Side-by-side comparison based on expert reviews and community consensus.
Amazfit Active 2
Best BudgetSamsung Galaxy Watch 8
Best Samsung / Wear OSPrice
$60-$100
$299-$399
Summary
The best smartwatch under $100, and Reddit's go-to recommendation for budget-conscious buyers. Punches well above its price with solid fitness tracking and a wide variety of designs.
The top pick for Samsung Galaxy phone users, with AI-powered health features via Gemini, a redesigned comfortable case, and the latest Wear OS. Beats the Pixel Watch 4 on AI features and app breadth.
Pros
- Best cheap smartwatch under $100 per Tom's Guide testing
- Wide variety of designs and styles available
- Solid fitness and health tracking for the price
- Consistently recommended by Reddit community for budget buyers
- Gemini AI voice assistant support — best AI features of any smartwatch per Tom's Guide
- Redesigned case is more comfortable than predecessor
- Latest Wear OS with speedy performance per Wirecutter testing
- Strong health and safety features including sleep and fitness tracking
Cons
- App ecosystem far smaller than Apple or Samsung
- Health tracking accuracy lags behind premium options
- Software updates less consistent than major brands
- Base 40mm model battery lasted only ~1 day in Wirecutter testing
- Best features require Samsung Galaxy phone for full functionality
- Iterative upgrade for Galaxy Watch 7 owners
Our take
Reddit consistently pushes Amazfit for budget buyers, and Tom's Guide agrees — the Active 2 is the best cheap smartwatch you can buy. At under $100, there's nothing close.
If you're deep in the Samsung ecosystem, the Galaxy Watch 8 is your watch. The Gemini AI integration is genuinely useful — not a gimmick — and the redesigned case fixes the comfort complaints of previous generations.
Buy
