Square watch, days of battery
Fitbit Versa 4
- GPS built in
- Physical button
Cheaper alternatives to the Apple Watch SE 3
Three cheaper Fitbits for iPhone owners. You trade apps for battery.
Updated 13 November 2026
Band with Wallet
Fitbit Charge 6
- Google Wallet
- Haptic button
The cheapest
Fitbit Inspire 3
- Up to 10 days
- Swim-proof to 50 m
The original
Apple Watch SE 3
Worth it if: You use Apple Pay on your wrist
- Bright always-on screen
- Very light
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What are you actually paying extra for with the Watch SE 3?
What the extra money buys
- Bright always-on screen
- Very light
- Temperature sensor
Worth it if
- You use Apple Pay on your wrist
- You want app notifications you can reply to
Not worth it if
- Charging every day puts you off
- You mainly track sleep
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
Fitbit Versa 4
Les Numériques saw little new over the previous model, and TechRadar didn't rate it highly for training. It still covers health and sleep tracking for days per charge. It suits iPhone owners who want less charging.
Fitbit Charge 6
Android Central liked the small design for sleep and the working haptic button, but found the screen dim. TechRadar's GPS results were flaky. It suits iPhone owners who mostly lift weights, walk and want sleep data, more than outdoor runners who need reliable route maps on their wrist.
Fitbit Inspire 3
Tom's Guide rated it the top affordable tracker; TechRadar a good entry to health tracking. It uses your phone for GPS. It suits someone new to wearables who wants steps, heart rate and sleep for the least money.
Final recommendation: Choose the Versa 4 for a watch with days of battery, the Charge 6 for a slim band with Google Wallet, or the Inspire 3 to spend least. Keep the Apple Watch SE 3 if Apple Pay and apps matter.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Affordable | Affordable | Budget | Budget |
| Battery (claimed) | Up to 18 hours | 6+ days | Up to 7 days | Up to 10 days |
| GPS | Yes (L1 GPS) | built-in (GPS + GLONASS) | Built-in (GPS + GLONASS) | connected (phone) |
| Screen | Always-On Retina OLED (LTPO), up to 1000 nits | AMOLED | Colour AMOLED | Colour AMOLED touchscreen |
| Maps | – | – | No | – |
| Water resistance | Water resistant 50m (swimproof) | Water resistant to 50 m | Water resistant to 50 m | Water resistant to 50 m |
| Works with | iPhone | iPhone and Android | iPhone and Android | iPhone and Android |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Does the Apple Watch SE 3 track sleep?
Yes, but with up to 18 hours of battery, you need to charge around bedtime.
Is the Fitbit Versa 4 a good Apple Watch SE 3 alternative?
For health tracking and battery, yes. It has far fewer apps and no Apple Pay.
Can I pay with the Fitbit Charge 6?
Yes, with Google Wallet, as Tom's Guide notes.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Apple Watch SE 3 with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Apple: Apple Watch SE 3 specs, TechRadar: Apple Watch SE 3 review: The best Apple Watch for most people, Les Numériques: Test Apple Watch SE 3 : la petite montre connectée qui a tout d'une grande, Google: Fitbit Versa 4 specs, TechRadar: Fitbit Versa 4 review, Les Numériques: Test Fitbit Versa 4 : la montre de fitness évolue timidement, Google: Fitbit Charge 6 specs, Tom's Guide: Fitbit Charge 6 review: a brilliant tracker with more Google, TechRadar: Fitbit Charge 6 review: A fun but flawed modern fitness tracker, Android Central: Fitbit Charge 6 review: Familiar hardware, Googleified, Google: Fitbit Inspire 3 specs, Tom's Guide: Fitbit Inspire 3 review: the top affordable fitness tracker just got better, TechRadar: Fitbit Inspire 3 review.