Guide

GPS tracker without subscription: what you really get

Many listings promise a GPS tracker “without subscription”. Here is what that phrase usually means, why live tracking always needs a SIM card and a server, and what the Entopizo service costs per month.

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Why a live GPS tracker needs a SIM card and a server

A GPS tracker calculates its position from satellites, but the satellites do not carry that position to your phone. To see your vehicle on a map in real time, the tracker has to send its position over the mobile network, and that needs a SIM card with data. The position then has to reach a server that stores it, checks your alert rules and passes it to your app. Mobile data and the server have an ongoing cost, whoever pays it.

GPS

Tells the device where it is.

SIM card and mobile data

Carry the position out of the vehicle.

Server and app

Keep the history, send the alerts and show the map.

What “no subscription” trackers usually are

When a tracker is advertised without a subscription, it is usually one of the following. Check which one it is before you buy.

Bluetooth tags

They have no SIM card and no GPS of their own and are found when a nearby phone passes by. Useful for keys or bags, but they cannot follow a moving vehicle and report nothing where no phone is near.

Trackers that need your own SIM card

The cost does not disappear: it moves to your mobile operator, and the device often works through SMS or a third-party app.

Trackers with a service period included in the price

The service is prepaid for a period, and after it ends it has to be renewed.

GPS loggers

They record the route in memory and you read it afterwards. They cannot tell you where the vehicle is now.

What our service includes and what it costs

An Entopizo tracker works with an Entopizo SIM card. The monthly service covers the mobile data, the hosting of your data on our platform and our support, and costs €4.96 per month including 24% VAT (€4.00 before VAT).

€4.96 / month

  • Entopizo SIM card with mobile data
  • Hosting of your vehicle data on our platform
  • Access from the app
  • Support from our team

The device and its installation are paid once. You will find the price of each tracker on its product page.

Which choice fits you

If you only need to find a lost item near you, a Bluetooth tag may be enough. If you want to see where your car or motorcycle is right now and be warned when it moves, you need a tracker with a SIM card and a server, and a small monthly cost for it.

See the GPS trackers for cars, the motorcycle GPS tracker guide or which GPS tracker to put in your car.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a GPS tracker with no monthly cost at all?

A device that shows a vehicle live on a map always uses mobile data and a server. The cost can be included in the price for a period or paid to your mobile operator, but it exists.

Can I put my own SIM card in a tracker?

Some devices accept it. You then pay your operator for the data, and you still need a server or an app that receives the positions.

How much does the Entopizo service cost?

€4.96 per month including 24% VAT, for mobile data, hosting and support.

Not sure which tracker you need?

Tell us what you want to protect and we will suggest the right device.

Ask us GPS trackers for cars

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