Product
Monthly Fees
None
$27/Month
$25/Month (6 Months Free)
$30/Month
$19/Month
$26/Month
$26/Month
$25/Month
None
$22/Month
Contract
No Contract
36 Months
No Contract
36 Months
No Contract
24 Months
No Contract
12 Months
No Contract
No Contract
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★½
★★★★½
★★★★½
★★★★
★★★½
★★★½
★★★½
★★★
★★★
Tracking
Tracking Technology
GPS & GSM
GPS & GSM
3G GPS
GPS
3G GPS
3G GPS
3G GPS
3G GPS
GPS & GSM
3G GPS
Tracker Type
Wired
Wired
Wired
Wired
Plug & Play
Plug & Play
Plug & Play
Plug & Play
Wired
Wired
Scalable
Basic Functionalities
Real Time Tracking
On Demand
60s Updates
10s Updates
On Demand
120s Updates
30min Updates
15min Updates
1min Updates
On Demand
30-60s Updates
Route Tracking
Advanced Functionalities
Geofencing
Driver Behaviour
Maintenance Management
Security System
Expert Functionalities
Accident Tracking
Driver Communication
Route Optimisation
Dispatch Management
Reporting
Reports
Custom
Custom
Standard
Custom
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Historical Data
Yes
100,000 points
Yes
Yes
1 Month
Yes
Yes
Unlimited
Tracking Alerts
Dashaboard
Mobile app
Mobile Access
Android & iOS
Mobile Access
Mobile Access
iOS
Android & iOS
How Much Do Cheap GPS Trackers Cost?
Cheap GPS trackers can be purchased from just $9 per month or bought outright from $100.
The cost of cheap GPS trackers varies across the type of device you require. These variations in costs are determined by the functionality that the GPS tracker offers and the pricing plans that are available. If you want to just track the location of a vehicle, asset and so on, then a basic cheap GPS tracker will be ideal. However, if you require more tracking functionality a slightly more expensive GPS tracker will be required.
The general rule of thumb is that GPS tracking devices offer a valuable return in investment making their initial and ongoing outlay worthwhile. However, it is important to know which are the best cheap GPS trackers, how to ensure you are getting the best value for money with low cost vehicle tracking, and ultimately what is the GPS tracker cost.
GPS Tracking Cost Breakdown
To help simplify the costs associated with cheap GPS trackers it is worth grouping certain trackers together in to ‘Basic’, ‘Advanced’ and ‘Expert’ trackers. Within these categories, we group together trackers that are suitable for similar-sized fleets, their features, and their hire or purchase options. See the table below
Tracker Group | Fleet Size | Features | Costs |
---|---|---|---|
Basic Tracker | Single vehicle to small fleets (1-4) | Often mileage and route tracking only. No live data. | From $9/Month |
Advanced Tracker | Small to medium fleets (5-49) | In addition to basic: live mapping, vehicle maintenance monitoring, driver behaviour, geo-fencing and standardised reporting features. | From $25/Month |
Expert Tracker | All fleets, especially large and complex (50+) | All of the above and customised reporting, route dispatching, fuel tracking, accident tracking and integration into company databases / 3rd party software. | From $30/Month |
Basic Tracker Costs
Basic trackers are, on the face of it, a cheap GPS tracker. However, the features they bring are limited and therefore so are their cost-savings and business efficiencies. These systems are typically either rented at a very low cost, or bought outright. They are a straightforward tracking only option, which normally plugs in to the vehicle (rather than being hard-wired). Features are typically limited to monitoring mileage only, and frequently these are passive systems that don’t offer real-time reporting. However, they can be invaluable in keeping a general eye on your vehicle mileage and tracking routes.
Advanced Tracker Costs
Advanced GPS trackers are primarily focused on bringing you real-time vehicle tracking. These active trackers record and report near constantly. Within advanced trackers you can find worthwhile low cost vehicle tracking but you need to be careful to choose a model and make that offers the features that you require. In this group of trackers, there is a huge variety. Some devices are still ‘plug and go’ others are hard-wired. One might be focused on driver and vehicle security, whilst another may have exceptional dispatch routing fucntionalities.
Expert Tracker Costs
The most complex and comprehensive trackers on the market can be described as expert trackers. These trackers almost certainly are hard-wired to the vehicle, will come with a cloud-based interface, and offer you a range of beneficial features. Expert trackers are not only worthwhile for larger fleets, they can also suit smaller businesses who see fuel and labour costs as their biggest overheads. Expert trackers, although more expensive, represent an affordable GPS tracker cost simply because of the cost savings and efficiencies you will experience longer term.
