Best 2025 Smartwatches for third-party app support

#1 Apple Watch SE 3
4.8

Third-party app support was praised for extending the native experience, with reviewers highlighting Apple’s App Store depth and useful fitness apps.

Pros: display quality, value for money

Cons: ECG functionality, battery life

#2 Apple Watch Series 11
4.8

Third-party app support is a clear strength, especially for sports and customization apps such as WorkOutDoors.

Pros: battery life, value for money

Cons: coaching features, recovery insights

#3 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
4.8

Third-party app support was praised strongly, with one reviewer saying the watch supports every major smartwatch app they wanted.

Pros: comfort, voice assistant quality

Cons: battery life, antioxidant index

#4 Garmin Tactix 8
4.8

Third-party app support was positively noted for easy route loading and AllTrails-connected navigation support.

Pros: battery life, durability

Cons: value for money, band quality

#5 Apple Watch Ultra 3
4.7

Third-party app support was a major advantage, especially for runners using apps such as WorkOutDoors, Strava, and other services.

Pros: battery life, heart rate accuracy

Cons: comfort, value for money

#6 Google Pixel Watch 4
4.5

Third-party app support was strong, with reviewers saying major apps and options were present.

Pros: battery life, charging speed

Cons: band quality, button controls

#7 Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025)
4.5

Third-party app support benefits from extra storage and useful fitness/media apps, giving users more room for services beyond Samsung’s own tools.

Pros: battery life, display quality

Cons: value for money, antioxidant index

#8 OnePlus Watch 3
4.3

Third-party app support was strong through Play Store access and Google services, though individual apps could still have quirks.

Pros: battery life, button controls

Cons: size options, ECG functionality

#9 Suunto Vertical 2
4.3

Third-party app support was positive where discussed, especially clean syncing with Strava, TrainingPeaks, and health-app workflows.

Pros: battery life, flashlight usefulness

Cons: companion app quality, onboard music storage

#10 Garmin Forerunner 970
4.2

Third-party app support was useful for watch faces, data fields, and niche apps, though reviewers did not equate it with a full smartwatch app store.

Pros: heart rate accuracy, GPS accuracy

Cons: battery life, value for money

#11 Garmin Instinct 3
3.8

Third-party app support is present and somewhat useful through Connect IQ, but the evidence is limited and not central to the watch’s appeal.

Pros: battery life, display quality

Cons: mapping and navigation, smartwatch features

#12 Suunto Race 2
3.8

Third-party app support was mixed: SuuntoPlus integrations impressed one reviewer, while another found the two-app limit restrictive.

Pros: GPS accuracy, heart rate accuracy

Cons: smartwatch features, recovery insights

#13 Coros Nomad
3.5

Service-to-service integrations such as Strava, Komoot, TrainingPeaks, and other fitness platforms are broadly useful, but the Nomad does not support a rich ecosystem of on-watch third-party apps.

Pros: mapping and navigation, value for money

Cons: smartwatch features, contactless payments

#14 Garmin Forerunner 570
3.3

Third-party app support was useful but limited: Connect IQ adds apps and data fields, but trails watchOS and Wear OS.

Pros: heart rate accuracy, GPS accuracy

Cons: value for money, mapping and navigation

#15 Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro
3.0

Third-party app support is mixed: syncing with services like Strava can work smoothly, but reviewers still criticize the lack of major on-watch apps.

Pros: battery life, value for money

Cons: mapping and navigation, user interface

#16 Garmin Venu 4
3.0

Third-party app support was useful enough to boost the smartwatch side for one reviewer, but another stressed that the watch still lacks the extra apps found on fuller smartwatch platforms.

Pros: battery life, GPS accuracy

Cons: value for money, voice assistant quality

#17 Garmin fenix 8 Pro
3.0

Third-party app support was treated as a limitation compared with the Apple Watch ecosystem, especially the App Store.

Pros: LTE connectivity, battery life

Cons: value for money, safety features

#18 Amazfit Balance 2
2.7

Third-party app support was the most repeated smartwatch limitation, especially around missing Spotify, limited app selection, and weaker ecosystem depth.

Pros: battery life, value for money

Cons: third-party app support, onboard music storage

#19 CMF Watch 3 Pro
2.5

Third-party app support was weak because there is no true app store or direct third-party app access, though one reviewer liked the distraction-free limitation.

Pros: style and design, value for money

Cons: customization options, companion app quality

#20 Suunto Run
2.4

Third-party app support was a recurring limitation, especially the lack of SuuntoPlus apps, TrainingPeaks workout import paths, and broader app-store support.

Pros: GPS accuracy, battery life

Cons: onboard music storage, charging convenience

#21 Amazfit Bip 6
2.4

Third-party app support was limited overall, with missing Spotify and sparse app-store options offset by some fitness-platform syncing.

Pros: value for money, battery life

Cons: voice assistant quality, sleep tracking accuracy

#22 Garmin Venu X1
2.4

Third-party app support was a recurring weakness, with reviewers saying Garmin lacks Apple, Google, or Wear OS-style app depth.

Pros: display quality, comfort

Cons: battery life, value for money

#23 Amazfit Active 2
2.4

Third-party app support exists but reviewers repeatedly described the selection as limited or lacking versus fuller smartwatch platforms.

Pros: value for money, battery life

Cons: band quality, button controls

#24 Amazfit Active Max
2.3

Third-party app support was a recurring limitation, with reviewers noting limited support and missing big-name integrations.

Pros: battery life, value for money

Cons: companion app quality, heart rate accuracy

#25 Garmin Vivoactive 6
2.2

Third-party app support is one of the most consistent weaknesses, with several reviewers saying Garmin lacks the breadth of Apple or Wear OS apps.

Pros: battery life, comfort

Cons: heart rate accuracy, sleep tracking accuracy

#26 Coros Apex 4
2.0

Third-party app support is weak, with reviewers calling out missing Garmin-style ecosystem features and limited integrations.

Pros: GPS accuracy, battery life

Cons: display quality, brightness

#27 Motorola Moto Watch Fit
1.9

Third-party app support was weak, with multiple reviewers noting missing app downloads or a small app selection.

Pros: battery life, display quality

Cons: value for money, style and design

#28 Garmin Bounce 2
1.8

Third-party support is limited, especially for music. Amazon Music is the only offline service, and the lack of Spotify or broader app options frustrates many families.

Pros: smartwatch features, safety features

Cons: value for money, call handling

#29 Coros Pace 4
1.5

Third-party app support was a clear limitation, with reviewers flagging the lack of app expansion versus smarter watches.

Pros: value for money, battery life

Cons: mapping and navigation, button controls