Those looking for the best smartwatch but don't want to spend $400 on an Apple Watch Series 5 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 can get an excellent alternative for half the price.

The new Fitbit Versa 3 is $229 and the Apple Watch Series 3 is $199, offering great features at a much lower price than premium products.

The Versa 3 won't hit store shelves until September, but you may be wondering if this new watch is worth the wait or if you should get the Apple Watch Series 3 now. Both fitness-focused wearables have a lot of features for the price, so this Fitbit Versa 3 vs. Apple Watch 3 showdown will help you determine which one is right for you.

The Fitbit Versa 2 has the same starting price as the Apple Watch 3 at $199, but the Fitbit Versa 3 costs $30 more. All three color variations cost $229, leaving the Versa 3 out of our Best Cheapest Smartwatches ranking.

Apple Watch models don't often have a price advantage over competing smartwatches, but given the Series 3's age, you can get it for under $200, and often even cheaper thanks to our monthly Best Apple Watch Deal. Note that adding cellular support or choosing a larger size will change the final amount you spend on an Apple Watch.

Which squares are more stylish: the Versa 3 and Apple Watch 3 share a similar rounded-square aesthetic, rather than the circular shape of traditional watches. However, Apple's watch has a more distinctive look, thanks to its nearly bezel-less design.

Whichever one you purchase, it comes with an interchangeable band. You can dress up your smartwatch with a leather band for a night out or a sports band for a workout; Fitbit is catching up, but Apple has the most variety in Apple Watch bands.

Both smartwatches have full-color OLED touchscreen displays, although Fitbit's display is always on. However, the Fitbit's display is always on. If you want an always-on screen, you are limited to the Apple Watch Series 5, but we found that it improves the overall experience as an Apple Watch user.

Unlike the Versa 2, the Versa 3 is a high-performance fitness tracker as good (if not better) than the Apple Watch 3. Finally, with GPS, you no longer need to keep your phone in range to track your runs and other outdoor adventures, and while Fitbit's watch may not display as many in-workout metrics on its display as the Series 3, the final verdict is in. We'll need to test its new interface before making a final decision.

The advanced sleep tracking analytics built into the Versa 2 are again present in the Versa 3, but no longer on par with the Apple Watch. While less insightful than Fitbit's sleep tracking, it may help achieve desired sleep goals and establish a bedtime routine.

However, when it comes to daily health and fitness tracking, the Series 3 and Versa 3 are close competitors; Fitbit has improved its heart rate sensor and says it can keep up with Apple's sophisticated metrics. It also includes "Active Zone Minutes," which monitors the time spent in fat-burning zones, cardio zones, and peak heart rate zones during exercise.

With the Apple Watch, the super power of Siri is on your wrist. You can have the voice assistant make phone calls, send texts, and control your Homekit-enabled smart home devices; if you're a regular Siri user on your iPhone or iPad, the Apple Watch will match that habit nicely.

But if you don't use Siri much (or don't have an iPhone), the Fitbit Versa 3 would be a better compatibility option. The Versa 3 has Amazon Alexa and is compatible with Google Assistant, so you can access many of the best Alexa skills and best Google Assistant commands by talking to your Fitbit.

When watchOS 7 is released, the Apple Watch 3 will get watch face sharing, hand-washing buddies, and more. The Versa 3 will not have these features, but will include some of the mindfulness tools found in its more expensive sibling, the $329 Fitbit Sense.

Both watches offer mobile payments (Fitbit Pay on the Versa 3 and Apple Pay on the Series 3) and onboard music storage. However, the Versa 2 only supports offline playlists from Pandora and Deezer. The Apple watch, on the other hand, supports offline Apple Music storage, which is useful when used without a phone. Both are also nice to be able to control Spotify.

Once you get the Fitbit Versa 3, you have the option to subscribe to Fitbit Premium for $9.99 per month. This service provides personalized insights and training plans based on your health metrics and activity data.

However, if you purchase the $299 LTE Series 3, you will have cellular connectivity. With a cellular carrier line subscription, the watch can operate independently of the smartphone; the Versa 3 still relies on the smartphone and does not have an LTE option.

The Fitbit Versa 3 and Apple Watch 3 battery durations are not competitive; even if the Fitbit Versa 3 falls short of the advertised 6-day battery life, it will last longer than the Apple Watch 3's 18 hours. However, both durations vary depending on display settings, workout tracking, and GPS usage.

To what extent the battery life of the Versa3 lives up to Fitbit's advertising claims remains to be tested, but we look forward to seeing how the new fast charging feature works.

The Fitbit Versa 3 and Apple Watch 3 are both attractive cases, but which one you should buy depends on your needs. If you need a smartwatch right now, the Apple Watch 3 is the answer. The same can be said about whether you need cell phone support or Siri on your wrist.

Otherwise, wait until late September, when the Fitbit Versa 3 is available. At that point, the Apple Watch 6 may be available, and a new Apple Watch model may get a discount. There will be more choices, and we'll be conducting a full Fitbit Versa 3 review that lays out the pros and cons of the fitness-tracking brand's latest mid-tier smartwatch.