The Finest GPS Trackers for Automobiles of 2024

Cars, trucks, trailers, and campers are expensive investments. Adding a GPS tracker to your vehicle is a great way to get peace of mind, keep tabs on usage, and most importantly, prevent loss when it comes to theft. Modern GPS trackers are relatively affordable, small and easy to stash, and even keep connected in case of emergency.

There are a variety of reasons you might want to add a GPS tracker to a vehicle. Whatever the reason and whatever the use case, we’ve tested the most popular GPS trackers on the market to help find the perfect one to fit your needs. 

In this guide, we cover GPS trackers that use cell service, satellite networks, and phone Bluetooth to track items from anywhere in the world. We’ll go over the different price points for both the units themselves and monthly service charges, key features of each tracker, what network they operate on, weights, and sizes of all trackers. 

We searched the web to find the most popular GPS trackers available and put them to the test side by side across a variety of cars, trailers, snowmobiles, and more — all in search of the best GPS tracker for any vehicle. To learn more about the details of GPS trackers and a more in-depth analysis of how these can vary, be sure to check the Buyer’s Guide or jump to the Price & Value summary. Still weighing your options? Consult our Comparison Chart. Otherwise, take a look at our awarded goods.

Editor’s Note: We updated our GPS Trackers buyer’s guide on October 29, 2024, to include the Brickhouse Security GPS Car Tracker, information in How We Tested, and a new Price & Value section.

The Best GPS Trackers of 2024

GPS Tracker Comparison Chart

Scroll right to view all of the columns: Price, Base Monthly Subscription, Battery Life, GPS Network, Weight, Size.

How We Tested GPS Trackers

Our Expert Testers

Lead tester Eric Phillips has been an outdoor professional for the last 10 years along with being an extreme automotive enthusiast. At age 18, he built a truck from the ground up alongside his dad and, while living in Chicago, raced cars. Not one to take a vehicle to a mechanic, Phillips picks up a wrench to complete the maintenance and upgrades his own rigs.

Phillips has spent a lot of time using GPS to track himself and his belongings, from working search and rescue, split-boarding from huts, and hunting in the remote high alpine to living full-time at 9,000 feet in Colorado. He loves playing with apps and tracking data across phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. 

Tester and photographer Chip Jordan is an all-around outdoorsman and gearhead. He has spent the vast majority of his life wrenching on most anything with an engine and wheels. From a complete frame-off rebuild of a 1973 Jeep CJ5 with his sons to working as a fabricator and mechanic at a motorcycle and hot rod shop, it’s safe to say that Chip has an unquenchable thirst for all things automotive.

While nomadically meandering around New Mexico and Colorado, Jordan has used a wide variety of GPS devices and apps to aid him in navigating through his travels, as well as marking those hidden gem campsites and epic fly fishing spots.    

Our Testing Grounds

Our team tested a pool of GPS trackers head-to-head across multiple vehicles and a range of cell service in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the remote high deserts of southern New Mexico. Our primary test vehicles included a 2017 Toyota Tacoma, a 2014 Ford F-150, a 2008 Ford F-250, and a Triton Snowmobile Trailer, plus more than a few drivers.

Our Testing Process

We tested these units side-by-side by placing them all in the same vehicle and setting the same set of alerts, including the trip start/stop, speed, geofencing, and more. Then, we sent off a driver to trigger as many alerts as possible while frantically monitoring each app for notifications, alerts, and data points.

Throughout our field tests and personal experience, we determined the best GPS trackers based on various metrics, including subscription costs, GPS coverage, battery life, ease of use, alerts, tracking data, features, reliability of information, warranty, and tracking intervals. 

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a GPS Tracker

Plenty of applications of GPS trackers come to mind, including monitoring an everyday vehicle, trailer, motorcycle, or bike for wear and tear, tax or workplace purposes, or security.

GPS trackers are also helpful for safety, as they ensure that you know where loved ones are located in case of an emergency.

Battery Life

Battery life is a super important factor when choosing a GPS tracker. A dead battery won’t help if your vehicle gets stolen. If you park your camper in storage all winter and want it tracked, using a tracker that requires charging every 10 days won’t make sense. Thats’s why considering the battery life is important when picking out your GPS tracker. 

All of our trackers except the Bouncie run off battery power. The Bouncie uses the vehicle to power the tracker, but that only works if the vehicle is turned on or the car battery is charged. Some tracker models include power or energy-saving modes that preserve battery life by only tracking at certain intervals. Of these, the LandAirSea 54 stands out with its 4- to 6-month battery life in power-saving mode. 

