Pawscout VS Garmin Astro 430

UPDATED Apr. 2024
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If you are stuck choosing between Garmin Astro 430 and Pawscout, our comprehensive Garmin Astro 430 vs. Pawscout comparison can help you pick the right pet tracker in no time. View their most important features below and discover which pet tracking solution is the winner of this comparison.

Garmin Astro 430
The Ultimate Sporting Dog Tracking System
VS
Pawscout
Inexpensive Community- Powered Pet Tracker

Highlights

Garmin Astro 430
Garmin Astro 430 is a premium dog tracking system that provides location updates within seconds, tracks up to 20 dogs at once, and has a massive set of both standard and special features.
  • High precision with GPS/GLONASS, mean accuracy of 12 feet
  • 2.5-second location update rate; 9-mile communication range
  • Amazing durability; no monthly fees; 1-year limited warranty
  • Price: $649.99
  • Shipping: $
Pawscout
Pawscout is a Bluetooth pet tracker that lets you track your pet within a range of 300 feet, get an alert if he or she is out of range, and locate your wandering pal with the help of other Pawscout users.
  • Small, waterproof smart tag weighing just about 0.2 ounces
  • Mobile Virtual Leash safe zone centered in your position
  • Keep vet records, track walks & discover pet-friendly spots
  • Price: $19.95
  • Shipping: $2.95

