Gadgetbridge
Hacker ApprovedThe most recommended of 4 fitness apps
Free open-source Android app that syncs many fitness watches and bands while keeping data on your phone. Caveat: step and calorie counts can be inconsistent.
Free open-source Android app that syncs many fitness watches and bands while keeping data on your phone. Caveat: step and calorie counts can be inconsistent.
27 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 24
- criticize it
- 3
- approval share
- 89%
Recommended in 10 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 24 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 10 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Works with many watch brands
“Garmin watches generally work with GadgetBridge, so they are much easier to use in a privacy-preserving way.”
Comment from 3 May 2026 in “Six Years Perfecting Maps on WatchOS” “It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices”
Comment from 16 Oct 2026 in “New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing” “Gadgetbridge works pretty well with Amazfit smart watches”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Core Devices keeps stealing our work” - Comment from 24 Feb 2026 in “The Age Verification Trap, Verifying age undermines everyone's data protection”
- Comment from 29 Jul 2026 in “Una Watch: Garmin watch competitor but repairable, open ecosystem and USB-C”
- Comment from 5 Jan 2026 in “Pebble Round 2 – The Most Stylish Pebble Ever”
- Comment from 16 Oct 2026 in “New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing”
- Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Pebble Round 2 – The Most Stylish Pebble Ever”
Keeps data local, no cloud
“everything works flawlessly together without any cloud service sucking up my data”
Comment from 17 Feb 2026 in “GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple” “It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices”
Comment from 16 Oct 2026 in “New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing” “gadgetbridge itself doesn't have internet permissions either”
Comment from 13 Aug 2026 in “Pixel Watch 5” - Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?”
- Comment from 15 Oct 2026 in “Creating a Garmin "MCP"”
Open source and free
“you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).”
Comment from 23 Jun 2026 in “I Do Not Recommend Google Hardware” “I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead”
Comment from 12 Aug 2026 in “Pixel Watch 5” “thanks to the FOSS GadgetBridge appp”
Comment from 25 Sep 2026 in “I'm tired of being on the network” Replaces official vendor apps
“Gadgetbridge isn't shiny but it at least lets you control what you need.”
Comment from 18 Jun 2026 in “Modos Color Monitor Pushes E-Paper Displays Further” “Many times GadgetBridge can be used instead of the official app”
Comment from 23 May 2026 in “Oura says it gets government demands for user data. Will it share how many?” “You don't need the proprietary and data-collecting app”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Inaccurate step, calorie or sleep data
“it works fine in general...the step tracker,and calories burned seem really inconsistent”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Pebble, Rebble, and a path forward” “then noticed how incorrect sleep data was”
Comment from 15 Oct 2026 in “Creating a Garmin "MCP"”
Other fitness apps people recommend
The three most recommended other fitness apps, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GadgetbridgeThis page | 24 | 3 | 89% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Strava | 20 | 30 | 40% | 9 | — | — |
| Intervals.icu | 9 | 2 | 82% | 5 | — | — |
| Garmin Connect | 5 | 10 | 33% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
35 of the 36 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I am using it for my Amazfit Bip”
“It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices”
“This works perfectly for me. Couldn't be happier.”
“then noticed how incorrect sleep data was”
“anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services”
“thanks to the FOSS GadgetBridge appp”
“This would be a pair great with Gadgetbridge and Endurain.”
“allows to live without monstrous in size and tracking proprietary apps.”
“gadgetbridge itself doesn't have internet permissions either”
“Gadgetbridge is pissing me off because there have a forced always on non dismissible notification message that I can't get ride off.”
“buy a watch with gadgetbridge support”
“Gadgetbridge is great and can even recover a pretty good experience from the touch oriented watches/bands”
“I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead”
“Plus they work with Gadgetbridge.”
“you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).”
“Gadgetbridge isn't shiny but it at least lets you control what you need.”
“I can also recommend Gadgetbridge for BLE smartwatch integration.”
“Many times GadgetBridge can be used instead of the official app”
“Garmin watches generally work with GadgetBridge, so they are much easier to use in a privacy-preserving way.”
“You don't need the proprietary and data-collecting app”
“I used it extensively with a Mi Band 3”
“The main reason I haven't gotten a smartwatch yet is because of privacy concerns”
“I now mainly run Graphene + GadgetBridge with a helio strap.”
“it cannot sync the activity files (.fit and/or .gpx)”
“Setting up GadgetBridge is very easy since it's just an android app.”
“everything works flawlessly together without any cloud service sucking up my data”
“which is IMHO the way to go”
“Works great with Gadgetbridge”
“Maybe the (partial) support of Gadgetbridge is sufficient”
“it works great with gadgetbridge”
“I can't believe how much support Gadgetbridge has - wow thanks for the reminder.”
“it works fine in general...the step tracker,and calories burned seem really inconsistent”
“Gadgetbridge works pretty well with Amazfit smart watches”
“Gadgetbridge has very limited aGPS support, right?”
“With Gadgetbridge they can drop as much as support as they want.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.