Best overallAmazfit
Amazfit Balance 2
Up to 21 days of battery, works with iPhone and Android and needs no subscription, for $299 against $399 for the Series 12. It has fewer third-party apps.
Apple's watches cost $249 to $799: the Apple Watch SE 3 ($249), Series 12 ($399) and Ultra 4 ($799). These six picks from Garmin and Amazfit cost $80 to $349.
Up to 21 days of battery, works with iPhone and Android and needs no subscription, for $299 against $399 for the Series 12. It has fewer third-party apps.
A running watch with training plans and up to 11 days of battery for $250, with fewer smart features than an Apple Watch.
A rugged outdoor build with a flashlight and up to 18 days of battery for $349, against $799 for the Ultra 4. It has no touchscreen, maps or speaker.
A big bright screen, GPS and two weeks of battery for $80, with a plainer design and fewer smart features.
| Product | Typical price | Alternative to | Original price | What it matches | What you give up | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazfit Bip 6 | $80 | Apple Watch Series 12 | $399 | Big bright screen, GPS and two weeks of battery. | Plainer design and fewer smart features. | Cheapest pick |
| Amazfit Active 2 | $100 | Apple Watch Series 12 | $399 | GPS, heart rate, sleep tracking and about 10 days of battery. | Dimmer screen and less accurate heart rate in workouts. | GPS watch around $100 |
| Garmin Forerunner 165 | $250 | Apple Watch Series 12 | $399 | Running watch with training plans and up to 11 days of battery. | Fewer smart features than Apple Watch. | Running and training plans |
| Amazfit T-Rex 3 | $280 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 | $799 | Tough 10 ATM build, offline maps and weeks of battery. | Bulky, with less accurate heart rate in hard workouts. | Budget rugged watch |
| Amazfit Balance 2 | $299 | Apple Watch Series 12 | $399 | Up to 21 days of battery, works with iPhone and Android, no subscription. | Fewer third-party apps than Apple Watch. | Long battery, no subscription |
| Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED (45mm) | $349 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 | $799 | Rugged outdoor build, flashlight and up to 18 days of battery. | No touchscreen, maps or speaker, and few apps. | Rugged outdoor watch |
Every pick is a swap on that Apple Watch product's Cheaper Swap page with a confirmed typical US price, and each costs less than the Apple Watch product it replaces. We kept the closest matches and the cheapest picks that still do the job, and list what you give up next to what each one matches. We left out watches that don't work with iPhone, like Samsung's Galaxy Watch8.
Prices are typical US prices checked October 2026, not live Amazon prices. Specs come from each maker's page or a dated review.
If battery life matters most, the Amazfit Balance 2 ($299) lasts up to 21 days and needs no subscription, but has fewer apps. Apple's own Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) ($249) keeps Apple apps and iPhone texts but has no ECG or blood oxygen.
The Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED (45mm) ($349) and Amazfit T-Rex 3 ($280) are rugged outdoor watches with long battery life. The Instinct 3 has no touchscreen or maps, and the T-Rex 3 is bulky.
The Amazfit Bip 6 ($80) has a big bright screen, GPS and two weeks of battery, with a plainer design and fewer smart features.
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Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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