Tractive GPS VS Whistle 3
Advertiser Disclosure
This website features affiliate links. For purchases made via these links, we earn commissions that allow us to keep producing helpful content. To find out more click here. Close
Whistle 3 and Tractive GPS may seem quite similar at first glance, but they are actually more different than you may initially assume. This Whistle 3 VS Tractive GPS comparison is designed to show you exactly what each of these two pet trackers offers, highlight their main strong and weak points, and reveal which one of them may be a more reliable tracking solution.
VS
Highlights
Whistle is a popular GPS tracker and activity monitor for cats and dogs that offers an impressive feature set, great accuracy, and an almost unlimited communication range.
- Works over any distance within AT&T cellular coverage
- Create multiple fully customizable safe zones for your pet
- Affordable, small, lightweight, waterproof, and shockproof
- Price: $99.95
- Shipping: $0
Tractive GPS is a GPS pet tracker that works in 150+ world countries. It lets you custom-define safe zones, sends instant alerts when your pet leaves the safe zone, and allows for real-time tracking.
- Live tracking with location data updated every 2-3 seconds
- Waterproof, shockproof, lightweight, and attractively designed
- 12-month guarantee and free replacements during the service period
- Price: $79.99
- Shipping: $0 *
*over $29.99 come with free shipping.
Compare Features
Highlights
Whistle is a lightweight GPS pet tracker that works throughout the US, boasts high accuracy and good battery life, allows for both location and activity tracking and offers extraordinary safe zone customization options.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
Whistle tracking unit comes in the form of a rounded cuboid and is available in 3 versions, including gray, green, and blue. It measures 1.82 inches in height by 1.45 inches in width by 0.61 inches in depth. It is attached to the pet's collar or harness with the use of a rubber attachment strap. The attachment mechanism allows you to easily twist the device on and off.
Available Sizes
Whistle does not come in different sizes and it fits most collars up to 1'' wide.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Whistle is IP67 dirt and shock resistant and waterproof up to 3 feet underwater for up to 30 minutes. It comes with a durable attachment strap made of strong rubber and it is designed to endure rough play. It does not have a specific lifespan but can last for at least a couple of years with proper use.
Key Tracking Features
Whistle allows you to keep track of your pet’s location with:
- GPS location tracking, which allows you to get location updates every 60 seconds;
- Multiple safe zones, which are fully customizable in terms of size and shape;
- 24-hour location history for your pet;
- Text, email, and push notifications sent when your pet leaves the safe zone;
- Sharing, which allows you to give your friends and family full access to all Whistle tracking features.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Whistle allows you to gain full insight into your pet’s activity levels with:
- 24-hour activity records shown in the form of a graph;
- Information on distance traveled;
- Rest time and active time expressed in minutes and hours;
- Information on pet’s activity level (moderate and intense);
- Number of calories pet has burned during the day;
- Custom activity goals, which you can define yourself or let the app define based on your pet’s breed, weight, and age.
Training Assistance
Whistle does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Extra features available with Whistle include: - battery alerts, notifying you when the device's battery is low and needs to be recharged.
Communication Range
Whistle works over any distance within AT&T and WiFi coverage.
Weight
0.92 oz., 1.25 oz. with the attachment piece
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
About 7 days with good WiFi and cellular coverage
Smartphone App
Whistle smartphone app is available free of charge. It is compatible with iOS 10.0+ and Android 5.0+. It allows you to view your pet’s current location on a Google map, browse 24-hour location history, view 24-hour rest and activity data, receive safe zone, battery, and activity notifications, add and remove safe zones, and adjust settings. You can use the app to track multiple pets and share access with multiple users.
Connectivity
Whistle uses GPS technology for location tracking, WiFi technology for creating safe zones, cellular technology for data transfer between the tracking unit and the pet guardian's smartphone, and Bluetooth technology for pairing the tracking unit with the pet guardian's smartphone.