Compare Features

Garmin Astro 430
Highlights
Garmin Astro 430 is a professional dog tracking system that offers location updates every 2.5 seconds, has a communication range of up to 9 miles, boasts great precision due to the use of both GPS and GLONASS, offers a vast range of special features, tracks up to 20 dogs at once, and comes with no monthly fees.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
The Garmin Astro 430 tracking system includes one handheld locator and either the T5 or T5 mini tracking unit with a special collar. Both the locator and the tracking units feature a black-and-orange color scheme. They are made of durable materials like heavy-duty plastic and stainless steel. The handheld locator features a transreflective 65-K color TFT display measuring 2.6’’ in diagonal. It comes with standard and long-range stainless steel radio antennas and a top-mounted GPS antenna. The T5 tracking unit comes with a top-mounted GPS antenna and standard and long-range radio antennas while T5 mini comes with a top-mounted GPS antenna and a standard radio antenna. Both tracking units feature LED light beacons and the locator is equipped with a vibration motor.
Available Sizes
The Garmin Astro 430 handheld locator is compatible with the T5 and T5 mini tracking units that differ in size. T5 measures 1.74’’ x 3.5’’ x 1.85’’ (HWD), comes with a 1-inch collar strap, and weighs 9.3 oz. with the collar. T5 mini measures 1.8’’x 3.1’’ x 1.4’’ (HWD), comes with a 0.75-inch collar strap, and weighs 7 oz. with the collar. T5 is suitable for neck circumferences of 9.5+ inches while T5 mini fits smaller necks.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Garmin Astro 430 is not shockproof, but both the locator and the tracking units are durable, waterproof, impervious to dust and dirt, and suitable for use in all kinds of harsh conditions. They are built to withstand frequent bumps and blows and they can easily last for years with no diminishments in functionality.
Key Tracking Features
Garmin Astro 430 is a feature-rich pet tracker that offers:
  • Near-real-time tracking with a 2.5-second location refresh rate, accuracy within 12 feet, and 10,000 points of information per dog;
  • Additional maps, such as BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, HuntView, TOPO U.S. 24K, and City Navigator NT for turn-by-turn routing;
  • BaseCamp software for trip planning;
  • BaseStation software for computer tracking;
  • Multiple tracking profiles, such as hunting, automotive, marine, and recreational;
  • Multiple dashboards within a single page;
  • Customizable dog display providing dog name, direction, distance, and status data.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Garmin Astro 430 does not monitor pet activity.
Training Assistance
Garmin Astro 430 does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Garmin Astro 430 offers a multitude of bonus features, including but not limited to:
  • Hunt metrics providing insight into dogs’ hunting patterns and behavior;
  • Convey counter for creating up to 2,000 waypoints;
  • Rescue mode for battery saving;
  • Wireless sharing;
  • Area calculation;
  • Hunt and fish calendar;
  • Sun and moon information.
Communication Range
4 miles with T5 mini, 9 miles with T5
Weight
T5 mini: 7 oz. with collar; T5: 9.3 oz. with collar
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
Handheld locator: up to 20 hours; T5: 20-40 hours; T5 mini: 16-30 hours
Smartphone App
Garmin Astro 420 does not come with a smartphone app.
Connectivity
Garmin Astro 430 uses GLONASS and GPS for location tracking and radio frequency signals for inter-device communication.
Coverage
Garmin Astro 430 does not rely on external services, so it can work anywhere in the world. However, due to varying international regulations, it is only approved for use within the US.
Pricing
$649.99
Shipping and Delivery
Garmin Astro 430 can be shipped throughout the US, including Alaska and Hawaii. Shipping is free of charge - unless you opt for next business day shipping, in which case you pay an $18 shipping fee.
Refund Policy
Garmin Astro 430 comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Warranty
Garmin Astro 430 comes with a 1-year limited warranty. Repairs come with a 90-day warranty.
Pawscout
Highlights
Pawscout is an affordable Bluetooth pet tracker with great battery life that allows you to keep track of your pet’s location within a range of 300 feet. It relies on its fast-growing user community to help you locate your pet when he or she is out of range.
Type
Bluetooth Pet Tracker
Design
Pawscout comes in the form of a small tag attached to your pet’s collar. The tag is attached using a circular hanging mount (standard) or flush mount (better for small pets and pets who like to roughhouse). It is round, black, and roughly the size of a silver dollar (1.6’’ x 2.0’’ x 0.4’’). It comes with a black nameplate, but you can replace the original nameplate with any of around 2 dozen custom ones available for purchase in the Pawscout online store.
Available Sizes
Pawscout does not come in different sizes, but it fits virtually all collars.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Pawscout is an inexpensive pet tracker that is resistant to water but not to impact. It may last for a year or more if your pet is not prone to rough play. Slight damages are to be expected if your pet is highly active.
Key Tracking Features
The essential location tracking features available with Pawscout include:
  • Active location tracking within a range of 300 feet,
  • Community location tracking, with notifications sent if your pet is found by another Pawscout user;
  • Virtual Leash, which allows you to set up a mobile safe zone around your location;
  • Tracking walks, with information on the distance walked and time spent walking;
  • Sharing, which lets you enable your friends and family to keep track of your pet’s location.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Pawscout does not monitor pet activity.
Training Assistance
Pawscout does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Extra features available with Pawscout include:
  • Detailed digital pet profile with medical records;
  • Coverage map, showing other Pawscout users in your area;
  • Pet-related points of interest, with a map showing vets, groomers, shelters, parks, and pet-friendly locations and businesses in your area.
Communication Range
300 feet in all directions (600 feet in radius)
Weight
about the same as a quarter (around 0.2 oz.)
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
6-12 months (disposable, not rechargeable)
Smartphone App
The Pawscout smartphone app is available free of charge. It is compatible with the latest versions of iOS and Android. It allows you to track your pet’s location with a handy interactive map, set up a Virtual Leash safe zone, track your pet’s daily walks, view a coverage map showing other Pawscout users in your area, and discover nearby pet-friendly locations. It lets you report your pet as lost and report another user’s lost pet as found. You can share your pet's location with an unlimited number of friends and they do not have to possess Pawscout tags in order to use the Pawscout app.
Connectivity
Pawscout exclusively relies on Bluetooth.
Coverage
Pawscout can be bought and used in the US and Canada. It can work anywhere, but since it is a community-powered tracking solution, its usefulness is severely limited in other countries with few/no Pawscout users.
Pricing
Smart tag: $19.95; Custom nameplate: $9.95
Shipping and Delivery
Pawscout can be shipped throughout the US and Canada. Shipping costs amount to $2.95 for US orders and $9.95 for Canada orders. Custom nameplates are shipped free of charge.
Refund Policy
If you are not happy with Pawscout, you can return it within 30 days and receive a replacement or a refund.
Warranty
Pawscout smart pet tag does not come with a warranty.

