Best GPS Tracker For Car No Monthly Fee in 2024

Installing a GPS tracker in your car can provide invaluable peace of mind when it comes to monitoring your vehicle’s location and driving habits. However, most GPS trackers come with costly monthly subscription fees that can add up significantly over time.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about choosing a quality GPS tracker for your vehicle that doesn’t require monthly fees.

The Benefits of Using a GPS Tracker With No Monthly Fee

Opting for a GPS tracking device that doesn’t require monthly payments offers some great advantages:

• Save money by avoiding expensive recurring subscription fees each month. One-time or annual payment options are much more budget-friendly.
• Enjoy flexible plans ranging from pay-as-you-go options to annual payments to lifetime fees. Find the payment structure that best fits your budget.
• Experience simple, hassle-free setup with no long-term contracts or commitments required. Just purchase the device and start using it right away.
• Take advantage of unlimited use since there are no data limits. You can utilize the tracking features as often as needed.
• Get peace of mind without breaking the bank. Eliminating monthly fees makes GPS tracking much more affordable.

Our Top Recommended GPS Trackers With No Monthly Fees

After extensive research on over 20 leading GPS tracker options, we narrowed down the top 14 trackers that provide robust tracking capabilities without requiring any monthly fees.

Trakkit GPS Tracker

The Trakkit GPS Tracker is our top overall recommendation for vehicles. It uses innovative WiFi technology so there are never any monthly costs associated with using it. Measuring just 2.25 x 1.3 x 0.75 inches, Trakkit is small enough to easily conceal in your car or truck. It offers both real-time tracking and location data logging and recording. Useful alerts can be set up to notify you of any motion or movement. Trakkit leverages both GPS and WiFi signals to determine positioning, so it can track indoors and outdoors. At $125, it’s an affordable solution that eliminates the hassle of monthly fees.

Invoxia Cellular GPS Tracker

The Invoxia Cellular GPS Tracker is a slim yet powerful GPS tracking device that sticks discreetly to any car or valuable belonging using cellular networks for positioning. While the first year of service is included with no monthly cost, low annual fees apply after the initial 12 months. Helpful motion alert notifications can inform you if your vehicle is moved unexpectedly. At $129, it delivers reliable real-time tracking and anti-theft alerts affordably.

Optimus 2.0 GPS Tracker

For more advanced real-time tracking capabilities without monthly fees, the Optimus 2.0 GPS Tracker is a top choice at $169. Geo-fencing, motion alerts, and live location tracking provide detailed monitoring of vehicles and assets. The rugged, weatherproof design makes it versatile for use on cars, equipment, trailers, and more. Tracking works both indoors and outdoors for maximum visibility.

Amcrest GPS Tracker

The Amcrest GPS Tracker is a great budget-friendly option at just $45. It offers real-time monitoring with the option to avoid monthly fees completely. The long-lasting battery-powered magnetic design sticks conveniently to cars and valuables for tracking. While annual subscription fees are optional, it works straight out of the box with no monthly costs. Location updates each minute keep you informed of movement and location changes.

LandAirSea 54

Lastly, the LandAirSea 54 is one of the best-selling real-time GPS trackers available with no mandatory monthly fee. For only $30, you get precise tracking worldwide supported by rapid location updates as frequent as every second. The compact waterproof device is a breeze to install using the built-in magnets. A 1 year included warranty provides peace of mind.

GPSit 1000BZL

This comprehensive GPS system for your car keeps track of every metric including mileage, idle time and speed. There are accompanying smartphone apps that help you track these metrics on your phone. This is an LTE model, making it compatible with most networks in the U.S. Setting it up is incredibly easy thanks to the 3-wire installation.

If you have this set up on a car, you will get details on each turn made, speed, etc directly on your smartphone.

It will also send location updates every two minutes to alert you of the vehicle’s status as well as position. There are even notifications when the vehicle is stopped, giving you pretty much all the details you need on your vehicle.

As you would expect, there are no monthly fees here or contracts to deal with, so what you see is what you get. This car GPS system also works with the OAY1000 OBD adapter, so compatibility is not a concern. This comprehensive GPS unit is currently available on Amazon.

Buy it now on Amazon

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Eilimy Mini GPS Tracker

Second, on our countdown, we’ve got the Eilimy Mini GPS Tracker. This one doesn’t plug into a slot in your car. It’s magnetic, and simply firmly attaches to a metal portion of your vehicle . That makes it easy to keep track of where your car or another items is going — you can easily use it to track teens, seniors, assets, and so much more.

While the GPS tracker itself doesn’t have a monthly fee, there’s no SIM card included, so you will have to buy your own and figure out a data plan for it. Besides, Eilimy gives you a couple of features for free, such as real-time tracking; however, if you want advanced access, you’ll have to pay a subscription fee.

One of our favorite aspects to this GPS tracker is that it can store up to a year of tracking history. This allows you to watch and record patterns, and even see where your teens are off to. It has a fairly impressive battery, but the battery life depends on what you have your tracking update interval set to.