Coverage
Throughout the US (within AT&T cell coverage)
Pricing
Device: $79.95 (currently $59.95 with a 20% discount); Service plan: $9.95 with the monthly subscription, $7.95 with the yearly subscription, and $6.95 with the 2-year subscription
Shipping and Delivery
Whistle comes with free 2-day shipping.
Refund Policy
Whistle comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the product, you just need to return it within 90 days of purchase in order to receive a full refund.
Warranty
Whistle does not come with a warranty.
Highlights
Tractive GPS is a GPS pet tracker that works in 150+ world countries, offers live tracking with location information updated every 2-3 seconds, and allows you to create custom safe zones anywhere on the globe. It provides a multitude of unique tracking features and comes in a variety of stylish designs.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
Tractive GPS pet tracker comes in the form of a rounded cuboid. It is rather small, measuring just 2 inches in height by 1.6 inches in width by 0.6 inches in depth. It can be attached to virtually any collar with the use of collar clips provided with the device. You can opt for the white Tractive GPS with a blue logo, the pink Tractive GPS with a white logo embellished with Swarovski crystals, and Tractive GPS - Hunters Edition with a black-on-olive camouflage pattern.
Available Sizes
Tractive GPS does not come in different sizes and it fits most collars.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Tractive GPS is advertised as virtually indestructible and our tests have shown that it is highly resistant to impact. It can withstand immersion of up to 3 feet for 30 minutes, which makes it extraordinarily water resistant. It does come with a rechargeable battery, which means that its performance may be significantly diminished after several years of use.
Key Tracking Features
Tractive GPS pet tracker’s vast range of tracking features includes:
- Live tracking mode, with location information updated every 2-3 seconds;
- Fully interactive map, which lets you switch between 4 different views, including regular map, hybrid, satellite image, and augmented reality;
- Speed, which enables you to find out how fast your pet is moving;
- Altitude, which allows you to discover the current altitude of the device from sea level;
- Location history, which shows your pet’s previous positions in the form of a linear path on the map;
- Virtual Fence, that is, the safe zone, which can be custom-defined and has a minimum radius of 164 feet;
- Tracker Sharing, which allows you to share your pet’s location with your friends so they can aid you in your search.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Tractive GPS does not monitor pet activity.
Training Assistance
Tractive GPS does not provide training assistance. The device comes with a built-in speaker that can be remotely activated, but this option is not available in the US and a number of other countries due to legal restrictions.
Additional Features
Tractive GPS pet tracker’s features are generally tracking-related. The few extra features include:
- Battery status, which lets you keep track of the device’s battery level within the app, so you can recharge it on time or make haste if you are currently tracking your pet;
- Buzzer function, which allows you to remotely activate the built-in speaker and locate your device more easily if you lose it – not available in the US.
Communication Range
Tractive GPS works over any distance within cellular coverage.
Weight
1.23 oz.
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
2-5 days, up to 8 hours with live tracking activated
Smartphone App
Tractive GPS smartphone app is compatible with Android 4.1 and up and iOS 9.3 or later. It lets you track an unlimited number of pets. The app allows you to access your pet’s location information, turn on the live tracking mode and receive constant location updates, follow your pet using the interactive map, view location history, define safe zones, view tracker status, view battery status, and share your pet’s location with multiple users.
Connectivity
Tractive GPS connects to GPS satellites to keep track of your pet’s location. You can use WiFi or cellular data network to access location information via the Tractive GPS app.
Coverage
Tractive GPS works in 150 countries worldwide, within cellular coverage.
Pricing
White and Pink: $79.99 Hunters Edition: $99.99 Service Plan: Basic: $5.76 per month with the monthly subscription, $4.80 per month with the yearly subscription, and $4.33 per month with the 2-year subscription. Premium: $5.76 per month with the yearly subscription and $4.80 per month with the 2-year subscription.
Shipping and Delivery
Tractive GPS pet tracker comes with free shipping worldwide. All orders over $29.99 come with free shipping.
Refund Policy
Tractive GPS does not come with a money-back guarantee. For exact details on Tractive's refund policy, please contact the support staff directly.
