Ever wondered how to build a fitness app as compelling as Fitbit, yet distinctly your own? The fitness industry witnessed rapid growth when 345 million people in the US used fitness apps in 2024 and the global fitness app market is expected to grow from $11.78 billion in 2025 to over $31.2 billion by 2032, creating a high‑impact opportunity.

Whether you're a product manager or an investor in a fitness app development agency, this blog will help you to understand the process, from collecting real time health data to creating features in the device, so that you can build an app like Fitbit that users will enjoy and want to download.

What is a Health and Fitness Application?

 

A health and fitness application helps people monitor their health and the progress they have made in terms of fitness. For some, it’s about counting steps, for others, it’s meal tracking, hydration checks or sleep monitoring. Many now bundle these features, so you don’t have to deal with several mHealth apps. 

Devices like Fitbit take it further, providing heart rate, calorie burn or hours slept. With time, these numbers show patterns that highlight habits worth keeping or changing. What began as simple pedometers has evolved into highly personal, adaptable platforms. In today’s market, the winners are those that remain practical, relevant and easy for users to stick with.

Read More: Fitness App Development – A Comprehensive Guide

Overview of Fitbit

When Fitbit appeared in 2009, fitness wearables weren’t really a thing. The first model was straightforward. All you had to do was walk and it automatically calculated the number of steps and the calorie count. No tricky menus, no overcomplication. Gradually, new features started adding in it like heart-rate checks, sleep logs, calorie counts, stress tracking. The app changed with the hardware, yet stayed quick to read. 

Google’s 2021 purchase sped up syncing and tightened Android links, but the core feel remained uncluttered. Adding in small motivators like badges and weekly goals encourages people to keep coming back. The takeaway? In fitness app development, building habits often matters as much as building features.

How to Develop A Fitness App Like Fitbit?

 

If you’re thinking about building a fitness app like Fitbit, the first thing to know is, in the best health and wellness apps sector, it’s not just about features. Yeah, features matter. But the main challenge is to monitor if the people are able to use those features easily or not. Daily. Without getting bored or frustrated.

Let’s walk through what actually goes into it.

Get The Basics Right First

It’s easy to overbuild a fitness tracker app early on. The smarter approach is to get the core functions working perfectly before anything else. That means step counts that are reliable, workout tracking that feels smooth, and health stats like sleep, calories, heart rate, that people can trust. A few extra activities like yoga or HIIT can add variety without clutter. 

Goals should be simple, with quick, encouraging reminders rather than constant interruptions. Light competition helps too. Badges, small challenges or leaderboards. And don’t skip integrations. Applications like Apple health, Google Fit are now standard. Leaving anyone out can cost you users immediately.

Think About How It’ll Make Money

Sooner or later, every fitness app has to face the money question. And after being the best Android app development company in USA for so many years, we can say that the answer changes with the audience. A general crowd might respond well to free access, then choose to pay for deeper insights, tailored workouts or personal coaching. For committed athletes, structured subscriptions, monthly or annual, can work better. 

Some revenue comes from inside the app itself like selling training packs, recipe collections or branded products.

Work with a Development Team That Gets It

Building an app in the health sector isn't just about coding. For that app to succeed, people will really have to like using it. Take Fitbit as a fitness app example, it works so well. It takes planning, teamwork and real know-how about fitness and health. When you have an experienced team, they help make sure your app can grow, stay secure and handle real challenges. They deal with things like setting up the backend, linking different systems and keeping user info safe. 

Start with a discovery phase

Sketch out what matters. Who you're building for, what the MVP looks like vs. future upgrades, data privacy, (HIPAA, GDPR if needed), what platforms:- iOS, Android, maybe both? Which APIs you'll need (for wearables, analytics, etc.). 

That's when you'll need the support of an expert team to assist you.

At Coherent Lab, the best health and fitness app development company in the USA, we’ve helped health-focused startups build MVPs and scale them without burning through time or budget. 

