Apple Watch alternatives: the best options beyond Apple’s ecosystem
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Apple Watch Series, Ultra, and SE models have long been the gold standard for wellness and fitness tracking, and they are, in fact, the best smart watches for iPhone. However, that’s also one of their biggest drawbacks.
As smart watches compatible with iPhone, these wearables don’t make sense for Android users. Pair that with their premium pricing, measly battery life, and the overall subscription fatigue users are feeling, and it’s clear why so many are turning to Apple Watch alternatives.
To help you find one that suits your style, the Cybernews research team and I reviewed a whole bunch of wearables. After evaluating brand claims, spec sheets, and real-world feedback, we compiled a top-5 list that includes screenless bands like Hume Band and WHOOP 5.0, smart rings like RingConn Gen 2 and Oura Ring 4, and hybrid watches like the Withings ScanWatch 2. Let’s see what device works best for which type of user.
Best Apple Watch alternatives – shortlist
- Hume Band – best overall Apple Watch alternative in 2026
- RingConn Gen 2 – subscription-free ring alternative to Apple Watch wearables
- Oura Ring 4 – most premium-looking smart ring with advanced sleep insights
- WHOOP 5.0 – budget-friendly and distraction-free Apple Watch alternative
- Withings ScanWatch 2 – best smartwatch for iPhone that’s not an Apple Watch
Our team of in-house researchers, writers and editors reviews and analyzes health tech products using a research-driven approach. We gather data from multiple sources, fact-check all information, and conduct our research based on peer-reviewed studies, expert opinions, consumer ratings, and regulatory approvals.
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The best Apple Watch alternatives compared
As always, I’ve outlined the devices’ key features, so you can see how they stack up before I dive into each one in more detail:
| Apple Watch alternative | Type | Health tracking features | Fitness features | Waterproof? | Compatibility | Key trade-offs | Battery life | Subscription? | Price | Best for |
| Hume Band | Band | Metabolic capacity and momentum, biological age and lifespan (estimates), RHR, HRV, SpO2, skin temperature, respiratory rate, sleep stages, daily strain, and recovery | Steps, general movement, and daily and weekly strain | Up to 30 feet | Apple Health, Google Fit, Strava, and Natural Cycles | Mediocre fitness-tracking features and plain design | Up to 7 days | ❌ No | Mid-range | Users who want a distraction-free Apple Watch alternative |
| RingConn Gen 2 | Ring | Sleep stages, heart rate, SpO2, skin temperature, stress levels, and menstrual cycles | Steps, calories, activity intensity, running, walking, and cycling | Up to 330 feet | Apple Health and Google Fit | Limited warranty and unremarkable app | Up to 12 days | ❌ No | Mid-range | Those who don’t want to deal with any subscriptions |
| Oura Ring 4 | Ring | PPG, sleep stages, heart rate, HRV, stress (score), menstrual cycles, and SpO2 | Steps, calories, activity intensity, and readiness | Up to 330 feet | Apple Health, Google Fit, Natural Cycles, Fitbit, Strava, MyFitnessPal, and Zero | Premium pricing and subscription-only tracking | Up to 8 days | ✅ Yes ($5.99/month or $69.99/year) | Premium | Advanced sleep tracking |
| WHOOP 5.0 | Band | Respiratory rate, SpO2, RHR, HRV, healthspan (estimate), menstrual cycle, and blood pressure | Strain, heart rate zones, sleep quality, and daily recovery scores | Up to 30 feet | Apple Health, Training Peaks, Health Connect, Strava, Cronometer, Withings, Hyperic, and Pliability | Subscription-based pricing and screenless watch-like build | Up to 14 days | ✅ Yes ($199-$359/year) | The device is free with a subscription | Distraction-free wellness tracking |
| Withings ScanWatch 2 | Watch | Temperature variation, ECG, SpO2, sleep cycles, and menstrual cycles | Steps, calories, elevation, distance, running, cycling, swimming, and VO2 max | Up to 160 feet | Apple Health, Health Connect, and Google Fit | Premium subscription and basic wellness features | Up to 30 days | ✅ Yes (~$11.89/month or ~118.94/year) | Premium | Users who want a smartwatch compatible with iPhone and Android |
5 best Apple Watch alternatives – our detailed list
With the helpful side-by-side comparison out of the way, let’s see what each of these Apple Watch alternatives offers in more detail:
1. Hume Band – overall best Apple Watch alternative
| Type | Screenless band |
| Battery life | Up to 7 days |
| Subscription | ❌ No |
| Price | Mid-range |
| Best for | Most users |
As one of the best Apple Watch alternatives, the Hume Band offers screen- and distraction-free tracking that many users will appreciate. Although the simple band design is nothing to write home about, it makes up for this with extensive health-tracking capabilities.
