Best GPS Trackers of 2019: Reviews, Comparisons, Pros & Cons

Despite it being light and tiny, Trackimo is actually a powerful, well-designed tracking device with battery life as long-lasting as those of the expensive trackers on the market. To preserve power, it utilizes a motion-activated sensor, automatically going to sleep whenever the device stops moving and waking up again once it has moved.

Unlike most trackers, Trackimo uses four different tracking technologies (GPS, GSM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth) to accurately locate anything worldwide, indoor or outdoor, offering you peace of mind without you breaking the bank.

The device is designed for a variety of uses: kids, teens, spouses, the elderly, pets, luggage, cars, motorcycles, fleets, boats, drones, deliveries, assets, and many more. This is evident in the goodies you get aside from the tracker in the box delivered to you: a silicone case that makes Trackimo water-resistant, a lanyard, an optional Velcro backing, a magnetic attachment, and a magnetized mini screwdriver to help you switch those out. For tracking loved ones, the tracker features a clearly labeled SOS button, which, once activated, alerts authorities or certain individuals chosen by the user through sending an alert message via SMS or email, containing the user’s exact location including directions. Trackimo’s app is also known to be the best of any of the GPS trackers; it’s extremely easy to create geofences, check location history, adjust settings, and toggle alerts.

Overall, Trackimo easily outperforms several other GPS trackers that cost up to two or three times as much, being free to use for the first 12 months and only $5/month after that, making it the most cost-effective way to track and protect your loved ones and your prized possessions.

The STI GL300 is also an apt contender for the best vehicle and personal GPS trackers, albeit lacking in uniqueness of design and tracking capabilities. Accuracy is solid, and battery life also lasts 2 weeks. It relies on an outdated 2G network and T-Mobile coverage, however, so you'll want to make sure you're going to use it in an area covered by T-Mobile.

Like most of its competitors, the Spy Tec STI GL300 has a zones feature. This allows you to designate geofences and set speed limits, making it a good unit for tracking the habits of employees or teenage drivers. It also features an SOS button, which can be set to call multiple contacts in case of an emergency.

Spy Tec’s tracking device has a variable fee structure, meaning the more you pay, the more tracking interval options you have. The different tiers of Spy Tec’s GL300 data plans are essentially the same, with the only major difference being the frequency the device sends updates. At the basic level ($25/month), you can track the device up to once every minute. At the most advanced level ($45/month), you can track it up to once every five seconds, which is actually quite a price to pay for intervals 55 seconds less. Tracking a device at such a quick rate should not be a huge priority for you, unless you plan to track a lot of cars.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this tracker is its outstanding battery life. An accelerometer inside the device turns it off when it's not moving. However, the tracker’s size compensates for that much battery. The GL300 is bulkier, more conspicuous, and less visually attractive than some of its competitors.

In terms of basic functionality and battery life, Spy Tec is a good option. But if you just search the market for other trackers, there are a number out there with more features and a more attractive service plan pricing.

Scout Universal is another top quality vehicle GPS tracker with a very low monthly service charge of $8.33 per month. Perfect for the lovers of dirt and off-road racing, SCOUT can withstand water and mud conditions that motorcycles and ATVs undergo. It packs serious technology in a tiny device: a GPS chip, cellular radio, Bluetooth tracking, accelerometer, and a magnetometer. However, its battery lasts only three days with continuous usage. Good thing is, since it's designed for vehicles, the SCOUT can be hardwired and hidden in less than 10 minutes on any motorcycle. Using it for loved ones will mean constant charging throughout the week, though. Note that using SCOUT’s battery save mode prolongs battery life by pulling back the power from the GPS and cell modules, making it less accurate. Another downside to using it for family is the glaring lack of an SOS button. If you’re looking for trackers to protect your kids, opt for another device.

On a brighter note, the package brings you various attachment accessories to choose from, a charging adapter, a USB cable, and a universal hardwire kit. Like all trackers, SCOUT enables you to create geofences, remembers your previous locations, and offers an app with regular updates for new or enhanced features. All these inclusions make this unit a great purchase for its intended purpose.