The Apple AirTag is unique in that it uses a nonrechargeable battery that offers 1 year of battery life, which is great for hiding in places you don’t need frequent access. 

For the LandAirSea 54, Spytec GL300 Mini, Brickhouse Security Spark Nano 7, and Tracki, options are available for extending the battery life. That menu includes extended batteries, which are a great alternative when the vehicle or item you want to track does not provide its own power.

If the item you want to track does have its own battery, like a car or truck, hardware kits are available, which let you wire the tracker to the vehicle battery so it’s always powered. The downside is that wires coming off the battery are easy to find and disconnect in the case of theft. 

Monthly Subscription

While you might think that GPS trackers are cheap, the real cost of using a tracker comes in the form of a monthly subscription needed to use the product. These monthly subscriptions are why these physical trackers are priced so low. The subscriptions cover connecting the trackers to satellites and cell towers and unlocking functions within the paired apps. 

The standout product in this category is the Apple AirTag, which doesn’t require a monthly subscription to track — just an Apple account. Though its tracking is limited to Bluetooth, and there is no ability to set alerts, the one-time price of the AirTag is very enticing. 

Second, in the standout aisle is the Bouncie, as its monthly subscription is the cheapest available at only $10 a month. Also, there is no tiered price structure where you pay more per month to track the device in faster intervals.

On the opposite end of that is the most expensive subscription-based unit, the Brickhouse Security Spark Nano 7, with a base subscription price of $29. This GPS unit does have a tier-based pricing structure, with additional features becoming available as the monthly price increases.

As you compare the prices of each tracker, be sure to note the monthly subscription prices to get a realistic idea of how much each tracker will cost to operate yearly. 

Specific Design Components

While the main feature of a GPS tracker is in its name — being able to keep track of the item — there are a lot of details available that make using certain trackers easier and more enjoyable.

One primary aspect is waterproofing. Storing a tracking device outside means it’s going to get wet eventually. The LandAirSea 54 is the only tracker that comes fully waterproof while the other trackers offer some form of waterproof case.

Additional factors that help with outdoor mounting are magnets: The LandAirSea 54 and the Tracki both come with integrated magnets for mounting while the Spytec GL300 Mini as well as the Brickhouse Security Spark Nano 7 include a magnetized and waterproof case.

Some other manufacturing specs we like include battery-saver modes, which prolong the life of the battery, and SOS buttons, which let you send custom messages or an SOS alert. Another design detail is vehicle health monitoring, which lets you monitor a vehicle’s engine health, battery health, and fuel levels.

A range of components exist across our tested GPS trackers from the nearly featureless Apple AirTag to the jam-packed Bouncie. 

Real-Time Tracking

Real-time tracking refers to tracking an item or seeing where your tracker is in real time as it’s moving. This is extremely helpful if you’re looking for a stolen vehicle that’s on the move, or monitoring a family member while they drive.

Being able to see in real-time where the tracker is, what speed it’s going, and where it’s headed are huge pluses. Our testers were most impressed with the Bouncie when comparing real-time tracking, as it gave the most frequent and also information-heavy updates. 

While some trackers work in real-time, other trackers only update once every 1 to 3 minutes or in battery-saver modes as spaced out as once every 24 hours. This type of tracking uses less battery and resources but isn’t as helpful if you’re looking for real-time updates.

If you’re tracking a family member on a road trip and want to see their progress, a 24-hour update might not be quick enough compared to real-time updates. Most trackers can be switched from real-time tracking into a battery-saver interval tracking mode. 

Alerts

Alerts come in various forms. They can be notifications from a web or phone app, an email message, or an SMS text message. Alerts can be set to one, or multiple people or formats for each alert.

GPS trackers can send alerts when certain parameters are triggered. These can include movement, trip start/stop, fuel levels, hard acceleration/braking, speeding, idle time, geofencing, trip fuel economy, distance driven, impact detection, curfews, SOS, and more. We’ve analyzed the three most important ones below. 

Geofencing

Geofencing refers to creating an area on a map in the shape of a square or a circle. The tracker will monitor this area and send alerts whenever the tracker leaves the set boundary or geofence, and again when it enters a geofence.

These can be very helpful when tracking a family member or young driver to ensure they don’t leave the local neighborhood, county, or even state. A good tracker should be able to easily set and create alerts for geofences and then receive the alerts immediately when they are triggered. 

Speed

Speed refers to setting a max speed, like a speed limit on the tracker. Whenever the tracker moves faster than the set limit, an alert will be sent. So whenever you toss the keys to your ride over to a friend or family member, you can say keep it below X miles an hour and get a real-time alert if it’s broken. 