Buy it now on Amazon

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Bouncie Connected Car

Bouncie’s Connected Car is second on our countdown and has a handful of unique features that set it apart from the rest on our list. Bouncie has support for Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to use voice commands to access data

One of the things about the Bouncie Connected Car adapter is that it connects directly to your vehicle’s OBD-2 port. It gains power from that port, so you don’t have to keep this car GPS tracker charged.

Bounce is one of the better car GPS tracker grands on the market right now, as it gives you one-minute intervals for tracking updates. On top of that, some notifications can go to your phone for driving in-progress, acceleration, braking, speed, curfew, and so much more.

You can easily keep track of teens, assets, vehicles, and other items because it has pinpoint accuracy to it. On top of that, Bouncie provides some nice record keeping, helping you keep track of things like mileage, reports, statistics, and more.

The one downside to Bouncie is that it isn’t free. It costs quite a bit to host an infrastructure like this, and so, they charge a small monthly fee.

Buy it now on Amazon

Vyncs GPS Tracker

This particular GPS tracker draws power from the OBD II port and can track distance, mileage and several other metrics. Naturally, there’s a smartphone app that can help you track your vehicle in real-time. Notifications and updates can be set up for predefined time intervals, allowing you to know where the vehicle is located at any given time.

One year of service is included for free here.

The tracker uses a real-time geofence zone, giving you precise details on the street, lane or intersection that the car is located in. It works on 3G or 2G networks in all 50 states of the U.S. and around 177 countries of the world. The service also comes included with a SIM card and one year of free service by default. Given that the user has to pay an activation fee, the company has been mindful enough to charge low upfront.

Buy it now on Amazon

JLEKONG GPS Tracker

This futuristic-looking product is pretty amazing considering the features it packs. The product is included with a SIM card, with the user having to pay for the data fees every month. But the company mentions that only 30MB of data is used per month by keeping it running for 24 hours a day, so the costs will be pretty negligible.

Barring this, there are no monthly or recurring fees to talk about, which makes this an exciting offering. The GPS can provide live information of your vehicle along with info on stop times, mileage, location, etc.

You can monitor the car’s location in real-time using the Amber360 app on the Google Play Store. One feature I particularly like is the ability to use the GPS tracker to make a phone call if your phone is inoperable or nonfunctional. The user has to buy a 2G SIM card from a compatible network provider to get started.

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BARTUN GPS Tracker

This is a versatile GPS tracking device that barely takes a few seconds to install. All you have to do is plug the GPS tracker to the bottom of your car. Since it’s magnetic, it can attach itself to any portion of your car. The tracker is water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about water spills on the road or driving during the monsoons.

Bartun also has an app of its own that will help you monitor the vehicle’s position (accurate up to + – 5 meters). The tracker can also be located using a web page, with the ability to get real-time coordinates over SMS for precise information on your car’s location.

Tkstar GPS Tracker

Another great gps trackers for cars is the TKSTAR GPS Tracker. While you’ll have to purchase a compatible SIM card, there are no mandatory monthly fees required. This versatile magnetic GPS tracker device runs for days without needing a charge. With an IP65 waterproof rating, it can withstand the elements. Real-time worldwide tracking is supported along with handy geo-fencing and alerts. For just $63, the easy-to-use TKSTAR app provides you with accurate monitoring anywhere at an affordable price point.

Buy it now on Amazon

 

MOTOsafety

You can’t go wrong with the MOTOsafety for your vehicle. This GPS tracker has 100% accuracy using Google Maps, so you will always be able to find your teen driver, no matter where they’re at. It uses a 4G cellular connection to keep pinging your GPS location, but there are no contracts or anything of the sort here.

The app provides you with real-time email and text message alerts, providing you with peace of mind for knowing that your teen driver is safe, no matter where they go.

Buy it now on Amazon

AMERICALOC GL300W

AMERICALOC comes up next with the GL300W portable GPS tracker. What we like about this one is just how long the battery life is, in addition to bringing you extended multicarrier coverage. No activation or hidden fees — it’s just ready to go. There are also no contracts that you have to worry about.

The GL300W provides you real-time tracking updates, with a location update every minute. You can configure it up to 60, 30, or 10 seconds for location refreshes if you want.

Buy it now on Amazon

What to Look for in a No Monthly Fee GPS Tracker

When evaluating GPS tracking devices that don’t require monthly payments, be sure to consider these key factors:

• Battery Life – Look for long battery life of at least several weeks before recharging is needed.

• Storage – Can the device store location data if no WiFi or cellular signals are available? Offline logging is useful.

• Weatherproof Design – Durable water-resistant construction allows installation anywhere.

• Tracking Frequency – Faster live location updates like every few seconds provide more real-time tracking capability.

• Software & Apps – User-friendly applications make monitoring alerts and location history simpler.

• Warranty – Multi-year warranties included with the hardware purchase provide greater peace of mind.

• Reviews – Check customer reviews on sites like Amazon to gauge real-world performance and potential issues.