Probably one of the most expensive on the list, the SilverCloud Overdrive boasts tracking updates as quick as 3 seconds but for a hefty price. Aside from the device and the plans’ pricing, LandAirSea requires an activation fee of $30, additional fees for international tracking, and $40 if you need a reactivation due to a canceled or deactivated data plan. This little but heavy device (weighs 16.8 oz) can be secured to a vehicle with LandAirSea’s separate magnet mount kit, worth another $60. The kit gives the GPS tracker a waterproof feature so that it is not damaged by various weather conditions.

Dizzying expenses aside, the Overdrive is able to provide accurate vehicle location within 2.5 meters. This surveillance tracking equipment is also completely user-friendly and is ready to use in just minutes. Multiple vehicles can be tracked without having to download separate software programs. Additionally, the maps are available in both 2D and 3D views to provide you with a more in-depth look at the surrounding area. This can be especially helpful in determining where the vehicle is located and where it may be heading.

The SilverCloud Overdrive’s greatest strength lies in its powerful battery and unlimited historical playback. However, the 30-day battery life is only possible for drivers using the tracker 2 hours a day. With more power than other models and no need for additional cases or extended battery packs, the Overdrive is the clear choice when battery life is the most significant concern.

Trax is small, lightweight, and comes with two silicone cases, one of which has a clip on it for attachment to clothing. At 0.92 ounces alone and only 1.5 ounces in a case, you’re likely to forget it’s even there. The companion app is basic by design and looks eerily similar to Apple’s Maps interface, with a few additional Trax features placed on top. What makes Trax’s app stand out among the other apps out there is the augmented reality feature, which graphically indicates the direction in which the track is located and how far away it is, in real time.

Trax’s package only includes an attachment case with a key ring, suggesting that it’s best used for kids. Sadly, it lacks a distress button, a very basic necessity in tracking loved ones.

Where Trax falls short the most is its battery life. The manufacturers themselves claim that the device only lasts for a good 72 hours of use, but constant use seemed to bring it down closer to 24 hours or less. Despite this, Trax has all the basic functionalities you’d need on a tracker for an affordable price—coming in second on our list in terms of monthly cost.

Yet another GL300 model on the list, Amcrest offers basic tracker functionality and a battery life that lasts you 10 to 14 days, pretty much like Spy Tec’s obviously. Like most of its competitors, Amcrest AM GL300 v3 allows you to set geofences and speed limits, share your location to loved ones, and press an SOS button when in an emergency. One unique feature, though, is that the device has multiple power options to help give you flexibility when charging it to increase battery life further.

However, there have been complaints about difficulties activating the device and its passcode. The passcode fails to connect to a network, and the device then has to undergo multiple restarts before working. Protection of this device from weather and environmental conditions also come in a separate package. There are no attachment accessories included in your Amcrest purchase. You will have to buy their leather case or magnetic case separately; otherwise, you’ll have to stick with slipping the tracker inside a pocket or bag or compartment.

Amcrest’s monthly subscription comes in at $20, typical for a GL300 and perhaps not the best deal you can think of for a common tracker with basic features, considering that it only lets you see sixty days of GPS tracking history, by the way. Don’t get us wrong; Amcrest works just fine. It just may not be the best tracker of all the trackers out there.

Speed alerts and geofencing are available, as are travel reports and a panic button. The first month of the subscription is free with purchase.

Americaloc’s tracker is a GL300W; basically it’s a GL300 supporting both 2G and 3G networks and offering an even longer battery life. What makes Americaloc’s GL300W special, though, is that it comes with multicarrier service plans, which means it uses various signals from a variety of mobile carriers to transmit locations, covering a wider range of locations. So unlike other trackers that only use one carrier service, Americaloc utilizes all of them to pinpoint location better.

Aside from that, if Amcrest offers only sixty days of tracking history, Americaloc provides you up to a year. Additionally, with a purchase of this GPS tracker, you get two extra months free when you buy the service plan, which comes at a low monthly cost and allows you to cancel at any time without an auto renewal. Americaloc also doesn't charge you for an increase in interval updates: "Need updates every 30 or 10 seconds? Sure, just email Americaloc support. Same price. Others charge you for that. We don’t."

