Pet tech 📱🐾
Cameras, GPS collars and automatic litter boxes, judged on what the device and its app actually do when you’re not home. We also count what the subscription costs once the box is open.
Prices are in USD. Coverage, subscription terms and availability described here are for the US market unless a guide says otherwise.
📰 Guides in this section
Each guide compares four or more devices against the same short list of criteria, so the scores mean the same thing from one product to the next.
The Best Pet Cameras of 2026
Eight cameras compared on what you can actually do through them, whether they know a bark from a passing truck, and what the plan costs after you buy. Includes the four that need no monthly fee at all.
The Best GPS Dog Collars for Off-Leash Adventures
Four collars compared on update speed, battery life in the mode you’d actually use during a search, the countries they work in, and 12-month cost. Includes when a wireless fence beats a tracker.
Furbo Dog Camera Review: How It Compares to Rivals
The deep dive on the treat-tossing camera, scored against Petcube, Wyze, Nooie and Ring. Plus what the subscriptions and cancellation terms really cost.
The Best Automatic Litter Boxes for Cat Owners
Four self-cleaning boxes compared on how much maintenance they really remove, how they handle more than one cat, and what they cost to keep running.
🌱 Start with the problem
Most returns in this category come from buying the right device for the wrong problem.
Your dog whines and paces after you leave.
A camera that only shows video solves the wrong half of the problem. Compare pet cameras
You don’t want another monthly bill.
Four of the cameras we track record to a memory card and charge nothing. See the no-fee cameras
Your dog runs off-leash and sometimes out of sight.
Check coverage where you hike before you compare battery life. Compare GPS collars
Your dog gets out of the yard, and there’s no solid fence.
You need containment and training more than a map. See the wireless fence option
You’re done scooping a litter box every evening.
Decide between a waste drawer and disposable trays first. Compare automatic litter boxes
You have several cats and want to know which one is unwell.
Only camera models can tell cats apart by face. See per-cat tracking
📝 Three checks before any pet tech purchase
They apply to every device in this section, whatever the brand.
Price the plan, not the device
Most of these devices put video history, smart alerts or tracking itself behind a monthly plan. Add a year of the plan to the hardware price before you compare, and read the cancellation terms.
Read “up to” as the best case
Battery and capacity figures describe the lowest-power mode. A collar rated for months can drain in about two days once you switch on live tracking to search for a lost dog.
Check it works where you’ll use it
GPS collars run on specific cellular networks in specific countries. Several cameras connect only to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Automatic litter boxes need an outlet and clearance space to finish a cleaning cycle.
💳 What the app costs after you buy
The plans named in our guides, and what each one unlocks. Checked September 2026.
| Device | Plan | What it unlocks | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furbo 360 | Furbo Nanny, $83.92 a year for the Standard plan | Video history and smart alerts. Optional if you buy the camera outright at $184; required on the discounted bundles | Pet cameras |
| Petcube Bites 2 Lite and Play 2 | Petcube Care, from $9.99 a month, or $4.99 billed yearly | Cloud video history. Bark and meow alerts work without it | Pet cameras |
| Wyze Cam Pan v4 | Cam Plus, $2.99 a month per camera | Pet detection. Recording to a memory card is free | Pet cameras |
| Tapo C225, eufy S350, Nooie Cam 360 | None needed | All three record to a microSD card you supply | Pet cameras |
| Ring Indoor Cam | Ring Home, from $4.99 a month | Close to essential — without it, nothing is saved | Pet cameras |
| Tractive GPS | Required; around $5 a month at the DOG 6 launch | Tracking doesn’t work without it | GPS collars |
| Fi Series 3+ | Membership required | Needed to enable the tracker at all | GPS collars |
| Halo Collar 5 | Pack Membership, from $9.99 a month | Creating, editing and using fences | GPS collars |
| Litter-Robot 5 Pro | Whisker+, $7.99 a month or $79.90 a year after a 30-day trial | Facial-recognition ID, unlimited streaming, 30 days of video | Litter boxes |
| PETKIT Purobot Max Pro 2 | PETKIT Care+, optional | 30 days of video history | Litter boxes |
Plan prices and trial lengths change often. Check the manufacturer’s current terms before you subscribe.
