Do you need Fitbit Premium on the Pixel Watch? Here’s what you get for free

Fitbit – no matter your device – has a slew of features, both free and paid for in Premium. So what does the free version of Fitbit come with, and can you get away with good tracking without paying? Here’s our breakdown of features on your Pixel Watch or Fitbit tracker.

When it comes to fitness trackers and apps, there’s a definitive line between what Fitbit has to offer and apps from OEMs. For instance, in a direct comparison of Google Fit or Samsung Health to Fitbit, Fitbit blows them out of the water. The app is capable of breaking down health and fitness stats in more than just numbers, and that makes for an easy-to-use experience.

But there is a cutoff where what Fitbit has to offer comes with a price tag per month. Those Premium features are locked away and you won’t be able to access them unless you pay a $10/month fee or get a free 6-month trial with the Pixel Watch from Google.

With the Pixel Watch, you’re able to track your heartrate, sleep activity, and exercise in each day. All of that data is compiled into the Fitbit app and represented in a way that’s easy to understand. Of course, the Premium tier offers a little more in terms of depth.

Fitbit free vs. Fitbit Premium on the Pixel Watch

Fitbit free

As mentioned, Fitbit Premium does come with a lot of extras beyond just stats. Even with that being the case, the basic Fitbit account can still get you quite far with its free features.

With a free Fitbit account, you’re looking at health and fitness stats like your activity, weight, and nutrition. Those are tracked on your Fitbit device and will appear in the app itself. Along with those basic stats, you also get what Fitbit calls “basic insights.” These insights are just general bits of information about your current state of health.

Those data points are usually located at the top and include your steps, how many floors you’ve climbed, and how many miles you’ve walked – or as close an approximation as possible with the Pixel Watch.

Fitbit’s basic plan does have plenty of value for those wanting to track their health with its free features. Those basic stats will show you your heart rate throughout the day, as well as your recorded sleep patterns. Your sleep pattern is broken down into REM, deep, and light sleep sleep cycles and how much time per night you spend in those states. For instance, your tracker can record the minutes you are in a deep sleep versus light sleep, and so on.

This information is super helpful and fully available toa all Fitbit users, no matter what device you use.

Fitbit Premium

Where Fitbit Premium comes in is in helping you break down that raw data gathered from your Pixel Watch or Fitbit tracker. Fitbit Premium allows you to track more than just a week’s worth of statistics and will give you a breakdown of the last 90 days; that breakdown shows your health trends and will help you identify what changed.

On top of that, your sleep statistics are broken down into scores. Sleep Score on Fitbit Premium shows you specific your sleep cycles much like in the free version. The difference here is that the data is then represented in a Sleep Score, so you can really identify how well you’re dozing off.

Fitbit Premium also has a feature called the Daily Readiness Score, which takes all of the data it’s recorded over the past day and compiles it into yet another score, which lets you know how well you’re mentally and physically prepared to handle the day. The higher the score, the more ready you are to take on heavier workouts and more activities.

Something that really proves its worth with Fitbit Premium is the Wellness Report, which basically turns your health into a quarterly report with trends and stats all compiled in an easy-to-read PDF. Once you get that report, you can show your doctor or physician so they can get a better understanding of where you stand health-wise.

Other helpful features include Fitbit’s stress management section and many workouts and mindulfness sessions available to watch and follow along with. Below is a full comparison of the two tiers.

Overall, Fitbit free does have a lot to offer. You still get reliable data from your heart rate, sleep, and other vitals in the app. Really, Fitbit Premium shines when it comes to breaking down your vitals and relaying that information in an easy to understand way. With that, you’re able to address your health a little easier.

Alternatively, if you’re good at interpreting your own health metrics with raw data, then Fitbit free is still a fine choice. Google is currently giving out 6 months of Fitbit Premium with the purchase of a Pixel Watch, which is an easy way to test drive Premium and really see if it’s worth it for you and your health.

Buy the Pixel Watch

More on Fitbit:

• Fitbit for iPhone is now published under Google’s App Store developer account
• How to disable Fitbit step count reminders on the Pixel Watch
• Google confirms the Pixel Watch doesn’t have Fitbit’s automatic workout tracking [U]