We compared the Apple Watch to the new $200 Fitbit Versa — and it isn't even close

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• Fitbit recently released its second smartwatch, called the Versa. 
• We compared it with the latest Apple Watch to see which smartwatch is best.
• The Versa is ultimately the best smartwatch you can buy today.
• It tracks similar health metrics (calories burned, steps taken, heart rate), and unlike the Apple Watch, it is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
• The Versa also tracks sleep, which requires a third-party app to track on the Apple Watch.
• Both smartwatches can receive notifications from first- and third-party apps, and the Apple Watch lets you respond to text messages directly from it (a similar feature is coming to the Versa for Android users soon.)
• Multi-platform compatibility, better battery life, and a richer ecosystem for fitness fans tipped the scales heavily in the Versa's favor.
• The Versa ($200) is also substantially less expensive than the latest Apple Watch (from $329), making it a much better overall value.

Design: The Apple Watch has a nicer, more premium look and offers greater customizability, but the one-size-fits-all nature of the Fitbit Versa is also really appealing, so this round is a tie.

The Apple Watch and Fitbit Versa have a similar overall design, but there are a handful of key differences. 

Apple uses an aluminum finish for its most basic watch, with a single-color fluoroelastomer (durable, synthetic rubber) band. The watch available in two sizes — 38mm and 42mm — to accommodate different wrist sizes; unfortunately the larger-sized watch is a fair bit more expensive. While the band that comes with the Apple Watch is fine, several third parties have designed cheap, alternative bands that you can swap on and off with ease.

The Fitbit Versa is also made out aluminum, and comes with two bands — one large, and one small — made out of "a flexible, durable material similar to that used in many sports watches." The reason there are two bands is that Fitbit took a slightly different design approach than Apple; instead of designing the same watch in different sizes at different prices, it stuck to one. The two included bands cover enough wrist sizes that the Versa should fit well right out of the box. 

Winner: The Apple Watch has a nicer overall look and offers more customizability, but the one-size-fits-all nature of the Fitbit Versa is also really appealing, so this round is a tie.

Notifications: The Apple Watch and Fitbit Versa can both display notifications from your phone, but only the Fitbit works with both iPhones and Android phones.

If you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch's notification system is relatively straightforward and, in my experience, useful. Any notification you receive on an iPhone can be displayed on the Apple Watch (you can turn this off on a per-app basis), and you can respond to messages with simple, pre-written responses. 

The Fitbit Versa works with both iPhones and Android phones, and it can display notifications for text messages, phone calls, calendar invites, and "your favorite apps."

While it's not live yet, Android users will eventually be able to respond to text messages through the Versa in the same way Apple users can with an Apple Watch — this feature will not be coming for iPhone.

Winner: Both the Fitbit Versa and Apple Watch can display notifications, and while responding to text messages is platform-specific, Fitbit wins this round since the Versa is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Fitness tracking: Both smartwatches track similar health metrics, but the Fitbit opens you up to a much larger community of fitness-focused people who aren't smartwatch users.

Fitness tracking is the number one reason to invest in a smartwatch, and both the Apple Watch and Fitbit Versa have this feature. 

The Apple Watch tracks your steps taken, distance traveled, and heart rate and syncs these metrics to your iPhone's built-in Health and Activity apps. The Activity app lets you set and keep track of your daily movements and exercise goals, and challenge fellow Apple Watch owners to friendly fitness competitions. The Health app pulls in data from your Apple Watch and iPhone to help give you a broader picture of your health over time. Using third-party apps, you can also enable the Apple Watch to track other health metrics, like sleep.

The Fitbit Versa also tracks your steps taken, calories burned, sleep, and heart rate, but it keeps track of these metrics in its own multi-platform app. Fitbit's app is also where you can view your progress over time and challenge fellow Fitbit owners to competitions.

While the Apple Watch and Fitbit Versa both have this friendly competition feature, I'm going to argue that it's a lot more powerful on the Fitbit. That's because you can compete with people who have any Fitbit, not just the Versa, opening up your competition to more than just smartwatch owners.

Winner: The Fitbit Versa tracks similar fitness metrics as the Apple Watch, but it works on both iOS and Android platforms, and lets you stage fitness competitions with non-smartwatch owners.

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