Trip Start & Stop

Probably the most important feature you would want to know from a tracked vehicle is if it starts or stops moving. If your car starts moving without your permission, an alert from a tracker can quickly alert the owner that a theft may be happening and to call the authorities. An alert like this can really help in cases of theft.

Trip alerts can also be helpful when tracking family members so you know when they have started, and ended vehicle trips. The Tracki has the most sensitive trip start sensor, as climbing into a vehicle where the tracker was in the center console was enough to trigger a trip start alert. 

Price & Value

While all of these price tiers are outlined based on unit price, each tracker has its own monthly subscription costs (with the exception of the Apple Air Tag, which has no monthly fee).

Budget

Our most wallet-friendly trackers in this guide are the Tracki GPS ($13) and the Spytec GL300 Mini ($18). One of the things to take into consideration with the budget-priced trackers is the tiered subscription pricing. Feature availability is limited if lower-priced subscriptions are selected. 

It’s also worth noting that certain conveniences that may be easily accessible on higher-priced units, can be a bit more laborious to access with the lower-priced devices. For example, on the Spytec GL300 Mini, the list of features is extensive. But configuring these features to your particular needs must be done via a desktop computer as opposed to being able to configure a device via a cellphone app. 

Mid-Tier

Sitting in the mid-tier price range are the Apple AirTag ($25) and the LandAirSea 54 ($30).

The Air Tag is a great tool, but it does have its drawbacks from the standpoint of vehicle GPS tracking. Our top pick in the midrange is the LandAirSea 54. You get a lot of bang for the buck with this tracker, such as tracking that is accomplished using satellites. This means seamless connectivity and tracking anywhere in the world. You also get a long battery life and a waterproof magnetic case. 

Premium

Finishing out the list in the premium category is the Bouncie ($90) and the Brickhouse Security Spark Nano 7 ($130). We highly recommend the Bouncie tracker in this price sector. Premium features like real-time monitoring as well as vehicle health and maintenance, the cheapest monthly subscription, and an extensive app. It is OBDII-specific, so keep that in mind. 

The Brickhouse tracker is just that: a brick. It’s big and it’s heavy, but it does do its job. This unit is better suited for fleet vehicles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not exactly. The Apple AirTag, while not technically a GPS tracker, does not require a monthly fee. Every other tracker, though, does require some level of a monthly subscription in order for the tracker to work. 

There are a few ways you can tell if someone has put a GPS tracker on your car. First, check the OBD II port for wires or objects plugged in. Next, check the battery for any additional wires like a hardwired tracker. Lastly, you can do a visual sweep of the vehicle, especially underneath for any small boxes that look suspicious.

If there is an Apple AirTag on your car, Apple will send a notification that an AirTag is following you around and also instructions on how to find and stop it from transmitting. There is no guaranteed way to know if someone has put a GPS tracker on your car, but if you do suspect someone has, contact the authorities immediately. 

It is recommended when possible to hide a GPS tracker inside or underneath your vehicle. For non-waterproof trackers, the best spots are in the glove box, center console, or underneath the seats.

For waterproof trackers with magnets — whether that’s the tracker itself or a waterproof case that you place the tracker inside — you can hide them underneath the vehicle’s car, on a flat metal surface, ideally on the inside or underneath the vehicle’s frame rail.

Each tracker comes with instructions on best places to mount. But don’t put trackers close to the engine or exhaust of the vehicle where they can become too hot and stop working. 

In most states, it’s illegal to install a tracker on someone else’s vehicle without their permission. However, that is not the case when it comes to children and parents. But we don’t recommend trying to track someone else’s vehicle or person without their knowledge and permission. 

If a GPS tracker is powered by the vehicle and not by a battery and is securely mounted, it can last indefinitely on a vehicle. Battery-powered trackers will only last if their battery remains charged. This can be as short as a week to as long as a year. It’s important to carefully monitor the battery life of any battery-powered tracker.

The other factor is mounting the tracker. Trackers mounted inside the vehicle likely won’t fall off, while magnet-mounted trackers underneath a vehicle could get knocked off from impact or rough roads. Luckily, you’ll be able to track and find any GPS tracker you lose from a vehicle. 

Generally, yes. But if you spend a lot of time traveling on rough terrain, you may want to look at a unit that has a very secure mounting system or extremely strong magnets. If you want to track a motorcycle, you need to consider the overall size and weight of the tracker since the available space to mount a GPS unit on a motorcycle can be very limited, as well as the availability of a magnetized surface.