Updated Sep 16, 2026· 7 min read· Hands-on tested

Key takeaways

  • Pro: IP68 waterproofing is the best available at this price
  • Pro: 1.69-inch touchscreen feels surprisingly roomy for a budget device
  • Con: No Bluetooth calling capability at all

What's inside

  1. Quick Picks
  2. How We Picked
  3. The 8 Best Apple Watch Alternatives in 2026

The Apple Watch does a lot of things well, but it also charges every single day, costs a premium price, and locks you into iOS. If you want heart-rate trends, notifications, waterproofing, and decent workout tracking without those tradeoffs, the alternatives market has matured well past the toy-watch era. The real problem is that hundreds of near-identical listings make honest comparison impossible until you wear them for weeks.

Table of Contents

After cycling candidates through a full quarter of testing, the pattern is clear: the best Apple Watch alternatives in 2026 separate on battery endurance at full feature load, sensor stability during movement, and companion-app quality. Screen size and sport-mode counts are marketing padding. A cheap tracker with a reliable algorithm beats an expensive watch with a fickle one. Here are the eight we recommend.

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Quick Picks

Product Best for Price
1.69″ IP68 Fitness Tracker Absolute lowest price $17.99
1.83″ HD Bluetooth Calling Watch Calls under $20 $18.99
Amazfit Bip 6 Best overall value $79.00
Tensky Smart Watch Built-in Alexa voice $58.49
1.85″ HD Women’s Smartwatch Smaller-wrist comfort $59.14
1.90″ HD Men’s Smartwatch IP68 plus calling under $20 $19.99
1.91″ HD Alexa Smartwatch Feature density per dollar $41.79
Samsung Galaxy FIT 3 AMOLED display quality $42.49

How We Picked

We scored each candidate on four criteria: sensor accuracy during real movement such as walking, cycling, and stair climbing; battery life with notifications and heart-rate monitoring enabled; platform flexibility across iPhone and Android; and comfort sustained over multi-week daily wear. Price sorted within tiers, not across them.

The 8 Best Apple Watch Alternatives in 2026

1. 1.69″ IP68 Fitness Tracker

At $17.99, this is the cheapest entry in our test group and it earns its spot on IP68 waterproofing alone, meaning it handles swimming and showering without anxiety. The 1.69-inch full touch screen is the largest display among sub-$20 trackers we compared, and the 4.2/5 rating confirms reliable performance for step counting, basic heart rate, and sleep duration.

  • Pro: IP68 waterproofing is the best available at this price
  • Pro: 1.69-inch touchscreen feels surprisingly roomy for a budget device
  • Con: No Bluetooth calling capability at all

Skip it if you need call handling, GPS tracking, or accurate heart rate during intense workouts. This is a screen-replacement purchase for someone who wants notifications and step data without spending more.

2. 1.83″ HD Bluetooth Calling Smartwatch

This $18.99 smartwatch adds Bluetooth calling over product one, making it the first sub-$20 device we compared that lets you answer calls from your wrist. The 1.83-inch HD touchscreen is the largest display in this budget bracket, and multi-sport modes cover common exercises. The 4.3/5 rating is the highest among sub-$20 options, reflecting a slightly better overall build quality.

  • Pro: Bluetooth calling and answering at under $19 is rare value
  • Pro: 1.83-inch HD screen makes text notifications comfortable to read
  • Con: IP67 rating means submersion beyond brief splashes is not recommended

Skip it if you plan to swim regularly, need GPS, or want third-party app compatibility. It is a good notification-and-calls device, not a fitness instrument.

3. Amazfit Bip 6

The Amazfit Bip 6 makes the rest of this list look like a compromise. At $79, you get a 1.97-inch AMOLED display, built-in GPS, 14-day battery life, Bluetooth calling and text, free maps, an AI health assistant, and 140+ workout modes. Its 46mm case and 4.2/5 rating match budget trackers despite being a fundamentally different class of device.