For starters, it features resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen levels (SpO2), and sleep tracking. Although these are standard across most Apple Watch alternatives on this list, the Hume Band also offers additional metrics.
These include metabolic capacity and age, metabolic momentum, biological age estimates, and daily strain and recovery, which place an emphasis on long-term well-being.
2. RingConn Gen 2 – ring-based Apple Watch alternative with no subscription costs
| Type | Smart ring |
| Battery life | Up to 12 days |
| Subscription | ❌ No |
| Price | Mid-range |
| Best for | Subscription-free wellness tracking |
For those of you who want something even less obtrusive than a screenless band, RingConn Gen 2 is where it’s at.
This minimalist smart ring is crafted from aerospace-grade titanium and features epoxy resin on the sensor domes. It also comes in various sizes for a precise fit, and its multiple color options let you customize its look to your exact style.
All that makes RingConn Gen 2 ideal for unobtrusive nighttime wellness tracking, with its subscription-free features being the cherry on top.
3. Oura Ring 4 – luxurious all-titanium ring alternative to Apple watches
| Type | Smart ring |
| Battery life | Up to 8 days |
| Subscription | ✅ Yes ($5.99/month or $69.99/year) |
| Price | Premium |
| Best for | Advanced sleep tracking |
If you’re a fan of ring-like wellness tracking wearables, the Oura Ring 4 is another strong contender. But unlike the RingConn Gen 2, this one features a more premium, all-titanium build, which just gives off a luxury vibe.
Although it has a shorter-lasting battery and requires a subscription for full functionality, the Oura Ring 4 makes up for these shortcomings in other areas. It offers more in-depth health-related tracking, stronger integrations, and an intuitive iOS and Android mobile app.
4. WHOOP 5.0 – best distraction-free Apple Watch alternative
| Type | Screenless band |
| Battery life | Up to 14 days |
| Subscription | ✅ Yes ($199-$359/year) |
| Price | The device is free with a subscription |
| Best for | Distraction-free wellness tracking |
Much like the Hume Band, the WHOOP 5.0 wearable offers a screen-free experience. It also uses a relatively uncommon model by which the band is entirely free with a subscription.
The screenless wristband is best known for its daily strain and recovery scores, but it also tracks other sleep- and stress-related metrics. That data then syncs with the WHOOP app, which transforms it into personalized daily insights to keep distractions to a minimum rather than overwhelming you with multiple wellness metrics.
5. Withings ScanWatch 2 – top-tier smart watch compatible with iPhone and Android
| Type | Analog and smartwatch hybrid |
| Battery life | Up to 30 days |
| Subscription | ✅ Yes (~$11.89/month or ~118.94/year) |
| Price | Premium |
| Best for | Users who want a smartwatch for iPhone and Android |
If you’re wondering what smart watches work with iPhone and Android, the Withings ScanWatch 2 and its cross-compatible app might just be what you’re after.
As one of the most stylish smart watches for iPhone and Android, the ScanWatch 2 offers Apple Watch-like wellness tracking features with significantly better battery life. In fact, it can go up to 30 days on a single charge. Plus, getting it back up to 100% only takes about 2 hours.
Our methodology
To find the best Apple Watch alternatives, the team and I relied on Cybernews’s in-house evaluation system based on spec sheets, provider claims, and consistent user feedback:
- Health and fitness tracking depth (30%). First, we reviewed each device’s sensors and the metrics it supports, including sleep, recovery, and activity tracking.
- Battery life and charging frequency (20%). Then, we dove into both claimed and real-world battery stamina, also paying attention to the devices’ charging capabilities.
- Comfort and wearability (15%). Next up, we examined how comfortable different form factors like rings, bands, and watches are, primarily basing this score on user feedback.
- App experience and data insights (15%). How easy each device’s companion app was to use and the depth of data it offered also played a pivotal role.
- Subscription model and long-term costs (10%). From there, we evaluated pricing structures, including upfront costs and subscription fees.
- User feedback and brand reputation (10%). Finally, we analyzed the overall user sentiment based on hundreds of comments across multiple reputable review platforms.
Different types of Apple Watch alternatives
Before you decide on any of the abovementioned devices, ask yourself what kind of fitness tracker you want. After all, an Apple Watch alternative doesn’t necessarily mean another smartwatch, and these devices come in multiple shapes and forms, including:
- Smart rings. The RingConn Gen 2 and the Oura Ring 4 are ring-based fitness trackers. And while such gadgets generally have lower workout tracking accuracy than wrist-worn devices, they’re also far less obtrusive than either bands or smartwatches, which makes them ideal for sleep tracking.
- Screen-free fitness bands. For those who’d prefer one less screen to stare at, screenless bands like the Hume Band and the WHOOP 5.0 make the most sense. These devices offer more accurate fitness tracking than smart rings, but they can interfere with typing and are generally less comfortable at night.
