Fitness Tracker Subscriptions and Data Export Compared

This comparison was checked against official US support pages on September 23, 2026. Features, regions, prices, and export routes can change, so verify the linked source before buying.

1. Activity file: a workout in FIT, TCX, or GPX with timestamps, route, laps, and sensor records. This is usually the most migration-friendly form.
2. Summary CSV: rows of daily or workout totals that are easy to open but may omit second-by-second data.
3. Privacy archive: a broad account download created for access rights. It may contain many folders and machine-oriented JSON, XML, or proprietary files.
4. Shareable report: a PDF or limited summary intended for a coach or clinician, not for importing into another tracker.

Before buying, ask which of these exists for the metric you care about. ‘You can download your data’ is too vague.

Apple Health

Apple Health acts as a device-and-app data hub. Apple’s support page allows export of all health and fitness data as XML and lets users control read/write permissions by app. Fitness+ is a separate subscription for workout and meditation content, not a requirement to retain ordinary Health data.

Garmin Connect

Garmin offers the richest set of explicit sport-file exports in this group: original FIT, TCX, GPX, splits and activity summaries, plus a full account archive. Connect+ adds premium features, and Garmin states that existing Connect features are not being moved behind the subscription.

Google Health and Fitbit

Google documents core and Premium services separately. Google-account users can use Takeout for health data, while remaining legacy Fitbit accounts have archive and selected-range export routes. GPS workouts can be exported individually as TCX.

Samsung Health

Samsung Health is available as a free app, with optional paid partner content. Samsung documents an in-app personal-data download, but a downloadable folder should not be assumed to be a one-click migration package.

Oura

For current generations, membership unlocks detailed app data and insights. Without membership, users see only the three daily scores and limited account information, but Oura still allows CSV export through Membership Hub. API access requires active membership.

WHOOP

WHOOP’s hardware and analytics are tied to membership. All current membership tiers receive standard CSV exports, but official cancellation guidance says new biometric data are no longer collected or analyzed after membership ends.

1. Record one GPS workout, one indoor workout, one sleep session, and one normal day.
2. Request both an individual activity export and the full account archive when available.
3. Open summary files in a spreadsheet and confirm timestamps, time zone, units, and missing values.
4. Import one activity into the third-party platform you may use later.
5. Check whether heart-rate samples, route, laps, power, cadence, and notes survived.
6. Find the account-deletion path and confirm whether deleting the cloud account also affects local or partner copies.
7. Store one unmodified archive offline with the request date and platform version.

If the export takes days, requires an active membership, omits the metric you care about, or cannot be imported anywhere useful, include that friction in the real ownership cost.

• Which features stop if I cancel?
• Can I still view historical data after cancellation?
• Does the company export raw samples, workout files, daily summaries, or only reports?
• Are export formats documented and importable elsewhere?
• Can I export without an active subscription?
• Does a complete archive include GPS routes, sleep stages, HRV, journal entries, and manually entered data?
• Can third-party app permissions be revoked independently?
• What happens to data after account deletion?

Accuracy still matters, but access determines whether years of tracking remain useful. Start with the measurement priorities in our fitness tracker accuracy guide, then use this export test to break a tie.

Request an archive at least once a year and before changing platforms, ending a membership, or deleting an account. Keep the original compressed download unchanged, then make a separate working copy for spreadsheets or conversions. Record the export date, platform, units, and time zone in a plain-text note.

Because subscription plans and export tools change, this page should be rechecked at least quarterly and whenever a major app migration is announced.