Fi Alternative: Pet Trackers Without a Monthly Fee
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Short answer: Fi has moved to a membership-first model — the collar ships free, there is a $20 activation fee, and membership runs from about $99 for six months (roughly $16.50 a month) down to about $14 a month on a two-year plan. Over three years that is roughly $500–$570. If you only need to find your dog or cat, the Joylink Smart Pet Tracker costs $35.99 once with no plan, and the Joylink Ultra costs $119.99 with three years of cellular service already included.
What Fi does well
Fi makes a genuinely good product. The Series 3+ is a built-in collar rather than a clip-on, so it survives diggers and chewers, and its battery is the best in the category: Fi rates it at up to three months per charge in standard mode, which in real daily-walk use usually lands around two to three weeks. Escape alerts fire quickly, and Lost Dog Mode leans on a network of other Fi owners to help relocate a pet. The activity and sleep tracking is more developed than most rivals.
The complaint we hear most often is not about the collar. It is that the membership never ends.
What three years actually costs
| Option | Upfront | Monthly | Three-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fi Series 3+ with membership | $20 activation | About $14–$16.50 | About $500–$570 |
| Joylink Ultra | $119.99 | None for 3 years | $119.99 |
| Joylink Smart Pet Tracker | $35.99 | None | About $42 with batteries |
The comparison is not that Fi is overpriced for what it does. It is that most owners bought a tracker to answer one question — where is my pet right now — and you can answer that question without a recurring bill.
Where a no-fee tracker is better
- Cost stops. One purchase, then nothing. Six CR2032 coin cells across three years is the entire running cost of the Bluetooth model.
- No membership to lapse. A Joylink Bluetooth tracker pairs inside the app already on your phone — Apple Find My or Google Find Hub — so there is no new account, no activation fee and no renewal date to miss.
- Cats are included. The Bluetooth models are light enough for a 2 kg cat and sit on a well-fitted collar, which is the case Fi's dog-first sizing handles less well.
- Two collars in every box. Every Joylink set ships with two collars in different sizes, so the fit is right the first time. Fi's band is proprietary and a replacement strap costs extra.
Where Fi is still the better buy
We would rather tell you this than lose the argument later. Fi's battery outlasts everything else in this category. The built-in collar is tougher than a lightweight finder holder, and its escape detection and activity tracking are more developed than anything Joylink offers. Joylink does not sell health scores, and no Joylink tracker is a training tool.
There are two more things Fi has that Joylink Ultra does not: it works across the US on AT&T's LTE-M network with a nationwide Fi-owner network behind it, and it has no three-year horizon. Ultra's cellular service is included for three years; Fi's membership is open-ended, which for some owners is the point.
If you want those things, Fi is the better product. If you want to know where your pet is, Joylink does that for roughly a sixth of the three-year cost.
Which Joylink replaces which job
| Your situation | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cat, or a small dog that stays around the house | Smart Pet Tracker, $35.99 | Light, no fee, works with Apple Find My or Google Find Hub |
| Dog that roams, escapes or travels with you | Ultra, $119.99 | Real cellular to 5 m, 3 years of service included, 180-day route history |
| First tracker, and you want it with a collar | Pet Tracker with Collar | The lightest everyday tag, collar included |
What Ultra gives you instead of a subscription
Ultra is the Joylink answer to long range: a CAT1 4G module on LTE-FDD B1/B3/B5/B8 and LTE-TDD B34/B38/B39/B40/B41, a ceramic antenna, cellular that resolves to about 5 m in open sky, and location updates on demand plus scheduled background updates. It holds up to 180 days of route history and pushes an alert the moment your dog crosses a safe zone you have drawn.
The service for the first three years is inside the $119.99 price. There is no monthly fee, no renewal, and nothing to cancel.
How to switch without upsetting your pet
- Measure the neck and pick the range: S 28–39 cm, M 35–48 cm, L 38–58 cm. Two sizes come in the box.
- Fit the collar with two fingers of slack, then clip the tracker on.
- Pair to the phone you carry — Find My on iPhone, Find Hub on Android. One network at a time.
- Leave it alone for 48 hours. Most pets stop noticing a light collar within a day or two.
Related reading
- Joylink Ultra Pet Tracker
- Joylink Smart Pet Tracker for Dogs & Cats
- Tractive alternative: pet trackers without a monthly fee
- What a pet tracker really costs over five years
- Cat tracker with no monthly fee: the indoor-outdoor dilemma
Frequently asked questions
Is Fi worth it without the membership?
No. Without an active membership the Series 3+ is a nylon collar with no tracking. That is the trade-off Fi asks for, and it is the reason some owners look elsewhere.
Do Joylink trackers need a subscription?
No. Every Joylink tracker works with no monthly fee. Ultra's first three years of cellular service are included in the purchase price.
Can I see my pet from far away?
On the Bluetooth models you see where the tracker was last detected by the finding network, not a live moving dot. For live position beyond Bluetooth range, use Ultra.
How long do the batteries last?
The Bluetooth trackers run 6–8 months on a replaceable CR2032 coin cell. Ultra is rechargeable with up to 7 days of standby and charges by magnetic contact.
Is Joylink any good?
Across the store, Joylink trackers hold 305 verified reviews with an average of 4.81 out of 5. The Smart Pet Tracker shows 4.72 from 121 reviews and the collar set 4.89 from 56.
What if the collar does not fit?
Every set ships with two collars in different sizes. If neither fits, contact support and Joylink will send a different size combination at no extra cost.
Bottom line: Fi is a strong collar with a permanent membership attached. If you mainly need to find a pet that stays near home, the Joylink Smart Pet Tracker does it for $35.99 and no monthly fee. If you need real long-range cellular, Joylink Ultra does it for $119.99 with three years of service included.