- Hybrid smartwatches. Then you have hybrid watch-style fitness trackers, which blend analog dials with digital-first features. Here, the Withings ScanWatch 2 is one of those watches compatible with iPhone and Android, so you can get watch-like fitness and wellness tracking without locking yourself into Apple’s ecosystem.
Fitness trackers vs smartwatches: what’s the difference?
Whether we’re talking about Series, Ultra, or SE models, Apple Watch wearables are pretty feature-packed. This can significantly impact battery life, which makes these iPhone-compatible watches a poor choice for fitness-first users who rely on their phones for lifestyle features.
If that sounds anything like you, fitness trackers make a lot more sense. Here, screenless versions offer health-related insights via BT-paired apps, while screen-based fitness trackers can also do that on their smaller screens. In both cases, these devices deliver outstanding battery life and pair with both Android and iOS devices.
And if you want a smartwatch-like tracker, fitness watches are also a great choice. They’re much less feature-dense, so they offer far better battery life than Apple Watch models. Plus, most are compatible with Android as well, so you can look at your health-related insights on any smartphone or built-in screens.
Best Apple Watch alternatives for different needs
There’s no one single Apple Watch alternative that’ll fit everyone’s needs. With that in mind, I’ve created a simple recommendation guide that can help you decide between the aforementioned devices based on use case:
- Best for distraction-free wellness tracking. Say you’re tired of staring at screens all day and want an Apple Watch alternative that’ll quietly track your wellness with minimal interruptions. In that case, the Hume Band makes the most sense.
- Best for sleep tracking. If you’re looking for a comfort-first wellness-tracking device that’ll keep track of your sleep stages, smart rings are undoubtedly the way to go. You won’t go wrong with either the RingConn Gen 2 or the Oura Ring 4 here.
- Best for recovery-focused fitness tracking. For those who prioritize fitness-tracking features and recovery-focused insights, the WHOOP 5.0 is an ideal pick.
- Best for a watch-like experience. If you’re set on a watch-based fitness tracker, you’ll probably want to go for the Withings ScanWatch 2. Its analog-and-smartwatch hybrid design looks casual yet still offers a wealth of health-related insights.
How to choose the best Apple Watch alternative for your needs
If you’re still not sure which device best suits your style, I’ve also prepared a set of questions you should ask yourself beforehand. As long as you answer these honestly, this approach should lead you to an Apple Watch alternative that best fits your needs:
- Would you like to view health-related metrics on the device itself, or do you prefer a screenless gadget with app-based insights?
- Is longer battery life more important to you than having a feature-packed device with both fitness-tracking and lifestyle apps?
- Are you comfortable with paying a monthly or annual fee, or is a subscription-free experience a must?
- Which health-related insights matter the most to you: sleep stages, recovery scores, or daily strain and recovery data?
- Lastly, is Android compatibility important to you? If not, you may not need to look for Apple Watch alternatives and can buy an Apple Watch instead.
Bottom line: which Apple Watch alternative is the best?
The best Apple Watch alternative depends entirely on what you’re after. The Hume Band works wonders for users who want screen-free wellness tracking, while the WHOOP 5.0 is a better fit for fitness-first users due to its advanced fitness-tracking features.
Meanwhile, the Withings ScanWatch 2 makes more sense for users who want an authentic watch-like experience, whereas the RingConn Gen 2 and Oura Ring 4 are ideal for those who prioritize sleep insights.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide where your priorities lie and the type of device you want, and go from there.
FAQ
Are Apple Watch alternatives compatible with iPhone and Android?
Yes, all five Apple Watch alternatives pair with both Android and iOS devices. Unlike Apple, which only offers smartwatches that work with an iPhone, devices from Hume, RingConn, Oura, WHOOP, and Withings are compatible with both mobile operating systems.
Do smart rings track workouts as accurately as smartwatches?
Unfortunately, no. Ring-based trackers are generally less accurate than smartwatches, especially when it comes to workout data. That’s because they have smaller sensors, which may also get overwhelmed by rapid finger movement during exercise.
Which Apple Watch alternatives require a subscription?
While both the Oura Ring 4 and the Withings ScanWatch 2 require a subscription, the WHOOP 5.0 takes it a step further. Sure, you’re not paying for the hardware here, but the device itself is functionally useless without a subscription.
Are screen-free wearables good replacements for smartwatches?
If you don’t want another screen to stare at, a screenless wearable makes more sense than a smartwatch. The only thing you’re losing here is the ability to view health-related metrics on the device itself, but you do so on your phone.
Can Apple Watch alternatives replace medical-grade health devices?
No, they can’t. The Hume Band and the other Apple Watch alternatives on my list offer state-of-the-art sensors. However, these sensors still can’t match the accuracy of medical-grade health devices.