Because of the GL300W improved features, Americaloc sells the device for $110, but its monthly subscriptions is nowhere higher than the GL300’s. At $25 a month or even less, you can enjoy all these benefits without contracts, activation fees, or cancellation fees. The only flaws perhaps are the brand’s annoying bugs on the website and the tracker’s sensitivity to common obstacles like roofs, metal materials, and even posts. If your location is filled with these rather common obstacles, the device might not work excellently. Data could also get lost once these are present, despite excellent connection quality. These downsides may prove to be irritating in the long run, but overall, the Americaloc GL300W gives your money an excellent worth, considering its optimal functionality.

If not for the absence of the manufacturer’s logo, PrimeTracking’s tracker is entirely similar-looking to Americaloc’s GL300W. However, PrimeTracking’s newly released device utilizes a 4G LTE network, giving you updates every 10 seconds, whichever data plan you choose. The standard plan is priced at $25 a month, which isn’t bad considering that there are 3G GPS trackers that cost as much as or way more than this.

PrimeTracking so far impresses its users as much as Americaloc does, especially due to the “100% risk-free purchase” they guarantee to every customer. They do not charge for activation or cancellation either. However, since it’s almost exactly identical with the Americaloc GL300W, there are still, although fairly scarce, complaints about inaccuracy due to certain obstacles in a city and the glaring lack of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tracking. International tracking is also relative as some countries certainly do not have 4G, despite the brand’s claims of being able to track anyone or anything from anywhere in the world.

PrimeTracking’s device costs only $50, which is actually as affordable as Amcrest’s 2G device. In a nutshell, PrimeTracking’s 4G LTE tracker is a good buy if you really need tracking updates as quick as 10 seconds.

Best for kids, the elderly, and people with special needs, the small and lightweight Qbit features an SOS button, speed dials, geofences, a water-resistant case, and a mic and a speaker for two-way communication and voice monitoring. Sadly, Qbit only works in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The battery life also requires frequent charging, lasting only 3 days at most, making it clearly unsuitable for vehicles. Some buyers complained that a fully charged battery died after 5 hours of continuous use. Reports of bugs are also quite common, and the app could use some improvements in terms of interface and commands. Qbit uses only a 2G network connection as well, which is bad news for those living in locations where 2G will soon be phased out completely.

Still, Qbit is rather affordable; the device costs $45 and the monthly subscription is at $15, so you clearly get what you paid for. Nonetheless, the price still couldn’t beat Trackimo’s features, versatility, inclusions, and data plans. If you’re looking for optimal functionality at an affordable price, Trackimo still tops the list.

Designed for the guardians of special needs children, the AngelSense GPS tracker offers constant tracking, two-way communication, frequent location alerts, and a way to call a child who can't pick up a phone call on their own—for quite a price. This tracker ranks next to the SilverCloud Overdrive in terms of cost, but it does what it’s designed to do.

What makes this device stand out is the special pin and key system used to attach it to your child’s clothing. The design is similar to antitheft devices at department stores and requires a magnetic key to be unlocked. The key comes with the kit no matter which device you order. You may choose to use the tracker themselves in a bag or pocket. The fabric case and pins make it impossible to remove if your child has sensory issues. This could also be useful if you’re taking care of an elderly family member who tends to wander off.

However, the AngelSense tracker is quite large; the device is actually a customized Verizon smartphone encased in a water-resistant silicone cover. Second, it relies on cellular service and Wi-Fi to work, so if you’re in a very remote area, there’s a chance the tracker will stop working. Third, the fact that it utilizes a 2G network is bad news since 2G is about to get phased out. Fourth, the tracker may have a tracking interval of 30 seconds, but its battery only lasts for less than a day.

The $40 subscription seems questionable, but the $99 device is worth the package inclusions: 2 preattached fasteners and one extra one if you need it, a magnetic key for removing the fasteners, a wall charger and USB charging cable, a bumper sticker for a special needs child, and an AngelSense rubber bracelet.