Tips for Installing Your GPS Tracker

Properly installing your GPS tracking device is critical for optimal performance. Follow these tips:

• For portable battery-powered trackers, conceal the device in hidden areas like under and behind seats, inside bumpers, within wheel wells, or tucked above the windshield lining.

• Hardwired trackers connect directly to your vehicle battery for constant power. Carefully install behind the vehicle dashboard by an experienced auto technician.

• Mount magnetic trackers on any metal surface underneath the car or under the hood to keep them out of sight.

• Ensure the GPS antenna has a clear view of the sky through the windshield for the best satellite signal reception.

• Closely follow the installation instructions in the product manual for smooth and flawless installation.

Using a GPS Tracker Legally, Ethically, and Responsibly

While GPS tracking devices offer useful security and peace of mind, it’s important to use them legally, ethically, and responsibly. Here are some key guidelines:

• Never use a tracker to monitor another person without first obtaining their consent. Doing so may violate privacy laws and personal rights.

• Always inform users like teenage drivers that the vehicle will be tracked. Transparency about monitoring is essential.

• Familiarize yourself with federal and local laws pertaining to vehicle tracking and surveillance.

• Only access and utilize the tracking data for legitimate purposes like security, not spying.

• Remove trackers before selling the vehicle or if loaning it out to others.

When used properly following ethical guidelines, GPS trackers can provide immense value. Make sure to obey the law and respect individual privacy boundaries.

Troubleshooting Common GPS Tracker Problems

As with any technology, occasional troubleshooting of your GPS tracker may be needed. Here are some frequent issues and potential solutions:

No mobile signal? The tracker requires a cellular or WiFi connection to transmit location data. Try moving it to a spot with better reception.

App not showing updates? Verify software is up-to-date. Make sure Bluetooth and mobile data are turned on.

Inaccurate tracking? The GPS antenna may have an obstructed view. Change location to improve satellite line-of-sight.

Battery dies quickly? More frequent live tracking drains batteries faster. Switch to a lower power logging-only mode.

Device won’t charge? Inspect cable connections. Batteries may need replacement if older. Consider a permanently hardwired power source.

Can’t find the tracker? Use the app to make the tracker ring loudly. Move vehicle to an open area and walk around listening.

Overheating? Avoid leaving trackers in direct sun or enclosed spaces. Only operate at the proper temperatures.

Alternative Ways to Track Your Vehicle

If a dedicated GPS tracker isn’t the right solution for your needs, consider alternative ways to track your car or truck:

• Smartphone Tracking Apps – Built-in GPS and WiFi enables basic tracking via apps like Find My Device. Limited functionality.

• AirTags – Leverage proximity and crowd-sourcing to get approximate location when in range. Not true vehicle tracking.

• Bluetooth Trackers – Find keys, bags, and more when in close range. Tile and other brands offer short range tracking.

• OBD-II Dongles – Plug devices like OBDeleven into the port to access driving data, mileage, speed, and location history.

• Logbook Apps – Record mileage, trips, and expenses for taxes without robust tracking abilities. Everlance is a top choice.

Dedicated GPS tracking still provides the most extensive and reliable vehicle monitoring capabilities however.

Frequently Asked Questions About GPS Trackers

Still have some lingering questions about using a GPS tracker? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions:

Do I need a SIM card for my GPS tracker?

• Cellular-based trackers require a SIM card to function. WiFi models don’t need one. Some devices come with SIM cards pre-installed.

Can I switch a GPS tracker between vehicles?

• Yes, most portable battery-powered devices can be easily moved between cars and assets. Just follow installation instructions carefully.

How long do GPS tracker batteries last?

• Expect around 1-2 weeks of battery life under normal use. Battery saver modes can extend this lifespan. Frequent live tracking will drain batteries faster.

Are GPS trackers waterproof?

• Many feature water-resistant IP67 or IP68 rated designs. The higher the IP number, the better weather protection. Hardwired options are very water-resistant.

Can I monitor the tracker location remotely?

• Yes, the accompanying smartphone app allows you to view real-time and historical tracking information from anywhere in the world. No need to be in the vehicle.

Find the Best GPS Tracker With No Monthly Fees for Your Needs

Installing a GPS tracking device in your car, truck, or fleet vehicles provides immense peace of mind when it comes to monitoring valuable assets safely and securely. Avoid getting locked into expensive monthly subscription fees by choosing a quality tracker that fits your budget upfront.

Look for trackers that offer detailed historical tracking data, real-time monitoring and alerts, long battery life, weatherproof and rugged construction, and easy-to-use mobile apps. Carefully consider your specific needs and usage.

For an innovative GPS tracker that provides extensive tracking capabilities without any monthly fees whatsoever, we highly recommend the Trakkit GPS. It uses WiFi networks creatively to deliver tracking anywhere without relying on cellular networks or costly monthly plans.

Whichever GPS tracking solution you choose, be sure to install it properly, use it legally and ethically, and follow the tips in this guide. Safe travels!