Design Can’t Be an Afterthought

People will not use the app if your app feels too complex to use. A clean interface, quick access to key stats, color-coded charts and little touches like dark mode. Truly, they go a long way.

Also, don't forget accessibility: voice support, larger tap targets, readable fonts.

Our team, at Coherent Lab, the best fitness app development agency in the USA, has done UX for health, sports and wellness apps for over a decade. We focus on making screens not just look good, but actually useful.

Testing Should Be Intense

Bugs damage credibility faster than missing features ever could. Core tasks like tracking, syncing, reminders need to work every single time, and without delay. If readings feel wrong, users will notice and leave. Privacy belongs in that same priority list. Encrypt data from day one and explain why permissions are needed. 

At Coherent Lab, the top mobile app development company in USA, we combine hands-on checks with automation to find problems early. The real win isn’t mimicking Fitbit. Rather, it’s creating something people rely on every day. 

Also Read: Why Do You Need Fantasy Sports App Development?

Cost to Develop an App Like Fitbit

Figuring out the fitness app development cost for a Fitbit-style fitness app isn’t a one-line answer. We’ve been involved in projects where a stripped-down version, just step counting and heart-rate tracking cost between $30,000 and $50,000.

And that’s before you think about the ongoing work like fixing bugs, adding updates and making sure it runs on new devices, which often adds another 15–30% each year. If funds are tight, launch with a smaller MVP, see what users respond to and then expand in stages.

Conclusion

Alright, so here’s the thing. Do you want to develop an application like fitbit? It’s... a lot. Not just coding. There’s planning, design that makes sense, syncing with wearables, figuring out how people will even use it day to day. And yeah, monetization, can’t skip that part.

Honestly, every project that we, at Coherent Lab, the best iOS app development company in USA, have been part of, it’s a bit different. Some folks come in with a full roadmap. Others just have an idea and a few notes. Either way, it’s always about balance:- building enough to launch, without overcomplicating stuff too early.

We've seen what works, and what really doesn’t. You learn over time. Especially in health and fitness tech, where things move fast but users expect things to work.

So, yeah. If you're building in this space, just know there are ways to do it smart without burning through your budget. It’s doable. You just need a team that’s been there before like Coherent Lab, the best fitness app development agency in the USA can be your best bet. Connect with us and let’s handle the rest as well. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How long does it actually take to develop an app like Fitbit?

It depends on how many features you want in your app. If you want an application that could do basic calculations like calorie count or steps tracking, you can get it done in 3-4 months. But once you start layering on wearables, AI insights or social stuff, you’re looking at 7 months minimum. Some teams go 9-10 months, especially if you're building for both platforms and need time for QA.

Q2. Can a startup really compete with Fitbit?

Yeah, but don’t try to copy them feature-for-feature. That’s a dead end. The better move? Go niche. There are a ton of underserved users, think postpartum moms, amateur cyclists, people managing a chronic illness. If you build something specifically for one of those groups, you’ve got a shot.

Q3. Does a fitness app need FDA approval?

Not unless you're making medical claims. Like, if your app tracks steps or hydration, you're fine. But if it monitors heart rhythms or suggests treatment, then yeah, you’re stepping into regulated territory.  Worth talking to someone who knows the compliance ropes before you launch anything too clinical.

Q4. Do fitness apps actually make money?

The good ones do. Subscriptions are the go-to:- monthly or annual plans. Others go for in-app purchases, upselling coaching plans, or syncing with hardware. It’s not all about downloads. Apps that retain users and offer value daily tend to perform better over time.

Q5. What’s a solid tech stack for this kind of app?

You’ll see a lot of Flutter and React Native for cross-platform work. Backend-wise, Node.js and Django are safe bets. AWS or Firebase works well for storage and notifications too. And if you’re handling any kind of personal health data, make sure your security game is tight like HIPAA, encryption, all that.