Warranty
Tractive GPS comes with a 12-month warranty and free replacements during the service period.
Compare Ratings
Compare User Reviews
- Submitted By Tim Grady on 11/20/2019I’ve noticed that it doesn’t work very good once it’s not within our home’s wifi zone. Sometimes we go camping and there’s almost no cell reception there so we have problems receiving any data at all. But when we are at home the thing works perfectly. It’s fast and accurate and charge it one a week. Once Stella ran away from my daughter when she saw the neighbours can and my daughter didn’t manage to come home and tell us that for about 5 minutes but I already knew since I got notified and we found stella exactly where the app pinpointed the location within a few minutes standing under the tree, barking at the cat.
- Submitted By Marsha Jones on 06/20/2019Tracy used to wander away from our yard and end up in our neighbour’s yard playing with their dog so to be able to track her down and immediately get notified when she escapes is what matters the most. With whistle I can set up a perimiter where she’s allowed to go and get notified once she leaves that space. It saves me lots of time and worrying when she leaves the yard and when I’m not home I just text the resto of the family where to pick her up.
- Submitted By Jenna Simmons on 05/07/2019I love that this app works as any other activity app I use. You simply download it to your phone and use it like any other where you get to see the history and set up goals once you enter your dog’s information. I share Donna’s activity date with my husband so we can know how much exercise she has that day and dont overdo it.
- Submitted By Patric Small on 04/05/2019This was my tracker of choice because it functions as both tracker and activity monitor. As a family we are passionate hikers so being able to track our Tom’s vitals is very important to us especially since he’s an older dog. The thing I also like is that you have constant coverage because is connected with you phone all you need to do is download the app. You can connect through bluetooth and use your home’s wifi. The cell network is AT&T and if you don’t have wifi you can track your dog as long as the area is covered by the network. And when the signal is strong the coverage precision is really good. We didn’t go anywhere so far were the signal isn’t strong so I don’t know how it works in those places.
- Submitted By August Redfern on 12/09/2019I recommend Tracative GPS to everyone because it covers a number of countries all over the world so you don’t have to worry you will lose your pet no matter where you go, it doesn’t rely on one phone network alone, it has tons of perks and awesome features, it has a one year guarantee and you can track your pet in real time. All these things play key role at least they do for me and I think that every tracking device should provide the same.
- Submitted By Jayce Daniels on 12/01/2019I think it is fairly priced considering all the features and benefits you get with tracative. I opted for premium service since there’s not much difference in the price but you get more benefits that really come in handy once you need them. It is true that you can’t buy monthly subscription with premium package, only 2 year plan, but I think that it pays out and makes no sense to renew it every month if you plan on using it anyways.
- Submitted By Karam Cotton on 11/20/2019I like that Tracitive is not restricted to just one cell network so there’s no problem with the coverage. I installed the app on both my cell and computer so I can access it whenever it is the most convenient. The app is great and stores location, location history, you can see battery status and activate the safe zone. You can use it for more than one dog and have everything in one place. If your dog leaves the safe zone you planed for him you get instant notification and that is when live tracking really comes in handy because you can immediately see where your dog has gone and find him before anything happens.
- Submitted By Misbah Mayo on 11/17/2019What convinced me to by this tracker is that it has live tracking mode instead of waiting for the data to get transferred. It can mean the difference between a life or death situation if your dog gets loose and runs away somewhere where the traffic is crazy or if it’s too hot or too cold outside. The tracking is easy because the app shows you the map you can easily follow and you can see your dog’s movements. Just make sure you keep live tracking on when you go for a walk or in the area you don’t know. You never know what can happen so better come prepared.
Winner
Whistle is a GPS tracking solution for dogs and cats that provides easy and accurate location tracking as well as comprehensive activity monitoring. It is feature-rich, has a good battery life, and works anywhere within AT&T cellular coverage. Read our objective Whistle review for a full overview of this pet tracker’s key characteristics.