There is no single best GPS tracker in Australia. Bluetooth tags such as AirTag cost the least but are not GPS. Battery 4G trackers suit vehicles parked without power. Hardwired and OBD trackers run off the vehicle, so they never need charging. This page compares each kind by price in AUD, subscription, battery and network.
We checked every price below on the seller’s own page on 15 October 2026. Solid GPS makes 2 of the trackers in the table, so its rows sit inside their groups like any other. The last section says plainly when another kind of tracker will suit you better than ours.
Contents
- How do the GPS trackers sold in Australia compare?
- Which trackers need a subscription, and what does it cost over 3 years?
- Is there a GPS tracker with no monthly fee?
- Which tracker suits a car you drive every day?
- Which tracker suits a caravan, trailer or boat?
- Which tracker suits a small business fleet?
- Will a tracker work on Australian mobile networks?
- How do you check a tracker company before you buy?
- When is Solid GPS the right choice, and when is it not?
How do the GPS trackers sold in Australia compare?
They differ most in how they get power and how they send their location, so the table groups them by kind and does not rank them. Within each group the trackers are listed in alphabetical order. Every price is in AUD, as each seller shows it.
Bluetooth tags are not GPS trackers, because they need a phone nearby to report where they are. Battery, OBD and hardwired trackers have their own GPS and their own mobile SIM, so they can report from anywhere with coverage. Our guide to the types of GPS trackers explains each kind in more detail.
| Kind | Tracker | Network | Power | Hardware | Subscription | Contract | 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth tag, not GPS | Apple AirTag (2nd generation) | Apple Find My network | Replaceable battery, more than a year | $49, or $165 for 4 | None | None | $49 |
| Bluetooth tag, not GPS | MagTag Micro Tracker | Apple Find My or Google Find Hub (separate versions) | Replaceable battery, up to 12 months | $58 for 2, or $98 for 4 (Apple) and $99 for 4 (Android) | None | None | $58 for 2 |
| Battery GPS | BlackOwl Portable (Small) | LTE-M and NB-IoT, Telstra SIM included | Battery, up to 10 years at 1 update a day (BlackOwl’s figure) | $250 | $150 a year | Not stated | $700 |
| Battery GPS | Solid GPS Standard, Large, MEGA | 4G, Telstra and Vodafone SIM included | Battery, up to 3, 6 or 12 months per charge | $157, $197, $247 | $69.99 a year or $6.99 a month | No contracts, 31 days free | $367, $407, $457 |
| OBD GPS | BlackOwl OBD2 | LTE-M and NB-IoT, SIM included | OBD2 port, backup battery | $250 | $150 a year | Not stated | $700 |
| OBD GPS | Motiq | 4G, Telstra and Optus SIM included | OBD2 port | $99 | $11.99 a month | No lock-in | $531 |
| OBD GPS | Solid GPS OBD | 4G, Telstra and Vodafone SIM included | OBD2 port | $199 | $99.99 a year or $11.99 a month | No contracts, 31 days free | $499 |
| Hardwired GPS | BlackOwl Hardwired | LTE-M and NB-IoT, SIM included | Wired, 8 to 33V, backup battery | $250 | $150 a year | Not stated | $700 |
| Hardwired GPS | Keep Track DART3 | LTE-M and NB-IoT, Telstra network | Wired, 8 to 36V, backup battery | $180 | $18.50 a month (Standard plan) | Not stated | $846 |
| Hardwired GPS | Track My Ride GeoBeetle | 4G, SIM roams Telstra, Optus and Vodafone | Wired, 12V or 24V, backup battery | $269, or $344 with 12 months of tracking | $15 a month or $150 a year | No lock-in, 30 days free (hardware only) | $644 with the $344 bundle |
The 3-year column adds the hardware to 36 months of the cheapest plan each seller shows. It leaves out free trials and the cost of having a tracker wired in. “Not stated” means the page we checked did not give a contract term, so ask the seller before you buy.