Comparing Low Cost GPS Tracking Options
In Australia, there is a huge range of options when it comes to vehicle tracking devices for your business. As such, there is a huge variation when it comes to vehicle tracking cost. What you need to be careful of is that you are comparing like with like. For example, a complex hardwired real-time GPS tracker that combines not only tracking, but also route dispatch, work management and maintenance scheduling, is going to cost considerably more than a plug-and-go, passive tracker which you download data from manually. However, the cost savings over time with the more complex system will be vastly superior to the more basic option.
Therefore, before you begin to compare vehicle-tracking cost make sure you are considering similar products. To do this you will need to consider:
- Whether you are purchasing the GPS tracker outright, or leasing it.
- Whether the tracker is ‘plug and go’ or hard-wired.
- What particular features you need from your chosen system e.g. do you need fuel card integration, fringe benefits reporting, driver behaviour management etc.?
- How many vehicles you need to track, will this number grow and change over time?
Things to Consider With All Trackers
What makes a low-cost GPS tracking solution is rarely a case of grabbing the cheapest GPS tracker off the shelf. A cheap GPS tracker may in fact be one that has a higher initial or monthly cost, but sees greater cost savings overall. Low cost GPS tracking needs to look at the complete life cycle of the chosen tracker, and the return on investment you see. Generally speaking, when it comes to GPS tracker costs: the more expensive the tracker the greater the cost savings and efficiencies that can be realised.
Cost savings for Australian fleets include:
- Mileage reduction and reduced fuel costs
- Lower wage costs due to reduced unnecessary overtime
- Savings on time out for vehicle maintenance as well as preventative maintenance
- Administrative savings in calculating things such as working hours, fringe tax benefits and payroll
- Lower insurance costs
- Vehicle security
- Improved driver safety and behaviour
- Improved customer service levels including easier dispute resolution
Should You Lease or Should You Buy?
Typically, GPS trackers in Australia are available to either lease or buy. Leasing is usually the main method of obtaining and utilising GPS tracking of an Advanced or Expert nature, whereas Basic GPS trackers are usually more available for outright purchase. Which option suits you best, in both the short and long term, will be dependent on a few different factors.
Before purchasing or leasing a vehicle tracking solution, you should be clear exactly what you want from your system. There is no point being tied in to a two-year lease for a complex expert tracker that has route dispatch as its flagship feature, if your business doesn’t need route dispatch functionality. Equally, it would be foolish to spend a considerable amount on off-the-shelf basic trackers only to discover you really need a mapping function that would be better provided on a leased basis. Get this wrong, and you create a false economy for your business.
Whilst buying a GPS tracker outright means you know exactly what it is costing, and you own the product, there are some significant drawbacks. Technology advances quickly: Fleet-based businesses in Australia who stay competitive and ahead of the times are the ones able to keep pace with that change. Leasing makes this easier. Furthermore, you might need support and maintenance with the system, and you get this in a rental contract. Leased trackers also have a much smaller upfront cost as this is spread out over the lifetime of the contract.
In Australia, leasing contracts are usually around 24 months in length. Therefore, if your business undergoes significant reduction in that time you may be faced with hefty get out fees. However, scaling for a growing fleet can be easier.
Factors Affecting Vehicle Tracking Costs
As previously mentioned, the cost of vehicle trackers is dependent on the functionality and pricing plan that you require.
The need for greater functionality is especially important for individuals or businesses that require vehicle fleet tracking. For example, fleets that operate in remote areas across Australia may need to implement low cost vehicle tracking devices that offer GSM tracking alongside GPS and satellite tracking to ensure consistent tracking where either signal is weak and the other can take over. These trackers often fall within the advanced and expert tracker tiers and you can expect to pay more for this type of functionality.
In addition to the above, the following factors affect cost:
- The type of GPS tracking device – the more complex the system, the more expensive it will be
- The number of units you require
- Your chosen manufacturer – some companies specialise in cheap gps trackers, others specialise in complex tracking systems. Our experts recommend choosing well
- known GPS tracking company for their reputation and reliability
- Whether you are opting to buy the GPS tracker outright, or whether you’re looking to lease via a monthly fee contract
What Type of Cheap GPS Tracker Should You Choose?
Most notably, the biggest factor influencing the GPS tracking cost is the functionality of the system. Typically, the functionality of GPS tracking devices can be broken down into passive and active GPS tracking systems.
Passive GPS Trackers
Passive trackers are often much cheaper than active trackers but offer much less functionality. Passive trackers often fall into the basic bracket. It is recommended that passive trackers are used for personal usage as opposed to commercial use, especially as they do not offer some of the essential functionality needed by businesses, such as on-demand real time tracking.
Typically, passive trackers cost from approximately $100 per unit.
What Functionality Do Passive Trackers Provide?
