Updated: September 18, 2026 ·
It is easy to compare trackers on the price of the hardware, but GPS units transmit data and mostly assume a monthly plan, while Bluetooth tags do not. The gap widens the longer you keep using them, so any fair comparison has to include how many years you expect to use it.
Of the six trackers listed here, the two Bluetooth models need no subscription; the other four assume a monthly plan. Drawing that line before comparing features cuts the field down fast. It is a choice between dependable tracking and predictable cost.
The GPS units here need charging every 2–15 days, and while one is on the charger it is not tracking anything — which may well be when the cat gets out. Bluetooth tags run for a year or more, so that blind spot barely exists. It never shows up on the invoice, but it is a real difference.
A cheap unit on a monthly plan keeps costing money; a pricier one with no subscription gets relatively cheaper every year. Given a cat's lifespan you may be using this for years, even a decade or more — so comparing over a single year will point you the wrong way.
GPS trackers send their position over a mobile network, so on subscription-based products cancelling generally means losing the tracking. Terms differ by product, so it is worth checking what happens on cancellation before you buy.
Four of the trackers listed here record activity. On some products that logging sits behind the same paid app tier as location, so check what the plan actually covers beyond positioning.