When I first bought my Fitbit, I was genuinely excited. It looked sleek, had all the right features—heart rate tracking, sleep analysis, step counting—and promised to help me better understand and improve my health. For a while, it felt like a good investment.
But over time, my enthusiasm faded. The more I used it, the more I realized something frustrating: Fitbit is a closed ecosystem, and that comes with some serious drawbacks.
Walled Garden, Limited Freedom
What do I mean by “closed ecosystem”? Essentially, Fitbit controls every aspect of the experience—from the hardware to the software to how your data is accessed. You are locked into their app, their platform, and their way of doing things.
Want to export your health data in a usable, open format? Tough luck. Want to use your Fitbit with a different app or platform? You will likely run into walls, paywalls, or limited APIs. Even things as basic as syncing your steps with other services can become frustratingly complicated—or simply impossible without a third-party workaround or a paid subscription.
Your Data, Their Rules
This is perhaps what bothers me most. The data collected by Fitbit—your heart rate, activity, sleep patterns—is incredibly personal. Yet Fitbit treats it like their property. You can view it in their app, sure, but only in the ways they allow. If you want more detailed insights or longer historical views, you often need to pay for Fitbit Premium.
And even then, it is not truly your data in the way it should be. You cannot easily export it, analyze it, or integrate it with other tools without hitting a wall. Contrast this with platforms that support open data standards and allow users to take full control of their own information.
Vendor Lock-in Is Real
Another big issue: once you are in the Fitbit ecosystem, it is hard to leave. If you switch to another tracker, you lose your history. There is no easy way to transfer years of health data to a new device or platform. That means people often stick with Fitbit—not because it is the best option, but because they do not want to start over from scratch.
This is a classic case of vendor lock-in. And it feels especially wrong when we are talking about personal health data.
It Did Not Have to Be This Way
The thing is, Fitbit could have done this differently. They could have embraced open standards, supported broader integration, and given users real ownership of their data. They could have made it easier to work with third-party apps and services. Instead, they chose to build a walled garden—and I am no longer interested in living in it.
Looking Ahead
I have not decided which tracker I will switch to yet, but one thing is clear: I want something open. Something that respects my ownership of my data. Something that plays nicely with other tools and services I already use.
Fitbit might work well for some people, and that is fine. But for me, the closed ecosystem is a dealbreaker. I want freedom, transparency, and real control over my data—and until Fitbit changes course, I will be looking elsewhere.