Trying to choose between the Fitbit Versa 2 vs the Versa Lite? It's a decision many grapple with as they look at Fitbit's two smartwatches.
At first glance, the Fitbit Versa 2 and the Fitbit Versa Lite look almost identical, but there's more than a few differences between the two devices, starting with the price. Able to be found for as low as $99, the Versa Lite is half the price of the $199 Versa 2. However, the Versa 2 comes with a few more features, including a brighter AMOLED display and Alexa built-in.
We'll compare the Versa 2 and Versa Lite to help you decide which is best for you.
Editor's Note: Fitbit is phasing out the Versa 2 for the new Fitbit Versa 3 ($229), which has a larger and crisper display, built-in GPS, Alexa and Google Assistant, and a six-day battery life. Stay tuned for our comparison.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Fitbit Versa Lite | Fitbit Versa 2 |
| Price | $99.95-$159.99 | $199.99-$229 |
| Battery Life | 4+ days | 6+ days |
| GPS | No | When connected to smartphone |
| Wi-Fi | No | Yes |
| Colors | Marina Blue, Mulberry, Silver (with lilac band or white band) | Black/carbon aluminum, stone/gray mist aluminum, petal/copper rose aluminum, bordeaux/copper rose aluminum, |
| On-board music storage | No | Yes |
| Fitness Features | Female health tracking, sleep analysis, heart rate monitor | Female health tracking, sleep analysis, heart rate monitor, guided workouts, floor- and lap-tracking |
| Design | One button on right side | Two buttons on right side, one on left |
| Apps | 500+ apps and clock faces in Fitbit’s App Gallery | 500+ apps and clock faces in Fitbit’s App Gallery |
| Alexa | No | Yes |
| Fitbit Pay | No | Yes |
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Price
Most models of the Fitbit Versa 2 cost $199.99, but there are two special editions of the watch with woven (rather than rubber) bands, which normally cost $229.
The Fitbit Versa Lite typically costs $159, but an all-Mulberry color version of the watch is $99. If you don't mind the color, that's a good price. Be sure to check out our best Fitbit deals page for the latest sales and discounts.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Display
Both watches have a square display, but the Versa 2's is slightly larger, at 0.987 inches square, compared to 0.9478 inches for the Versa Lite. It's doubtful you'd notice the difference.
Both displays are rated to 1,000 nits brightness—great for trying to view it in sunlight—and are protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
You can also customize both displays with different watch faces, but only the Versa 2 has an always-on display mode. That means you can always tell the time on the Versa 2.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Health and fitness features
The reason for both the Versa 2 and the Versa Lite to exist is for getting people in shape. Both have strong feature sets, but as you might expect, the Versa 2 has a few more.
First, the similarities: Both have 24/7 heart rate monitoring, resting heart rate, heart rate zones, automatic exercise recognition, goal-based exercise modes, and all-day activity tracking. Both watches also have female health tracking, as well as guided breathing sessions.
However, the Versa 2 can also connect to your phone's GPS to give you accurate pace and distance while you're running or biking. It also has on-screen workouts, so you can see the proper form for yoga and other activities (a select number are available for free, but you can view more with a Fitbit Premium subscription). The Versa 2 also shows you your all-day calorie burn, to better understand how active you've been.
Additionally, the Versa 2 can track floors climbed as well as laps during swim workouts
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Sleep tracking
The Versa 2 and the Versa Lite can track light, deep, and REM sleep, and each watch has a Sleep Mode, which mutes notifications and keeps the screen from turning on by itself in the middle of the night.
The Versa 2 helps better distill your information with a Sleep Score. This rating, on a scale of 1-100, is based on the amount of time you spent asleep, your heart rate, and your restlessness.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Smartwatch features
What separates the Versa 2 and the Versa Lite from Fitbit's other fitness trackers like the Fitbit Charge 4 is the large, smartwatch-like display, which makes it easier to view notifications from your smartwatch. Both let you see calendar alerts and, when connected to an Android phone, send texts and quick replies.
Both devices also let you view and add apps to the watch, for sports, weather, news, and more. Currently, there are a little more than 600 apps available in Fitbit's app store.
Because it has NFC built in, the Versa 2 also has Fitbit Pay, which allows you to use the watch at compatible contactless payment locations.
And, as a final benefit, the Versa 2 has Alexa built in. Provided the watch is connected to your smartphone, you can say "Alexa..." to the Versa 2, and control Amazon's voice assistant from your wrist.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Music
One of the biggest differences between the Versa 2 and the Versa Lite is how they handle music.
The Versa 2 has onboard music storage, which lets you load around 300 songs on the device itself. You can also download and sync playlists from Pandora and Deezer, provided you have subscriptions to those services that enable this feature. You can also play Spotify playlists, but not download them to the device itself.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Battery life
The biggest difference between the Versa 2 and the Versa Lite is battery life. With a rated endurance of around 6 days, the Versa 2 should last two days longer than the Versa Lite. However, if you plan to use the Versa 2's always-on display function and stream music from the watch during your workouts, expect battery life to decrease a lot faster.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs. Versa Lite: Which should you buy?
When looking at the Versa 2 and the Versa Lite, your ultimate decision is one of price versus features. If you can get the Versa Lite for $99, it's a steal for someone looking for a cheap smartwatch. However, at its regular price of $159, it's less of a bargain, especially considering the Fitbit Charge 4, which costs the same, has built-in GPS.
Given its more robust feature set—including onboard music storage—the $199 Versa 2 is the better buy, so long as you take advantage of its capabilities.
As they were launched in August and March 2019 respectively, both the Fitbit Versa 2 and Versa Lite are showing their age. For example, the Fitbit Charge 4, which was introduced in early 2020, has GPS built in, a feature not available in either Versa model.
Given the cadence of its past product announcements, we wouldn't be surprised if Fitbit releases a newer fitness tracker/smartwatch this fall with GPS. In the meantime, the Fitbit Versa 2 remains the more compelling of the company's two smartwatches.
