Best pet GPS trackers

The Tractive is the ideal GPS tracker for every pet. Whether they love to swim or get themselves soaked in dirt or mud, the Tractive is durable, waterproof, and built to withstand whatever your pet throws at it. 

It not only tracks your dog’s location, but can be set to monitor their wellness too. You can set and track fitness and sleep goals, and compare their health and wellness to other dogs of the same age and breed. You can also share this information with other family members within the app.

It lasts up to 10 days on a single charge, and the subscription service covers all fees with the built-in SIM card. The basic plan gives you access to regular location updates, unlimited live tracking and wellness features like activity and sleep tracking. It's $20 per month when you choose monthly billing, but only $12 per month billed yearly or $8 per month billed every second year.

Tack is one of the most versatile pet GPS trackers we came across. While it can be used for your pet, it can also be used for personal possessions or people like the AirTag. However, to distinguish itself from other GPS trackers, it has a pet mode that optimises battery when worn by your fluffy family member.

It can last over a month on a single charge, and comes with the useful geo-fence feature that alerts you if the tag leaves the safe zone.

Its relatively budget friendly, with the tracker costing just over $100, and the subscription about $5 a month after the free 30-day trial. It's water resistant, sends you regular SMS alerts, and is ultra small and compact, perfect for tiny cats and huge dogs alike.

The Tack is great value for money, and an excellent choice for pet owners that also has the versatility of tracking your kids and possessions.

Retailing for under $50, the Apple AirTag is a versatile and budget-friendly tracker. There are no subscription fees, and it can last over a year on a single battery before needing a replacement. If you decide to not use it as a pet tracker anymore, the AirTag can be used for other material possessions, like car keys or a laptop.

However, the downside is it's not designed to track pets. It doesn't allow geo-fencing and doesn't have any smart features like some of our other picks. It doesn't really have any defining features except live location tracking. You can get a pretty precise location (within a metre) if you have an iPhone 11 or above, which can be better than using a GPS that gives you a rough location of about five metres. 

The Apple AirTag can be a great tracker on a budget, even if there are better options available. It's a versatile, long-lasting tracker you can use for your pet if you don’t really want any other features besides live location tracking. 

The NutTAG Spot is our favourite pet tracker for pets that can’t get enough of nature. This GPS tracker is waterproof and durable, perfect for your adventure buddy who can’t resist a pile of mud or a puddle of rainwater. 

Like some of the other picks on our list, you can set up a geo-fence that will send you an alert once your fury friend leaves the zone.

This is perfect for pets that seem to go wandering when you’re in the bush, or that little escape artist that always seems to squeeze through the back door when you’re not home. While you can see where they are currently with live GPS tracking, you can’t see where they’ve been previously with location history.

The SIM card for this tracker must be purchased separately, which is why it's not higher on our list. Many of our other picks have the SIM included in the price. NutTAG retails for about $180, and the extra cost of a SIM card might deter some people. 

You can supply your own SIM card, or go with the one-year plan for an extra $66, or the two-year plan for an extra $111.

The My Buddy Gard Pet GPS Tracker is perfect for those mini escape artists.

Its defining feature is the SOS button, which you can find in a lot of children’s trackers. When you press the SOS button, the parent is notified that the child needs help or is in an emergency.

While our pets don't have opposable thumbs that allow them to call us for help, if somebody finds your pet, they can press the SOS button that contacts you directly. The SOS button on the front of the tracker allows that good Samaritan to talk to you, and vice versa. 

Like our other picks, you can set safe zones, or geo-fences, that send you an SMS or notification the instant it has been crossed. We love that the Buddy Gard has three months of stored location history, so you can easily see where they have a habit of going when they escape.

If your pet has a habit of visiting a particular location, you can go back to where they went the last time they escaped.