Sources, all checked on 15 October 2026: Apple’s AirTag price and AirTag battery pages, MagTag for Apple and Android, and BlackOwl’s Portable, OBD2, Hardwired and pricing pages. The rest come from Motiq, Track My Ride’s GeoBeetle and pricing pages, the Keep Track DART3 page, and our own plans and checkout pages.
Which trackers need a subscription, and what does it cost over 3 years?
Every GPS tracker in the table needs a subscription, and over 3 years they cost from $367 to $846 AUD, including the hardware. Only the Bluetooth tags have no ongoing fee, because they send no data of their own.
The subscription pays for the SIM, the mobile data and the app. Over a year, the plans in the table cost from $69.99 to $222 ($18.50 a month), and some sellers charge less if you pay for a year up front. Motiq, Track My Ride and Solid GPS say there is no lock-in, while the other pages we checked do not state a term.
A wired tracker also costs money to fit. Cars24’s guide to car tracking devices (13 January 2026) puts a basic setup at $50 to $200 for the hardware and $7 to $20 a month. It lists $50 to $200 to install a high-security tracker, which needs a professional to fit it.
Joe Luci’s HSV GTS was stolen 3 weeks after he fitted a Solid GPS tracker, and the tracker let him give police the car’s exact location. “They only had the car for 90 minutes before we were allowed to take it home with minimal damage. The best $247.00 we’ve ever spent,” he told us. That $247 is the AUD price of our MEGA tracker.
Is there a GPS tracker with no monthly fee?
Not one that reports on its own. A GPS tracker needs mobile data to send its location, so you pay for that data either in a subscription or on a SIM you buy yourself.
Bluetooth tags such as AirTag and MagTag have no fee because they are not GPS trackers. They send a Bluetooth signal that nearby phones pick up and pass on, so they work best where people are close by, such as a city car park. Our guide to a GPS tracker vs AirTag explains the difference in full.
Some trackers sold online have no subscription but need a SIM of your own. One Elinz 4G tracker on Bunnings Marketplace costs $129.95 and says it needs a standard SIM card with data. Its listing also names the 2G and 3G networks, which are now closed. Many TKSTAR GPS trackers work the same way, with no SIM in the box.
Read the SIM’s terms before you put it in a tracker. Clause 6.5 of the ALDI Mobile Customer Terms (version of 1 May 2026) says the service must not be used in tracking devices. Other prepaid plans may have rules like it, so check yours.
Which tracker suits a car you drive every day?
Any of the 3 kinds of GPS tracker can, and the choice comes down to wiring, charging and how easy the tracker is to find. Each kind gives up something.
- Hardwired trackers run off the car’s battery, so they never need charging, but they need an auto electrician or other installer to fit them. Cars24 lists a hidden install as their strength.
- OBD trackers plug into the car’s OBD2 port with no tools. Cars24 notes that they are easy to find and unplug, for a thief as well as for you.
- Battery trackers need no wiring and can move from car to car, but you have to recharge them.
Battery life depends on how often a tracker reports. BlackOwl quotes up to 10 years for its portable tracker at 1 update a day. A Solid GPS tracker lasts up to 3, 6 or 12 months per charge because it updates as often as every 2 minutes while moving, and it can also stay plugged into USB power.
A wired tracker has a cost of its own: Cars24 warns that one can drain a car that sits for weeks until it won’t start. Our car GPS tracker page covers the battery option for cars.
The cost of a battery tracker is that someone has to charge it. In June 2021 Myles Niutta’s Ninja 400 motorcycle was stolen while his Solid GPS tracker had been flat for about 2 weeks. The low battery email looked like a routine alert and was missed.
Since then we have made the low battery alerts clearer and added SMS alerts, and the app now warns you at 30% battery. A battery tracker still only works if you charge it. If you would rather never think about that, a hardwired or OBD tracker suits you better.
Whichever kind you choose, check that it can alert you when the car leaves an area you set, called a geofence. A Solid GPS tracker sends that alert to your phone as a push notification.
Which tracker suits a caravan, trailer or boat?
A battery tracker suits a caravan, trailer or boat that sits for weeks with no power, as long as it is parked where there is mobile coverage. A wired tracker needs a battery that stays charged, and many trailers and boats do not have one.