In summary, this is an expensive device since it's not your typical GPS tracker.

Knowing where registered sex offenders live can actually put your mind at ease when your child is going to school. The Amber Alert GPS tracker offers a map feature where you can view the addresses of all registered sex offenders around the tracker’s location, along with the criminal’s name, date of birth, crime, and photo. If you have a young child you want to keep an eye on, this tracker or the pricey AngelSense are the trackers designed for this purpose. Aside from the map, another unique feature from Amber Alert is the premium subscription plan they offer, which includes 24/7 access to safety agents who can dispatch emergency services to the tracker’s location anywhere in the United States (only) via the SOS button on the device.

The huge downside to this device is that while it’s affordable, you also must pay a one-time activation fee and an expensive cancellation fee. Also, like all GPS trackers meant for kids, Amber Alert needs charging every day or every other day.

While the Amber Alert GPS tracker is incredibly useful for some, it might not be what you’re looking for if you need a tracker for your business needs or possessions.

The Pocketfinder+ is a key chain GPS tracker with an SOS button that lets you add as many emergency contacts as you like. It comes with a smartphone app that looks badly outdated, but it still packs a decent amount of functionality.

PocketFinder's battery life varies widely based on how often the device pings the server with its location, a frequency you can set. By default, when the tracker is on the move, it sends its location every 10 seconds for 3 minutes straight, then takes a 10-minute break. When it's not moving, PocketFinder goes to sleep. Keeping it inside a backpack stored in the locker gives the PocketFinder two days, for example, while slipping it inside your child's pocket requires daily charging. Keeping it inside your pants pocket isn’t a great idea, though. This “key chain” is bulky, and it uses a proprietary dock to charge. This adds a lot more bulk when you decide to travel with it.

PocketFinder’s greatest weakness is its smartphone app. The interface looks like it was made in 2011, with its clunky design and letterboxed layout. Menus display features that aren't available yet, and other tools are buried: you set up SOS alerts in the Power Management section but add SOS contact details in the Account section. The iOS app also crashes a lot when you try adding an email address or a phone number from your device's contacts. This glaring need of hiring a better developer is also apparent in their website. Many of the links in their support page lead you 404 pages, which can be extremely irritating when you're trying to figure out how to use the device.

PocketFinder+ requires an affordable service plan of $12.95 per month when purchased through the company, and the tracker costs $159. Sadly, you’ll have to pay extra for activation and international service. They also do not prorate the service price regardless of your activation date. If you’re looking for a GPS tracker to keep your kids safe, Trax is actually better.

Pod 3 is a pet tracker that uses multiple technologies to track your cat. It utilizes the global positioning system (GPS), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to detect your pet’s location. Pod 3's cylindrical design is odd, however, and it can be bulky for some animals.

With a well-designed companion app, decent battery life (up to 5 days), and a water-resistant design, Pod 3 can be a great all-in-one device. The subscription cost is at $9 a month, which is rather affordable for the features packed in the device and the app. Pod 3 allows you to choose between 3 tracking modes to save battery: Standby, Safe Zone, and Adventure. The latter makes Pod 3 a unique pet tracker. In this mode, you can record your pet’s walks and revisit them at a later time. Your pet’s walk is shown on a map, with useful additional information provided, including distance walked, time spent walking, area covered, and average speed.

In addition to location tracking features, Pod 3 provides activity tracking tools that allow you to keep track of your pet’s health. Simply set activity goals for your pet and have the device monitor your pet’s activity. You can view daily, weekly, and monthly summaries with details on time spent resting, playing, and walking to see if your pet has reached the daily goals you set.

Pod 3 has impressive coverage, including more than 175 countries around the globe. It uses multiple cellular networks in all countries. Sounds like the best tracker, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, complaints of manufacturing defects, durability issues, and trackers reportedly in used condition outnumber good purchases. Pod 3 could have been an excellent choice for pet tracking if only the manufacturers addressed these urgent concerns.