Best Dog GPS Trackers 2026: Fi, Tractive, and More Compared

The first time your dog disappears through an open gate, you learn exactly how helpless you are without a way to track them. You post on social media, drive around the neighborhood calling their name, and hope someone sees your dog before they hit a busy road.

A GPS tracker changes that equation entirely. Instead of “I hope someone finds my dog,” it becomes “my dog is at the corner of Oak and Main, walking north.” The technology has matured enough that reliable real-time tracking is available for under $100 upfront, with monthly costs in the single digits.

After comparing every major option on the market, here’s what actually delivers on the promise and what falls short.

How Dog GPS Trackers Work

Most dog GPS trackers combine three technologies:

GPS satellites provide location data accurate to about 10-30 feet in open areas. The tracker communicates with satellites overhead to calculate its position.

LTE-M cellular transmits that position data to the cloud, where it reaches your phone app. This is why most trackers require a monthly subscription — they’re using cellular networks.

Bluetooth handles proximity detection (is my dog nearby?) and some cloud-based community network features.

The tracker needs all three: GPS to know where it is, cellular to tell you, and Bluetooth as a backup when cellular is unavailable.

What Matters When Choosing a Tracker

Battery Life

This is the single biggest differentiator between trackers. Some last three months on a charge. Others die in two days. A tracker that’s dead when your dog escapes is a $150 paperweight.

Update Frequency

How often does the tracker report its position? Some update every 2-3 seconds in live tracking mode. Others update every few minutes in standard mode. Faster updates drain battery faster.

Subscription Cost

Every cellular-based tracker requires a monthly plan. Costs range from $5 to $15 per month. Some offer discounts for annual or multi-year plans.

Size and Weight

Matters for small dogs. A 2-ounce tracker on a 5-pound Chihuahua is uncomfortable. Most trackers have minimum weight recommendations of 8-10 pounds.

Accuracy

GPS accuracy varies by environment. Open fields give the best accuracy (10-15 feet). Dense tree cover, urban canyons between tall buildings, and indoor locations all degrade accuracy.

The Best GPS Dog Trackers

1. Fi Series 3+

Best for: Everyday tracking with minimal charging

The Fi has become the default recommendation among dog owners, and battery life is the reason. While most GPS trackers need charging every few days, the Fi lasts up to three months in standard mode. Real-world usage with daily walks and activity monitoring typically yields 6-8 weeks between charges.

The Fi integrates directly into a purpose-built collar rather than clipping onto an existing one. The result is a cleaner look, no dangling attachments, and the confidence that the tracker won’t fall off.

Features: Real-time GPS tracking, customizable Safe Zones (virtual fences) with escape alerts, Lost Dog Mode (increases tracking frequency), activity monitoring (steps and sleep), LED collar light.

Battery: Up to 3 months standard; ~2 days in Lost Dog Mode (continuous tracking)

Price: Collar often included free with subscription activation. Plans from approximately $3.20/week (2-year) to $4.40/week (monthly). One-time $20 activation fee.

Network: AT&T LTE-M

Minimum dog weight: 10 pounds

Why we recommend it: Battery life in a separate league from competitors. Charging your dog’s tracker quarterly instead of weekly is a significant quality-of-life improvement.

What to know: GPS accuracy outside Lost Dog Mode can be less precise than competitors like Tractive. The collar-integrated design means you commit to Fi’s collar system. If you love your current collar, you’ll need to either switch or carry two collars.

2. Tractive GPS Dog Tracker

Best for: Real-time accuracy and health monitoring

Tractive clips onto any existing collar via an included mount. The tracker provides GPS updates every 2-3 seconds in live tracking mode — the fastest update rate of any consumer dog tracker.

Where Tractive pulls ahead of Fi is in health monitoring. The newer models track heart rate, respiratory rate, bark detection, activity levels, and sleep patterns. The app flags unusual changes, which can catch health issues before they become emergencies.

Features: Real-time GPS with 2-3 second updates, virtual fences with instant alerts, location history, health monitoring (heart rate, respiratory rate), bark detection, activity tracking.

Battery: 7-10 days standard; up to 4 weeks for the XL model designed for larger dogs.

Price: Tracker around $50-70. Subscription from $7/month or approximately $108-120/year.

Network: Connects to strongest available cellular network; works in 175+ countries.

Minimum dog weight: 8 pounds (standard); XL model for larger dogs.

Why we recommend it: The most accurate real-time tracking and the most comprehensive health monitoring. If knowing your dog’s exact position within seconds matters to you (escape artist, off-leash hiking, large property), Tractive delivers.

What to know: Battery life is the tradeoff. Weekly charging is the norm, and live tracking mode drains the battery significantly faster. The clip-on design is more flexible than Fi’s collar integration but slightly less secure.

3. Apple AirTag (with Collar Mount)

Best for: Urban dogs, no subscription

Not designed as a pet tracker, but widely used as one. The AirTag leverages Apple’s Find My network — every iPhone that passes near your dog silently reports its location. In urban and suburban areas with dense iPhone usage, this provides near-continuous location updates without any subscription fee.

