The 5 Best GPS Vehicle Trackers

These real-time GPS tracking devices monitor your vehicle and keep drivers on your radar.
Best for long-term tracking
Vyncs Vehicle GPS Tracker
Vyncs
  • pro
    Updates every 60, 30, or 15 seconds
  • pro
    Free roadside assistance
Best for new drivers
Motosafety device
MOTOsafety
  • pro
    Updates every 60 seconds
  • pro
    Driver training program
Best for vehicle maintenance
Bouncie GPS tracker
Bouncie
  • pro
    Updates every 15 seconds
  • pro
    Amazon Alexa compatibility
Best portable tracker
SpyTec GL300
Best for multiple vehicles
Kayo Simple GPS Tracker
  • pro
    Real-time updates
  • pro
    Easy to set up + locks in place
  • bullet
    Save $15

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The Vyncs GPS Vehicle Tracker hits all the marks of a good vehicle tracker: unsafe driving alerts, geofencing, and real-time location tracking.

Plus, you get free roadside assistance and a companion app that can help you track your mileage, which is great if you travel a lot for work.

Vyncs also reminds you of maintenance like wear and tear, battery charge, and recall notices. You can ask Alexa about fuel consumption before work in the morning, and Vyncs even gives you advice on getting better fuel economy.



Compare the best GPS vehicle trackers

Product
Best for
Equipment price*
Monthly fee starts at
Device type
Driving score
Maintenance reminders
Learn more

Vyncs GPS Tracker

Best for long-term tracking

$89.99

$6.58/mo.

OBD port plug-in

bulletYes
bulletYes

MOTOsafety GPS Tracker

Best for new drivers

$29.99

$25.00/mo.

OBD port plug-in

bulletYes
bulletYes

Bouncie Smart Driving Companion

Best for vehicle maintenance

$89.99

$9.00/mo.

OBD port plug-in

bulletYes
bulletYes
Best portable tracker

$17.95

$14.95-$29.95/mo.

Freestanding, battery-operated

bulletNo
bulletNo
Best for multiple vehicles

$194.99

$5/mo.

OBD port plug-in

bulletNo
bulletYes

*Amazon.com price as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read full disclaimer.

Reviews of the best vehicle GPS trackers

1. Vyncs GPS Tracker: Best for long-term tracking

Best for long-term tracking
Vyncs Vehicle GPS Tracker
Vyncs GPS Tracker
$89.99 (list price) + activation fee

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Vyncs GPS tracks location, unsafe driving practices, engine diagnostics, battery life, maintenance needs, recall notices, and fuel levels. Plus, it's the least-expensive GPS on our list, and it can help you save on car insurance.

pro
Pros
pro Engine alerts
pro Low yearly fee
pro Driver scoring system
pro Mileage tracker app
pro Roadside assistance
con
Cons
con Long-term commitment
con Delayed location updates
con Activation fee

Vyncs evaluates your driving to give you a Tip Performance Index (TPI) score which can help you save money on car insurance. Its free companion app, VyncsMiles, is compatible with Amazon Alexa; it can track mileage and categorize it by personal or business use.

Vyncs uses one-year plans instead of month-to-month deals. This kind of pricing can save you cash if you're committed to tracking your vehicle's location for a while.

You can also check out Vync's Basic, Premium, and Pro plans which sweeten the deal with services like roadside assistance. Vyncs also has a Fleet service for commercial customers who might want to monitor their employees during deliveries or routes.

The OBD plug-in GPS device costs around $90 and comes with a one-year basic plan subscription (and a one-time activation fee of $40). Yearly renewal costs are about $79, which works out to around $6.58 a month. That's a steal!

We don't like that the default refresh time is three minutes—the fastest refresh time (15 seconds) is available only for an added fee. The user interface is also a little tricky to manage.