Passive GPS trackers do not track location in real time. Instead, the tracking device must be removed from the vehicle or asset you are tracking in order to download the data it collected.
The data collected often includes location information and event data. In terms of vehicle tracking, event data ranges from stops made to the direction traveled.
Active GPS Trackers
Active cheap GPS trackers offer much more functionality than passive trackers and often fall into the advanced and expert brackets with some exceptions for sophisticated basic trackers. These trackers relay real time data via GPS which can then be accessed via a live web interface.
These systems cost from $295 per unit alongside an ongoing monthly subscription cost (12 – 36 month contracts). The cost of the monthly subscription cost can vary, for example: some companies offer free tracking devices in return for slightly higher monthly fees, whereas others charge an upfront cost for the tracker and offer lower monthly fees as a result.
Active systems are the preferred option among the vast majority of businesses operating fleets of vehicles, especially as the costs are soon outweighed by the benefits and savings, making these types of GPS vehicle trackers extremely affordable.
In addition, active trackers are often installed by a dedicated team to ensure that the trackers are integrated with your vehicles correctly.
What Functionality Do Active Trackers Provide?
Active cheap GPS trackers do not only report on location data in real time but also gather live tracking data on a range of factors, such as speed, idling, fuel usage, route mapping, security breaches, vehicle maintenance and much more.
Cost Saving Benefits of Cheap GPS Trackers
Cheap GPS trackers offer a wide range of benefits, we have listed the main benefits below:
Increased Security
Whether you are an individual wanting to track your own vehicles or a business wanting to track a fleet of vehicles, low cost GPS tracking devices are an ideal solution to increasing the security of your vehicles. Using live tracking data you are able to immediately locate your vehicle/s in the event of theft and alert the authorities for a swift recovery. In addition, advanced vehicle trackers will give you the option of creating geo-fences whereby you can manage the security of your vehicles within specific areas. For example, you could set up a geofence around your home or place of work, once your vehicle/s leave this geo-fence you will be notified by an automated alert. This functionality can extremely beneficial if security is a concern for you.
Reduced Fuel and Vehicle Costs
Fuel is one of the largest costs faced by companies that operate fleets of vehicles. Cheap GPS tracking devices can provide substantial fuel cost savings, especially those that are able to track mileage, fuel, route and driver behaviour data. Advanced and expert cheap GPS trackers are able to convert this data into quantifiable reports that allow companies to:
- Optimise routes
- Minimise wasted fuel though inefficient driving such as idling and poor driving behaviour
- Eliminate unauthorised vehicle usage
Alongside fuel savings, businesses are also able to reduce labour costs by monitoring driver performance and managing driver activities more efficiently. For example, delivery firm fleet managers will be able to locate drivers through the cheap GPS tracking devices and allocate the closest driver to a new job.
In fact, some GPS vehicle trackers have the capability to reduce overall expenses by 10-25%, which can equate to thousands of dollars dependent upon your fleet size.
Increased Productivity
Developing on from reducing labour costs, real-time GPS tracking via low cost vehicle tracking systems allow fleet managers to make use of route data to streamline processes and fleet operations, allowing drivers to complete more work in less time. As a result, a larger capacity of jobs can be achieved, which in turn opens the opportunity for businesses to earn more revenue. As an example, Horizon Services, a plumbing and heating business with a fleet of 143 vehicle, increased their workload capacity after installing GPS trackers and are now projected to earn an extra $69,285 of revenue annually.
Cheap GPS Tracker Reviews
Tramigo T23 Track
The world’s best selling GPS tracker.
The T23 Tracker benefits from Tramigo’s patented Landmark Data tracking software enabling you to accurately track your vehicle or asset across Australia.
Additionally, Tramigo offer a one off cost and provide free tracking software meaning you don’t have to pay a monthly subscription.
Netcorp GPS Basic
Netcorp GPS are the fastest growing GPS tracking company in Australia.
They offer a Basic GPS tracker for those seeking an affordable yet effective option.
It reports on the location of your vehicle or asset every 120 seconds and offers a wide range of additional tracking benefits such as a security system and customisabale reports.
iHound Business
iHound offer commercial GPS tracking systems.
Being a plug and play tracker, the iHound Business is an ideal solution for businesses that require GPS trackers to be moved from one vehicle to another with ease.
The tracker reports on location data every 30 seconds. You are also able to track the location of your tracker through iPhone, Android and PC devices.
Intellitrac MyCars – Gen 3
Intellitrac are a multi-award winning GPS tracking company.
They offer the best selling GPS car tracker in Australia.
The Gen 3 is a scalable solution and comes packed full of a wide range of functionalities ranging from driver detail reporting to routing data.
This tracker is best suited to small & medium businesses.