The Best GPS Pet Trackers of 2023

So, what can you do to prevent your favorite pet from ending up on the list of lost-and-yet-to-be-found pets? Simple, get a GPS pet tracker (and thank us later). It is among the best gadgets for pet owners and by far one of the most effective ways to prevent pet loss. It is much better than using Apple AirTags for your pets.

What to Look For In a GPS Pet Tracker

However, if you don’t know what to look for in a GPS pet tracker, you may sadly continue to look for your wandering pets. Therefore, while selecting the best GPS pet trackers for you (and for this roundup), here are some of the critical features/factors we considered.

• Accuracy: The best GPS pet trackers allow you to easily pinpoint your stray pet’s exact whereabouts with a high degree of accuracy. Such precision is key.
• Portability and Fit: You want to be sure that your GPS pet tracker fits snugly on your pet and doesn’t get in its way. The best GPS pet trackers often specify what pets they’re meant for.
• Real-Time Tracking and Live Updates: What good is a GPS pet tracker without real-time tracking and live updates? The best GPS pet trackers offer both of these essential services.
• Coverage Area: Pets can wander far away from home searching for meat, mates, and what have you. The best GPS pet trackers offer mile-wide, and even nationwide coverage.
• Weather-Resistance: Homesick stray pets can wade through neck-deep water in their desperate search for home. Hence, water and weather-resistant GPS pet trackers are the best.
• Battery Life: Stray pets can be gone for hours or days even and a dead GPS tracker is no good. Therefore, battery life is one of the top factors to consider when buying GPS pet trackers.
• Remote Voice Commands: Your pet can tell your voice apart from hundreds of others in a crowd. Some of the best pet GPS trackers allow you to guide your stray pet home with voice commands.

With that out of the way and without further ado, here are the best pet GPS trackers we recommend.

Best Overall: Tractive TRNJAWH GPS Pet Tracker for Dogs

Dogs, a.k.a man’s best friend, are among the most pampered and beloved pets on the planet. If you have a doggo that is in the habit of wandering far away, you might want to get the Tractive TRNJAWH GPS Pet Tracker for Dogs. Our top pick for the overall best GPS pet tracker, this versatile pet locator also doubles as a smart pet activity tracker. Available in white, it works with any dog collar and offers unlimited coverage throughout the U.S., Canada, and 150 other countries.

With it, you can virtually follow your furry friend’s footsteps in real-time, see where they’ve been (location history), and what they’ve been up to, with live-tracking updates every few seconds. You can also set up virtual fences and get notified when your pet leaves or returns. Compact, lightweight, and waterproof, it can last all day tracking your dog’s active time, rest, and calorie burn rate. It also comes with nightlights and an alarm for as low as six dollars per month.

Best for Cats: Tractive TRAMINDB Pet GPS Tracker for Cats

So, what if you have a cat instead, especially the curious type? No problems, the Tractive TRAMINDB GPS Pet Tracker for Cats also has you covered as well as your little kitty. Just like the Tractive GPS Pet Tracker for Dogs, this cat GPS tracker also doubles as a cat activity tracker. Available in dark blue, it will work with any collar while providing comprehensive coverage across the U.S., Canada, and 150 other countries where  AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Viaero exist.

Ideal for medium to large cats of 9 lbs+, the Tractive GPS Cat Tracker lets you track your cat in real-time (every few seconds) with location history showing where they’ve been and what they’ve been up to. With safe zones, you’ll be notified every time your furry feline leaves or re-enters the boundaries. It is also compact, lightweight, and fully waterproof with LED indicators, a smart activity tracker, and decent battery life.  It also costs as low as six dollars per month.

Best for Large Dogs: Whistle 100-04201-00 Go Explore GPS Pet Tracker

If you have a larger dog breed that is 25 lbs or more (such as the St. Bernard), then we recommend the Whistle 100-04201-00 Go Explore GPS Pet Tracker. It provides health, nutrition, and activity tracking with real-time nationwide coverage via AT&T and Google Maps allowing you to pinpoint where your pets are and how they’re faring. You can easily set up escape alerts for designated safe zones and receive 15-second live updates about your dog’s whereabouts.

It comes with nightlights for easy spotting in the dark and a long-lasting battery. As a fitness and activity tracker, it can recommend custom activities for your dog based on its breed, age, and weight with weekly progress reports to boot. As a health tracker, it can monitor licking, sleep patterns, scratching, and other abnormal dog behaviors that may be indicative of ill health. It is also compact, lightweight, and waterproof with subscription starting at $8.25 a month.

Best Battery-Life: Pawfit 3s GPS Pet Tracker

Real-time GPS pet trackers are battery-powered. Given enough time, even the best trackers will run out of juice leaving you clueless about your pet’s whereabouts and welfare. Therefore, for the best battery life, we recommend the Pawfit 3s GPS Pet Tracker. It can run for up to 30 days (depending on usage) allowing you maximum time to find your pet. It offers nationwide coverage with LTE-M cellular technology, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.1 technology

It allows you to set up safety fences and notifies you when your pet escapes. With FIND mode you get 5-second live updates (or 30-second updates in regular mode). You can even record up to five audible remote voice commands. It has LED nightlights and an alarm. It also doubles as a fitness activity tracker with custom activities suited to your dog’s breed, age, and weight. It is equally waterproof, compact, and lightweight. It costs  $4.75 per month with access to a live Vet.

Best Subscription-Free: PETFON Pet GPS Tracker

Even though trackers like the Pawfit 3s GPS Tracker above cost only $4.75 per month, you may prefer a subscription-free package, and there’s no shame in that. However, there’s a catch, it comes with a higher retail price. If that’s fine by you, then get the PETFON GPS Pet Tracker. This subscription-free GPS pet tracker and activity monitor also combines GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and long-distance radar technologies to keep your pets in view, safe, and active.

It comes with geofencing features, multicolor escape alerts (when your pet escapes), nightlights (for when it’s dark), and customizable remote voice commands (to guide them back to safety). Its battery has a typical runtime of between eight to 16 hours and it can only effectively cover distances between 0.65 to 3.5 miles in an open environment (expect some interference in built-up areas). It is compact, lightweight, rainproof (not waterproof), and subscription-free.