The best GPS tracker for a car depends first on how it gets its power. Some plug into the car's OBD port, some are wired into the vehicle, and some run on their own battery, and some of those you can move between cars. After that, compare the alerts and app each maker describes, and treat no tracker as a promise you'll get a stolen car back.
A GPS tracker for a car sounds like one simple gadget, but the companies on this list sell quite different things. Some sell a small box you plug in and forget, some want it wired in, and one UK company frames its car service around getting a stolen car back.
This list sticks to what each maker's own website says, read on 1 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order, and it's written for car owners rather than fleet managers. Several of these companies also sell to businesses, so I've described only the car side. Nothing here is a promise that a tracker will stop a theft or find a car.
GPS car trackers at a glance
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Bouncie | Plug-in car tracker with a phone app | No tools or wires to fit |
| BrickHouse Security | Shop for personal, vehicle and fleet GPS trackers | Vehicle tracking as its own category |
| Invoxia | Battery GPS trackers for cars, bikes and pets | Long battery life, by the maker's account |
| LiveViewGPS | Plug-in, hardwired and battery car trackers | Three ways to power a tracker |
| Monimoto | Standalone wireless vehicle tracker | Its own battery, set up in an app |
| PocketFinder | Vehicle tracker with an OBD wired option | Location updates on a set interval |
| Rewire Security | Car trackers with a web platform and app | Trip and mileage logging |
| Spytec | Plug-in, hardwired and portable GPS trackers | Powered by the car, or rechargeable |
| Tracker (tracker.co.uk) | UK vehicle tracker built around stolen vehicle recovery | Built around theft recovery |
| Tracki | Real-time car tracker with geofencing | Speed alerts for teen drivers |
Ten car trackers, from plug-in boxes to battery units
Bouncie
Best for: Plugging a tracker into the car with no tools or wires, the maker says, once its model year check confirms your car is compatible.
BrickHouse Security
Best for: Browsing GPS trackers sorted into asset, personal, vehicle and fleet tracking, from a shop whose platform lists geofencing, speed alerts and real-time tracking.
Invoxia
Best for: A battery tracker the maker lists for car, motorbike, kids and pets, with battery life it states as up to 6 months and a Mini it calls its smallest.
LiveViewGPS
Best for: Choosing how the tracker is powered, as its site lists portable battery, OBD2 plug-in and hardwired trackers, with live position updates and historical playback.
Monimoto
Best for: Running on its own battery, which the maker says means it won't drain your vehicle's, with setup through its iOS or Android app it says takes 10 minutes.
PocketFinder
Best for: Watching where a vehicle is, with location updates the maker says come every 60 seconds; its menu also lists an OBD wired vehicle tracker and a teen driver option.
Rewire Security
Best for: Following a car on the GPSLive web platform or its Apple and Android app, with trip and mileage logging and route history the maker keeps for up to 1 year.
Spytec
Best for: Picking between plug-in or hardwired trackers that run on the vehicle's power, so there's no battery to charge, and portable rechargeable ones you can move between vehicles.
Tracker (tracker.co.uk)
Best for: UK car owners after a tracker its site describes as helping locate and recover a car if stolen, with a page on Thatcham Research and its accredited solutions.
Tracki
Best for: Real-time car tracking with geofencing and teen driver monitoring with speed alerts, backed by what the maker calls a lifetime warranty that includes device replacement.
Plug-in, hardwired or battery powered
Here's the split that's easy to miss when every product page says 'real-time tracking': how the tracker gets its power shapes the whole choice. Spytec splits its range exactly this way. Its vehicle trackers are 'Plug-in and hardwired options for cars, vans, trucks, and motorcycles', and the page says 'They run on the vehicle's power, so there's no battery to charge.' Its portable trackers have a rechargeable battery and let you 'Move one tracker between vehicles'.
LiveViewGPS lists all three kinds in one line: 'Portable battery, OBD2 plug-in, hardwired & covert trailer trackers'. Bouncie sits at the plug-in end and says 'No tools. No wires. It just plugs in!' Monimoto sits at the battery end: the maker says its wireless tracker 'won't drain your vehicle's battery', and that setup through its app 'only takes 10 minutes'.
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- Plug-in: fits the car's OBD port, runs on the car, and one maker offers a model year check first.
- Hardwired: wired into the vehicle and runs on its power, so there's nothing to recharge.
- Battery: runs on its own battery, rechargeable on some models, and some can move between vehicles, with battery life stated by each maker.
Alerts, apps and route history
Once you know the type, look at what the app does with the location. PocketFinder says its vehicle tracker has 'location updated every 60 seconds'. Tracki lists 'teen driver monitoring with speed alerts'. BrickHouse Security explains geofencing as a feature that 'Enables setting up virtual boundaries and sends alerts if the tracker enters or leaves a designated area'. Rewire Security keeps trip and route history so you can tell private and business mileage apart, and Invoxia states battery life of 'up to 6 months' for its battery trackers. Those numbers are each maker's own claim.
The UK entry built around recovery
Tracker (tracker.co.uk) is the odd one out. Its car page pitches 'advanced vehicle tracking technology, helping locate and recover it if stolen', and it talks about a security network and partners behind its recovery work. Most of the others lead with location, alerts and trips. Read the recovery wording as the company's aim, not a promise, and ask it directly what happens after you report a theft.
Six questions before you order
- Does it plug in, need wiring, or run on its own battery?
- If it plugs in, does the maker's compatibility check cover my car's model year?
- If it runs on a battery, how long does the maker say a charge lasts, and how do I recharge it?
- Which alerts does the app list: geofences, speed alerts, or something else?
- Does the maker cover the countries I drive in?
- Which features need an ongoing subscription?
Do you make a GPS tracker for cars? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice for picking a car tracker
Decide how you want to power it before you look at anything else. If you'd rather not touch the wiring, a plug-in or battery tracker is the easier start. If you want something that stays put and doesn't need charging, look at the hardwired options the makers list. Then read each maker's own words on alerts and coverage, and treat any recovery wording as an aim rather than a guarantee.
If you're keeping an eye on a young driver, my child phone tracking tips cover the family side of tracking. And a tracker is only one part of looking after a car: my car care tips for every driver cover the rest.
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Frequently asked questions
What types of GPS car tracker are there?
The makers on this list describe three: plug-in trackers that fit the car's OBD port, hardwired trackers that run on the vehicle's power, and portable trackers with their own rechargeable battery. One maker lists all three in its range.
Do plug-in car trackers need tools to fit?
One maker on this list says its plug-in device needs no tools and no wires, and offers a model year check so you can confirm your car is compatible. Check each maker's own fitting notes before you order.
Will a GPS tracker drain my car battery?
One maker says its wireless tracker runs on its own battery and won't drain your vehicle's battery. Another says its plug-in and hardwired units run on the vehicle's power, so there's no battery to charge. Ask the maker about its own model.
Can a GPS tracker get a stolen car back?
No tracker on this list comes with that promise. One UK company describes its service as helping locate and recover a car if it's stolen, and another says its tracker helps recover stolen vehicles, but those are their own aims, not guarantees.
Can I move one tracker between cars?
One maker lists portable trackers with a rechargeable battery and says you can move one tracker between vehicles. Check each maker's page for what it says about its own models.
Are these trackers for fleets too?
Several of these companies also sell fleet and business tracking, and one shop lists asset, personal, vehicle and fleet trackers side by side. This list only covers the car side, for a household car.