Features: Find My network location, precision finding (UWB) with nearby iPhones, replaceable battery (CR2032, lasts ~1 year), Lost Mode with notification when found.

Battery: ~12 months (CR2032 coin cell)

Price: $29 for the AirTag; $10-20 for a collar mount. No subscription.

Critical limitation: AirTags do NOT provide real-time GPS tracking. They can only update location when an iPhone comes within Bluetooth range (~30 feet). In rural areas, forests, or fields far from populated areas, updates can be minutes or hours apart. This is a proximity-based crowd-sourced system, not true GPS.

Why we recommend it: The lowest total cost of any tracking option and zero recurring fees. In dense urban areas, the iPhone network provides surprisingly effective tracking.

What to know: This is NOT a replacement for a true GPS tracker if your dog could end up in an area without iPhones nearby. It’s a budget supplement, not a primary tracker for dogs at serious escape risk.

4. SpotOn GPS Collar

Best for: Large properties, GPS fencing + tracking combo

SpotOn is primarily a GPS fence system, but it includes full GPS tracking. If you need both containment and tracking in one device, SpotOn eliminates the need for two separate products.

Using 128 satellites across four constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou), SpotOn achieves boundary accuracy comparable to buried wire fences. The True Location technology works even under dense tree cover, which is where most GPS trackers struggle.

Price: $999-$1,295. No mandatory subscription for basic fence and tracking. Optional premium plan for enhanced features.

Battery: 18-24 hours (GPS active)

See our full review: Best Wireless Dog Fences

5. Halo Collar 4

Best for: Fencing + tracking + training

Like SpotOn, Halo combines GPS fencing with tracking in one collar. The Halo adds Cesar Millan’s built-in training program. Dual-band GPS with 1.4-foot accuracy and 35 satellites.

Price: $549-$599 collar + $10-$20/month subscription

Battery: 30-36 hours

See our full review: Best Wireless Dog Fences

Comparison Table

Tracker	Price	Monthly	Battery	Live Tracking	Health Data	Min Weight
Fi Series 3+	Free w/plan	$14-19	3 months	Yes (Lost Mode)	Steps, sleep	10 lbs
Tractive	$50-70	$7-10	7-10 days	Yes (2-3 sec)	Heart, resp, steps	8 lbs
Apple AirTag	$29	$0	12 months	No (proximity)	None	Any
SpotOn	$999-1,295	$0 (basic)	18-24 hrs	Yes	None	8 lbs
Halo 4	$549-599	$10-20	30-36 hrs	Yes	Activity	20 lbs

3-Year Cost Comparison

Tracker	Upfront	Subscription (3yr)	Total
Apple AirTag	$49	$0	$49
Tractive	$60	$324	$384
Fi Series 3+	$20 (activation)	$500-690	$520-710
Halo 4	$575	$360-720	$935-1,295
SpotOn	$1,100	$0	$1,100

The AirTag is the cheapest by far but doesn’t provide real-time GPS. Among true GPS trackers, Tractive offers the lowest total cost. Fi costs more over three years but saves you dozens of charging sessions.

Do You Need a GPS Tracker?

Honest assessment: not every dog needs one. Consider a tracker if:

Your dog has escaped before (or tried to)
You hike off-leash in unfenced areas
You have a fenced yard but the fence has gaps or your dog jumps/digs
Your dog goes to a dog walker, daycare, or stays with a pet sitter
You travel with your dog

If your dog is always on-leash, lives behind a secure fence, and has never shown escape behavior, a tracker is peace of mind but may not be essential. A good ID tag and microchip cover the basics.

For collar and tag options, see our best dog collars guide and dog ID tag comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do GPS trackers work indoors?

GPS requires a line of sight to satellites, so tracking accuracy drops significantly indoors. Most trackers switch to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi-based positioning when indoors, which provides room-level accuracy at best.

Can GPS trackers work without cell service?

Most trackers require cellular service to transmit location data to your phone. SpotOn’s Off-Grid Mode stores boundary data on the collar itself, so the fence function works without cell service. But tracking (sending position to your phone) requires connectivity on all products.

How accurate are dog GPS trackers?

In open outdoor areas: 10-30 feet for most trackers. Tractive and SpotOn achieve better accuracy (under 10 feet in ideal conditions). Under tree cover or between buildings: accuracy degrades to 30-100 feet. Indoors: most trackers can only confirm “your dog is in this building.”

Will a GPS tracker drain my dog’s collar battery?

GPS trackers have their own batteries, so they don’t drain your collar. However, the tracker itself needs regular charging , from daily (SpotOn) to quarterly (Fi), depending on the model.

My dog is under 8 pounds. Are there GPS trackers for small dogs?

Options are limited. The Apple AirTag is the lightest option (0.39 oz) and works for any size dog. The Tractive mini tracker is designed for smaller pets. Most other GPS trackers are too heavy for toy breeds and dogs under 8-10 pounds.