Compare Ratings

Garmin Astro 430
FINAL RATING
8.9/10
Range
Accuracy
Features
Design
App
Pricing
Pawscout
FINAL RATING
8.1/10
Range
Accuracy
Features
Design
App
Pricing

Compare User Reviews

Garmin Astro 430
  • Submitted By Leah Thomas on 11/27/2019
    Before I bought the Garmin 320 I read somewhere in the reviews that there is a rescue mode option that allows you to save the battery by switching to it and that feature enables you to save the battery life when it’s on its end and track you dog for a few hours more. It also has a highly advanced map tracking options that allows you to update maps depending on taking the road or going through water and stuff like that. It’s a really professional device because it offers so much more than a regular map which you get with a regular pet tracker and you can also store detailed information about each time you catch something like place, time and that sort of stuff.
  • Submitted By Clayton Logan on 08/08/2019
    Apart from being expensive I can’t seem to find anything wrong with this tracker. My wife bought it for me as a birthday present, I think she likes to see me out of the house honestly, and it really did the trick. The only thing I think needs improving is the battery which could be a bit more long lasting but you can recharge it over night. The range is impressive, almost 10 miles with gps being wildly accurate at all times. There is no glitches or bugs, the tracker is fast and precise and what I like the most is that you can adjust the display to show you important information without having to stop and look for it yourself.
  • Submitted By Austin Fowler on 05/02/2019
    This is a durable device built to withstand everything you can possibly thing off. My dog and I had some crazy adventures and let me tell you I didn’t think it would last. I’m sorry to see the company disconnected the line but I truly hope the new version is as good as this one. I can not tell you how many times the bright orange collar helped me spot Max and stopped me from making noise and ruining a perfectly good shot. I really do thing that is worth every penny and you can see that is is built to last. The performances are excellent including the gps which is crazy spot on.
  • Submitted By Lyle Pearson on 03/07/2019
    I’m a passionate hunter so a friend recommended Garmin. It was a bit pricey but I did my research and read tons of reviews and finally decided to invest. The company has such a good reputation which has proven to be a deciding factor. It everything proofed, long range and I can transfer all the data via usb. The battery, however, needs some improvement considering it is a regular aa battery and the life span is not too long. The same goes for the rechargeable battery which only lasts for 40 hours max and my hunting trips sometimes last for 3, or 4 days straight in complete isolation. I suggest improving that otherwise everything else is great!
Pawscout
  • Submitted By Walter Price on 11/22/2018
    You can build an entire community with this little device and have your entire neighborhood keep an eye out every time your pet wanders off. Now it’s just the matter of convincing my neighbors to buy this tracker.
  • Submitted By Carolyn Stewart on 09/08/2018
    My cell phone was not compatible with this tracker.
  • Submitted By Eric Lopez on 08/12/2018
    I like how you can attach it to pretty much any collar so I don’t have to buy any extra equipment. I don’t like that you have to download the tracking app since I’m much more used to the commander device.
  • Submitted By Roberta Smith on 05/29/2018
    The accuracy thing is true, it happened to me a couple of times, I didn't get a notification even though my beagle was way outside the range. But I want to say that this does not happen all the time and I like that anyone can use the app for free, it really helps raise awareness about lost pets and helps owners reconnect with their pooches and kitties. Plus, the tag is really useful when we go for a walk, with the virtual leash, I don't even use the real leash anymore.

Winner

Garmin Astro 430 is a professional dog tracking system that provides fresh location updates every 2.5 seconds, boasts great accuracy and durability, and has more useful features than you can count. If you do not want to settle for just any pet tracking device, read this Garmin Astro 430 review to learn all about this highly advanced tracker.

* All the prices on this website are subject to change without notice. While we put a great deal of effort into making sure that all the prices are accurate, one or more products may have outdated prices. Please visit the specific product’s official website for exact prices.
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