Is Fitbit’s premium paywall finally collapsing?
Google acquired Fitbit in 2019, and to this day, many of Fitbit’s best workout training tools are hidden behind a paywall and only accessible to Fitbit Premium users who pay $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year for access.
That will soon change.
Anyone who buys the new Google Pixel Watch 3, announced at the Made by Google event, will get free access to one of Fitbit’s best premium metrics, the daily Readiness Score. This number is based on current sleep quality, average resting heart rate, and heart rate variability. With ratings ranging from 1 to 100, a higher score means you’re at your best; a lower one means you might want to focus on rest and recovery.
Like Garmin’s Body Battery and Samsung’s new Energy Score—both of which don’t require a subscription—Fitbit’s Readiness Score is powered by advanced machine learning and is designed to help you better understand your overall well-being.
Cracks in Fitbit’s paywall
Aside from Oura, Google is one of the few major wearable wellness device manufacturers that requires you to pay money after purchasing the device to get the best insights into its wellness.
However, most new Pixel Watches and Fitbit devices come with a free six-month Fitbit Premium membership. This gives you access not only to your Readiness Score, but also metrics like Target Load and Cardio Load—both of which are now free for Pixel Watch 3 owners—as well as a huge library of workout video content.
Target Load is a great way to keep track of your exercise habits. It appears as part of the Morning Report on Pixel Watch 3 and monitors how hard you’re exercising, so you know when to take it easy and when to go all out. Cardio Load provides insights into your overall heart health and your resilience during intense exercise.
Will other Fitbit Premium features be free?
Pixel Watch 3 owners will be the first to have access to Fitbit’s Daily Readiness Score, Target Load, and Cardio Load for free, but all signs point to these features coming to older Pixel Watches in the future.
Of course, Fitbit Premium still offers plenty of features worth the $80 per year, including challenges, recipes, mindfulness tools, and deeper insights into overall holistic health via Wellness Reports.
But assuming that the Fitbit Premium “wall” is indeed crumbling before our eyes, I would love to see Google’s enhanced sleep information, especially Fitbit’s Sleep Score, made available to everyone for free next.
