Cost nearly the same amount but which to get first?
bike fit 100%
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Are you experiencing any JOINT pain during or after riding? If so, you need to stress that immediately out your risk long term damage. Then you should 100% get a bike fit.
What is making you consider getting a fit?
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Depends. Personally I would go power meter assuming you feel good on the bike already. Of course if you don’t then it’s obvious.
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Power meter, unless you have issues (pain etc) with your current fit. Even then, you could start with using the online tools first, or ask an experienced rider you know what they think of your fit.
To be entirely honest, I think the importance of getting a professional bike fit is overrated. If you’re average sized, with good flexibility and no serious joint issues (such as reconstructed knees), and you’re willing to experiment a bit, you can get a pretty good fit yourself.
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Bike fit.
You can make power, train, pace etc…with out a meter. Conversely, with a bad position you’ll be less comfortable, increase chances for injury and ultimately make less power.
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Bike fit was some of the best money I’ve spent. I did one before a power meter and I would recommend that to anyone. I was immediately faster for longer, and it didn’t necessarily require more power, I could just hold my current power for a lot longer and was more comfortable at pushing more watts.
Also, because I was more comfortable, I was less best up coming off the bike, which meant when I got a power meter, my training was a lot more constructive as I didn’t hurt from previous rides.
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Second this. You should be able to get 99% there yourself on bike fit, paying for a fitter is marginal gains in my experience (I’ve been riding for 15 years and have had 3 bike fits). A power meter on the other hand will be a game changer for your training.
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Powermeter unless you have some underlying issues causing pain. There are good fitters and bad ones out there and you can get 99% of the way there in your own with researching and experimenting. Having had a $300 multi hour bike for before it wasn’t really worth it.
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Agreed that if you have any sort of joint pain, get the fit.
I’ve only gotten fit once. My fitter got me too upright for my liking, but she also lowered my saddle a good 20mm further than where I’d had it for years and absolutely nailed it. It looked and felt awkward at first because my leg extension at the bottom of the stroke was less than typical. Almost looked a bit cramped.
Fast forward several years later, I’m messing around with my fit on multiple bikes to lower my CG and get more aero. No issues anywhere except for the saddle height. 5mm too high and I got pain in my right knee within minutes. Lowered it back and I could ride for days.
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I have 5 power meters and never got a bike fit. I’ve fitted myself from info on the interwebs. Power meters changed the game for me, many years ago 
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I’d go bike fit first, I gained about 30 watts having a bike fit (didn’t have any issues before) and more comfortable on the bike than before (again, didn’t think I had any issues)
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I got the power meter 1st and more recently I got a TT specific bike fit. A power meter got me good gains but the TT fit got me much more free speed. I can’t even see the numbers of the power meter now (old age and its too close to my eyes) but I’m going faster for less effort. If I was to do it all again I’d get the fit first.
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I think it’s a worth pointing out that all bike fits aren’t the same. I’m lucky I am close to Chris Soden and Ivan O’Gorman(Chris works with/ for Ivan), which those two are some of the best there are. So for me, the fit was definitely the better initial choice of the two.
Definitely do your research.
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Bike fit if you have discomfort, pain, or an injury to work around. I have NEVER had a professional fit because I have not needed one, been able to self diagnose any small niggles I had with my fit and adjust accordingly. In addition learning to adjust your fit and seeing what works for you and what doesn’t is a great learning experience and will teach you how to fix issues in the future if they arise.
A power meter isn’t something you can estimate for, some guys I know only ride with heart rate because “I don’t want technology on my bike” but looking at their Wahoo/Garmin and HR data and speed and cadence sensors makes me think it’s more about not wanting a reality check to hit their Peloton “power meter” numbers and less about being luddites
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Get a bike fit. You want to be riding in the proper position from the beginning. There are too many good things that come from being set up correctly. Just because it feels right doesnt mean there is something going wrong that you dont see.
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I would get the power meter. If you have any good friend that is into cycling they can pretty much eyeball your position and get you pretty close to what an experienced bike fitter would do. Maybe not exactly but pretty close.
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I remember listening to a chef, I think Heston Blumenthal, about how to season soup. He said to take a small sample of the soup and add salt to it until it tastes too salty. From here, you have a reference point. Next up, season the actual soup to the point just before it was too salty.
So too with bike position. Go out for a ride with some allen keys. Raise the saddle 1cm at a time until its too high…then back it off, same with aft position. A good reference is the Lemond formula. A decent seatpost has microadjust and measurements on it, like a Thomson.
Bars are more simple, they should not bang your knees when you are out of the saddle, and when you rock back in the saddle, they should obscure the front hub.
In terms of bar height, try slamming the stem…get rid of the top cap on the headset for a bit, get a set of spacers. Slam to the max, and back it off. Per Blumenthal’s soup instructions.
Before you buy a power meter, unless you have tried out the range of shoes, these can affect your long term knee health. Ergon make some cool cleat adjustment tools for the rotation of the cleats, but if you need wedges between cleats and shoes, you would need to see a specialist. You’d likely know about this already though, if it was an issue.
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If you posted pictures here of your fit, I can pretty much guarantee we can get you into a reasonably good, fast and comfortable position, free of charge. Certainly get you 90% there…
So do that and buy the power meter.
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Agreed.
Plus, fits are constantly evolving based on performance, equipment, conditioning, goals, injuries.
A Power Meter is a tool that can help you get faster regardless and may provide some motivation, accountability, or just something nice to have.
Absolutely go see someone if you are having issues with injury, but have some confidence in your ability to learn your body, look for some advice, and have a play to find what works for you.
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