler and easier to understand.
Battery life is a win for Fitbit, with the Versa 4 going for a week compared to a day for the SE, and it’s also much cheaper. Yet, it feels like a completely nerfed smartwatch experience compared to the SE, and, as a result, we don’t recommend it unless you’re an Android user.
- Winner: Apple Watch SE (2022)
Apple vs. Fitbit: Activity, health, sleep, and stress tracking
If you care about steps, competing against friends to keep active, and making small, but important changes to get you moving around more regularly, this is an important section for you.
Basic fitness tracking
Fitbit is known for fitness tracking, and, if you’re looking for an approach that makes it easy to understand and absorb your stats and keep a check of your daily progress, it’s still up there with the best. Most devices in the range offer a complete suite of heart rate metrics, temperature sensing, and stress management.
Apple is a great match for Fitbit in terms of wellness features, but sometimes its presentation is less user-friendly.
Its Activity Rings approach to staying motivated to stay active and compete against Apple Watch-owning friends works well. It collects an amazing amount of health data – more than Fitbit – but the Apple Health app isn’t as engaging to browse, and get an overview of your stats.
Whichever platform you side with here, we think you’ll be well-catered for here.
Winner: Fitbit
Heart health
Both platforms care about letting users track their heart rate and how it could be used to indicate that something might not be quite right.
For the Fitbit devices that support it, the optical heart rate sensor can assess high and low heart rates, keep track of resting heart rate, and continuously monitor heart rate to identify trends. The Fitbit Sense 2/Charge 6 and Pixel Watch devices offer an ECG sensor to deliver medical-grade style readings, and any Fitbit device will continuously scan for irregular heart rate rhythms.
In addition to the heart rate sensing, some premium models offer temperature tracking, which can be used along with the heart rate information to detect when you might not be well.
The Apple Watch is no slouch in this department, and the latest editions (Series 10 and Ultra 2) can outlast Fitbit in this area. They can perform ECG readings, but they’re also approved for atrial fibrillation detection via sleep tracking. Its optical heart rate sensor is designed for resting and continuously monitoring heart rate (including during the night) and offers similar high and low heart alert notifications.
These two wearable platforms offer some of the best heart rate monitoring features and support in terms of potentially raising the alarm that there may be an issue and displaying trends to help understand changes in heart rate data.
Winner: Apple
Sleep tracking
Apple’s sleep tracking has hugely improved since its launch a few years ago – and there’s now little to pick between the two. This is a staple for Fitbit and in our years of testing its sleep tracking, it still offers some of the most reliable data from the wrist.
Fitbit offers a breakdown of sleep stages, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and useful Sleep Scores. However, you’ll need to pay for Fitbit Premium to see all the data.
Apple now offers data on sleep stages, but it puts more emphasis on creating bedtime schedules. Consistent bedtimes/wake times are one of the few controllable elements of sleep and can lead to better rest. Apple’s sleep tracking is also linked to alarms, and the iPhone will react to bedtimes set on Apple Watch and turn off notifications 30 minutes before bed.
Fitbit’s sleep tracking is a richer and more engaging experience, but Apple’s (used properly) is a more direct route to better sleep. Take your pick.
Winner: Draw
Stress and recovery
Apple and Fitbit have built features around stress tracking, but the latter currently does more on this front.
The Relax mode is its most basic feature, using the onboard optical heart rate monitor and heart rate variability measurements to offer personalized breathing exercises.
In the Fitbit companion app, more recent devices like the Luxe, Versa, Charge 5, and Sense 2 offer Stress Management scores, giving you a single score based on resting heart rate, sleep, and activity logged to understand how much stress your body is under.
The Fitbit Sense 2 and Pixel Watch 2/3 take things further by continuously monitoring your body’s responses via an electrodermal activity sensor. As shown above, this is an alternative tool to understand your body’s response to stress.
Fitbit also has the Daily Readiness Score for Premium members. Based on daily activity stats, sleep, and heart rate data, this feature tells you how well-rested and recovered you are for the day. The Vitals app introduced by Apple in watchOS 11 is effectively its answer to this.
Apple stores most of its wellness features within the Mindfulness app. Here, users can take time to launch a breathing exercise, reflect, or log their mood state. It’s not as ‘scientific’ as Fitbit’s tracking, but it is still simple and effective.
Winner: Fitbit
Women’s health tracking
Both Apple and Fitbit offer women-specific health-tracking features.
The Fitbit app has a menstrual health tile that lets you log your period symptoms, track your cycle, and view your fertile window. You can also receive push notifications about your predicted period start date, while the Pixel Watch 3’s temperature sensor is harnessed to improve accuracy.
This is the same on the Apple Watch Series 8-10 and Ultra 1/2. The temperature sensor will retrospectively confirm when a cycle occurred, while symptom input will help predict the next cycle. The supported Apple smartwatches will also look for irregularities and shifts in your cycle that could health condition indicators.