A Solid GPS tracker checks in every 24 hours when parked, and it can stay plugged into USB power if your van has it. An IP67 waterproof pouch, $10 AUD, protects one on a boat or a trailer.
Outside mobile coverage, no 4G tracker can report, and that includes ours. If you travel in remote areas, a satellite tracker suits you better. Keep Track, for example, sells trackers on the Iridium and Globalstar satellite networks, such as the Globalstar SmartOne C.
Satellite data costs more than mobile data. On its DART3 page, Keep Track lists its satellite plan at $35.50 a month plus Iridium data, against $18.50 a month for its standard plan.
Which tracker suits a small business fleet?
For a handful of vehicles, an OBD tracker is the simplest choice: it plugs in, needs no charging and can show every vehicle on one map. A fleet platform suits a larger business, or one with compliance duties.
Our OBD GPS tracker costs $199 AUD ($229 NZD) plus $99.99 a year or $11.99 a month, with no contracts. It updates about every 60 seconds while moving and is sold in Australia and New Zealand only. One account holds as many trackers as you need, and you can share a view-only link with your staff.
If you need to manage driver hours or Chain of Responsibility duties, a fleet platform built for that suits you better than a simple OBD tracker, ours included. Teletrac Navman and Verizon Connect sell on quotes, with no public AUD price. The Expert Market guide to fleet tracking in Australia (updated 11 December 2025) lists a 3-year minimum contract for Verizon Connect.
Tracking staff vehicles also brings legal duties that differ from state to state. Our guide to GPS tracking laws in Australia sets them out.
Will a tracker work on Australian mobile networks?
Yes, as long as it runs on 4G or LTE-M. The 3G networks are closed: business.gov.au said in August 2024 that Vodafone had already switched its 3G network off, and that Telstra and Optus would switch theirs off from 28 October 2024.
That matters because some listings still sell trackers for 2G and 3G. The same business.gov.au notice warns that some 4G devices still use 3G for part of what they do. Check that the listing names 4G or LTE-M, and check there is 4G coverage where the vehicle is kept.
Every GPS tracker in the table above runs on 4G or LTE-M, with its SIM included. A Solid GPS tracker has a built-in SIM on Telstra and Vodafone, and you cannot swap in your own. Our page on the 3G shutdown and GPS trackers covers older trackers in more detail.
How do you check a tracker company before you buy?
Call them, read their reviews and check the warranty before you pay. A company with phone support in Australia can help fast if your vehicle is taken, so ring the number on its website and see who answers. Ours is 03 9015 4529.
Read reviews on Google or ProductReview, not only on the seller’s own site. Then compare warranties: ours is 12 months, and Keep Track gives 2 years on its DART3.
Last, ask whether the company will still be around in a few years, since a tracker stops working when its service does. That is what happened to owners of Bullant GPS trackers when the company’s website and app went away. Our list of what to look for in a GPS tracker covers the rest, including how the company handles your data.
When is Solid GPS the right choice, and when is it not?
Solid GPS suits you if you want a tracker with no wiring, its own 4G SIM and up to 12 months per charge, with no contracts. It works in a car, a motorcycle, a caravan, a trailer or a boat, and you can hide it anywhere.
Our wireless trackers cost $157, $197 or $247 AUD ($169, $209 or $269 NZD). The plan is $69.99 a year or $6.99 a month AUD ($79.99 a year or $7.99 a month NZD), the first 31 days are free, and the warranty runs for 12 months.
Another kind of tracker suits you better in these cases:
- You want a low-cost tag for a car that parks in the city, where phones are always close: an AirTag or another Bluetooth tag will do.
- You never want to recharge anything: a hardwired tracker or an OBD tracker, including our own OBD tracker, runs off the vehicle.
- You travel outside mobile coverage: a satellite tracker keeps reporting where no 4G tracker can.
- You need to meet fleet compliance rules: a fleet platform is built for that work.
A Solid GPS wireless tracker needs no wiring, runs on its own 4G SIM and lasts up to 12 months per charge, with no contracts. Trusted by 30,000+ drivers.