2. MOTOsafety GPS Tracker: Best for new drivers

Best for new drivers
Motosafety device
MOTOsafety GPS Tracker
$29.99 +25 per
/mo

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

With a driving education course for teens, Google Maps route replay, geofencing, and customizable location alerts, the easy-to-install and inexpensive MOTOsafety GPS Tracker earned our top spot for new teen drivers. Whether they're out with friends or extracurriculars, having a GPS tracker like this can make it easier to enforce their curfew.

pro
Pros
pro Google Maps route replay
pro Geofencing
pro Curfew
pro Teen driving course
con
Cons
con Sensitivity to acceleration
con Inaccurate speed limits

This tracking device costs around only $30 with a monthly fee of $25. You won't have to sign a contract or pay a cancellation fee, but you will have to call the company if you want to cancel.

We like the included driver training program, with access to educational content and practice quizzes to help your teen prep for their driving test.

We also like the daily driving report card on the mobile app, but metrics can be confusing. Speed limits aren't always accurate on Google Maps, so MOTOsafety might say you're speeding even when you're not.

Safety expert Katie McEntire installing the MOTOsafety vehicle GPS tracker into a car's OBD port.

Image: Katie McEntire, SafeWise

Likewise, normal rapid acceleration—like when you're merging onto a busy highway—can also count against you. We recommend taking it out for a test drive and checking the sensitivity before taking away your teen's car keys for a bad grade on their MOTOsafety driving report.

Check out our full review on MOTOsafety to learn more about this vehicle GPS tracker or watch us put it to the test.

3. Bouncie: Best for vehicle maintenance

Best for vehicle maintenance
Bouncie GPS tracker
Bouncie
89.99 + $5 per
/mo

Bouncie is new to the GPS tracking game, but it has all the best parts of other popular trackers like smart assistant compatibility. So. we expect to see it rising to the top.

pro
Pros
pro Vehicle maintenance alerts
pro Geofencing
pro Mileage tracking
pro Low monthly subscription fee
pro Real-time vehicle operation alerts
con
Cons
con Flashing light
con Alexa command glitches

Bouncie plugs into your car's OBD port and offers standard geofencing and real-time alerts for speed, hard braking, and acceleration. It also helps you keep tabs on gas levels, vehicle maintenance, and routine car-related tasks, like annual emissions inspections.

We like that you can use your Amazon Echo to check the gas in your car or ask when your registration is due.

The device also tracks your mileage and stores the data, which is a great feature if you need to track mileage for business purposes.

The Bouncie GPS vehicle tracker installed in safety expert Kasey Tross's car.

Image: Kasey Tross, SafeWise

Bouncie charges just $9 a month for its tracking services. It's a close second to Vyncs when it comes to pricing but without the long-term commitment. If you want to track three vehicles, you'll get a special discounted rate of $7.70 per device per month

The only downsides to this device were the green flashing light that never seems to go off (black electrical tape to the rescue) and some occasional glitches with the Alexa commands.

Like the sound of Bouncie? Get the full scoop in our in-depth Bouncie review.

4. SpyTec STI GL300 GPS Tracker: Best portable tracker
Best portable tracker
SpyTec STI GL300
$17.95 + 14.95 per mo* *With annual plan

Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
*For annual plan. Month-to-month is $29.95/mo.

The two-inch SpyTec GL300 GPS Tracker is small enough to be tucked into a pocket or attached to the undercarriage of your vehicle. 

pro
Pros
pro Small enough for pockets and bags
pro Available with 30-day cancellation policy
pro Able to track more than vehicles
con
Cons
con Battery-powered and requires charging
con Not compatible with vehicle OBD port
con More money for faster tracking

This tracking device is battery-powered, so you'll need to charge it periodically. The manufacturer claims a two-week battery life, but it's more like eight to ten days.

Monitoring will cost you between $14.95 and $29.95  a month (depending on whether you choose an annual or three-month plan), and you'll get location updates only every 60 seconds unless you pay more for fastera tracking. There are no contracts or cancellation fees, and we like that SpyTec offers a 30-day, no-hassle cancellation policy.