Winner: Draw
Apple vs. Fitbit: Sports tracking
GPS-tracked outdoor workouts
Fitbit’s more premium devices—the Versa 4, Sense 2, and Charge 6—all have built-in GPS, while the others rely on a phone’s connection. The Pixel Watch range, as you would expect, also features independent GPS – and can fire that data out to third-party apps like Strava.
The Apple Watch Series 10 and SE have built-in GPS, and the Ultra 1/2 features dual-frequency GNSS, which is far more accurate in built-up areas, or under tree cover.
The Apple Watch (particularly the Ultra range) has performed better in our GPS testing. It offers an experience on par with top sports watches from Garmin, whereas the best of Fitbit’s tracking (via the Pixel Watch 3) still isn’t quite on that level.
Winner: Apple
Swimming
The Fitbit Charge 6, Inspire 3, Luxe, Versa 4, and Sense 2 can track swims (pool only) and will give you core stats like distance tracked and pace, with some additional metrics in the companion Fitbit app. The Pixel Watch range, however, can also track outdoor swims.
The Apple Watch models mentioned in this piece are all equipped to track swims in the pool and open water – and the Series 10/Ultra 1/Ultra 2 are even good for diving with an onboard computer. Each offers rich metrics with some great third-party apps. The accuracy of the Apple Watch is great too, so it’s a reliable swim companion too.
Winner: Apple
Heart rate in workouts
Apple’s sensors and algorithms are more accurate than what we’ve found with the Fitbit range, making them a better fit if you care about tracking heart rate during exercise, but the Google Pixel Watch range isn’t too far from Apple’s standard.
Both platforms will let you track heart rate during exercise, view heart rate zones, and current heart rate readings. Both Fitbit and Apple do a good job in steady intensities. When you ramp up the intensity, the latest Apple Watch models offer some of the best wrist-based monitoring during exercise we’ve ever seen,
Plus, with the Apple Watch, you can pair up Bluetooth-enabled external heart rate sensors, if you want to get the most reliable data. That’s not possible with Fitbit’s core devices.
If you care about heart rate-focused exercise metrics, both offer insights into VO2 max. This is called Cardio Fitness Score on Fitbit, and Cardio Fitness Levels in Apple Health.
If you take advantage of heart rate-focused training apps in the Apple App Store, you can also glean more insights from your heart rate data during workouts.
Winner: Apple
Fitbit app: An overview
The Fitbit app is your place to look at stats, adjust device settings, download apps, and change watch faces (if your device supports it). Unless you have a Pixel Watch, in which case you’ll have both the Fitbit app for tracking stats and the Watch app for everything else.
One of the most appealing things about Fitbit’s platform is that it’s designed to be a great place for those starting their health and fitness journey to spend time. All of the data is nicely displayed, there are good social aspects and the ability to take on friends in challenges and it’s an app that’s easy to navigate.
Fitbit has started to offer richer health metrics in recent years for things like heart rate variability, blood oxygen, temperature, and sleep heart rate. These metrics can give you a sense of your general well-being. However, some of those additional metrics require Fitbit’s Premium subscription service.
That Premium service also grants access to workout programs and additional mindfulness features. Fitbit plays nicely with third-party apps like Strava, too, so it’s not an entirely closed-off platform.
Apple Watch apps
If you have an Apple Watch, you’ll potentially have to deal with a few apps if you want to make the most of the experience. The main Watch app is where you get set up, tinker with settings, and change watch faces.
You also have Apple Health, your hub for all health-centric data from the Watch and third-party apps and devices. There’s also the Fitness app, where you can keep closer tabs on closing your rings or your tracked exercise. This is also where you can access the paid-for Fitness+ platform.
Three apps sound like a lot to deal with, but the good news is that the apps are easy to get to grips with. Apple Health is the busiest of the three and can take time to understand where various bits of data live (and which you actually care about).
Through Apple’s Watch app, you also have access to the Apple App Store, which elevates what the Apple Watch is capable of and is the best smartwatch storefront.
Outside of Fitness+, all these apps are free to access and use.
Apple v Fitbit: The verdict
We’ve broken down the key differences between Apple and Fitbit and what they offer, showing the clear strengths and weaknesses. Here’s how we see where the biggest wins and losses.
Why choose an Apple Watch?
Pick the Apple Watch if you own an iPhone and crave the best smartwatch experience first and foremost. Whether it’s phone integration with aspects like notifications, connectivity, app support, or music features, Apple excels compared to Fitbit.
We’d also say that Apple offers better, more reliable sports tracking, which is extended greatly by that app support. The heart rate monitoring whether via ECG (on supported models) or the optical sensor, is well executed and feels nicely accurate.
Why choose Fitbit?
Fitbit is best if you want something that works with Android and iOS devices, or you’d rather have a device capable of lasting a week (compared to the 1-3 days on the Apple Watch).
Fitbit’s devices are some of the easiest to use, particularly for fitness tracking, and the data presentation is far more user-friendly. It also pays much closer attention to stress, mindfulness, and mental well-being.