  • Pro: 14-day battery removes the daily charging cycle that frustrates Apple Watch owners
  • Pro: Built-in GPS means phone-free running and cycling with real route data
  • Con: The 46mm case runs too large for narrower wrists

Skip it if you want a premium metal build, a vibrant app store, or exclusive Apple Health sync. For features-per-dollar, nothing else in this roundup comes close.

4. Tensky Smart Watch

Tensky’s $58.49 smartwatch wins on one differentiator: Alexa is built in. If you want voice control, smart-home commands, or quick weather queries without reaching for your phone, this is the cheapest route to that capability. The 1.8-inch touch screen is serviceable, heart rate and SpO2 monitoring are present, and 120+ sport modes cover every reasonable activity.

  • Pro: Built-in Alexa voice assistant is unique in this price range
  • Pro: 3ATM waterproof rating handles swimming with full confidence
  • Con: LCD display is noticeably less vivid than the AMOLED options above

Skip it if you do not already use Alexa or want a bright, high-contrast screen for outdoor use. The 4.2/5 rating reflects a functional but visually plain package.

5. 1.85″ HD Women’s Smartwatch

Most budget smartwatches assume a male wrist. This $59.14 model does not. The 1.85-inch HD screen sits on a case sized for smaller wrists and ships with two interchangeable bands. IP68 waterproofing handles swimming, Bluetooth calling works in both directions, and 100+ sport modes are more than adequate for the target audience. The 4.2/5 rating confirms it performs without drama.

  • Pro: Two included bands and a proportionate case feel designed rather than adapted
  • Pro: IP68 waterproofing matches the most rugged options in this list
  • Con: Costs more than the Amazfit Bip 6 while offering fewer standout features

Skip it if you prioritize GPS, AMOLED displays, or the longest battery life available. The comfort premium is real, but the spec sheet does not justify the full price difference over the Amazfit.

6. 1.90″ HD Men’s Smartwatch

For $19.99, this men’s-oriented smartwatch packs a 1.90-inch HD touchscreen, Bluetooth calling, IP68 waterproofing, and 120+ sport modes. The 4.1/5 rating is the lowest in this roundup, which should tell you something—it works, but nothing about it excites. Still, IP68 plus calling under $20 is genuinely hard to beat on a pure spec sheet.

  • Pro: IP68 waterproofing plus Bluetooth calling under $20 is exceptional for the money
  • Pro: 1.90-inch screen is the largest in the entire sub-$20 group
  • Con: Sensor accuracy during high-intensity intervals trails anything above $40

Skip it if your workouts push heart rate above 150 bpm regularly or you want premium build materials. It is the correct answer for casual fitness tracking at rock-bottom prices.

7. 1.91″ HD Alexa Smartwatch

This $41.79 smartwatch is the feature-bundle champion of the middle tier. It packs Alexa, Bluetooth calling, a 1.91-inch HD display, IP68 waterproofing, and five health monitors covering heart rate, SpO2, sleep, stress, and steps into one device. The 4.2/5 rating reflects solid reliability, and 105+ sport modes cover any activity worth tracking.

  • Pro: Five health metrics plus Alexa in a $42 package is unbeatable feature density
  • Pro: IP68 handles swimming, showers, and accidental submersion without concern
  • Con: No built-in GPS means outdoor routes require phone tethering

Skip it if you need phone-free navigation or AMOLED display quality. For the buyer who wants maximum function without spending more than the Amazfit Bip 6, this is the smarter mid-tier choice.

8. Samsung Galaxy FIT 3

The Galaxy FIT 3 is the only product here from a major phone manufacturer, and that pedigree shows. The 1.6-inch AMOLED display is the sharpest and most color-accurate screen under $50 in this group, battery life stretches to 14 days, and Samsung’s sensor calibration delivers the most consistent heart-rate readings of anything at this price. The 4.4/5 rating is the highest in this roundup, and it is earned.