5. Kayo Simple GPS Tracker

Best for multiple vehicles
GPS Tracker
Starting from
$194.95 + $5 per
/mo

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Kayo Simple GPS Tracker is a close cousin to the SpyTec. Both are small, battery-operated vehicle tracking devices, but the Optimus is slightly bigger. The Kayo has better battery life, and the monthly fees are only $5/vehicle a month.

pro
Pros
pro GPS tracking , maintenance alerts, driver behavior, vehicle health
pro Easy, simple set up
pro Only $5/vehicle per month
con
Cons
con Very basic tracking

We found the location tracking to be more of a connect-the-dots experience rather than the fluid turn-by-turn that you see from other apps, but you can get real-time tracking for only $5/vehicle per month.  

Unlike SpyTec's website-only tracking, the Kayo uses an easy-to-use app.

More brands we considered

Vivint Car Guard

Luxury pick
Vivint Car Guard product image
Vivint Car Guard
$199.99 + $9.99
/mo

The Vivint Car Guard is a GPS tracker, vehicle maintenance tracker, diagnostic tool, driver performance tracker, and a security device rolled into one.

At $200, it's an expensive upfront purchase, but you'll have an incredible amount of data at your fingertips through the Vivint app

You don't have to purchase a Vivint home security system to use the Vivint car guard. But if you do have a full Vivint system, you can set up some cool home automations in which the car guard communicates with your smart garage door opener, smart lights, or smart door locks based on vehicle proximity. 

Check out our full Vivint Car Guard review for an in-depth look at this device.

Things to consider before you buy a car GPS tracker

Whatever your reasons for wanting to purchase a car GPS tracking device, it's important to make sure you're staying within your legal rights. In most places, as long as you are putting the device only on vehicles you own, you're safe. If you want to track a loved one out of genuine concern for their safety and well-being, the best approach is to talk to them about it first.

To make your vehicle even safer, consider other devices such as dash cams and rearview (backup) cameras. These devices can improve your viewing angle and keep a valuable record of your time on the road.

Talk to your teenager about driving responsibly before considering a GPS tracker.

We tested vehicle GPS trackers in action:

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Final word

Overall, the Vyncs vehicle GPS tracker is a great choice if you want to keep your car (and its driver) safe and sound for about $100 per year.

Need to keep an eye on more than just your car? Be sure to check out our list of the best GPS trackers for all kinds of situations.

How we reviewed the best GPS vehicle trackers

Our search for the best GPS vehicle trackers started with investigating top-rated location trackers to see which consistently performed best. We then did our own deep-dig research to see what users were saying about each device so we could choose the best of the best. Check out our full methodology to learn more about how we rank and review products.

GPS vehicle tracker FAQ

Sometimes. GPS tracking devices triangulate their location by sending and receiving satellite signals. Just like your cell phone, your GPS tracker might also experience some interference that can knock the location accuracy off.

Learn more about how GPS trackers work.

When you’re in an area with a lot of buildings, your GPS tracker’s signal can bounce off different surfaces and cause false alerts. It can be annoying and worrisome to get an alert in the middle of the night telling you your car has moved from the garage, Still, it’s not uncommon for this to happen with GPS trackers.

If the alert shows that the car has just moved a short distance, like down the street, it’s usually a false alarm.

A GPS tracker for a car is either freestanding or designed to plug into the OBD-II port.

A freestanding car GPS tracker can be put anywhere in or under the vehicle.

A plug-in GPS vehicle tracking system attaches to a special port called the OBD-II ("on board diagnostic") on the driver's side, typically under the steering wheel and slightly to the left. You may need to remove the plastic dash cover to access the OBD port.

If you live in an area where cell service is spotty, then you’ll likely experience some spotty GPS coverage as well.

This doesn’t mean the GPS isn’t working. It just means it’s unable to get the location information to your phone because there aren’t enough cellular towers around to send the signal.

It depends on the device you buy. Most of the devices we studied were for US use only, but a few worked outside the US in Canada and Mexico.

If you’re not sure if your device will work outside the country, contact the manufacturer.

Related articles on SafeWise


Disclaimer

*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Product prices and availability are accurate as of this date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any prices and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Kasey Tross
Written by
Kasey Tross
Kasey is a trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and a freelance writer with expertise in emergency preparedness and security. As the mother of four kids, including two teens, Kasey knows the safety concerns parents face as they raise tech-savvy kids in a connected world, and she loves to research the latest security options for her own family and for SafeWise readers.

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