Best alternatives to Apple AirTag in 2024

There are so many alternatives to Apple AirTag on the market that you don’t necessarily need to go with Apple’s option when opting to purchase a tracker. Companies like Tile have been making smart trackers for over a decade giving you different options depending on your needs.

While the AirTag is a brilliant piece of technology, the small white disc isn’t perfect for every situation and often you’ll need to buy extra accessories like the $35 FineWoven Key Ring or one of the best AirTag wallets to make sure you get the best experience.

Smart trackers allow you to know when you’ve left something behind or keep track of your precious items so you always know where they are. While these alternatives to AirTag aren’t made by Apple they all work with the Find My app, making it seamless to keep on top of your most important items. From house keys to bikes, these alternatives to Apple AirTag are worth considering when looking to purchase a smart tracker — here are our favorites.

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Best overall

Tile item tracker on keychain

(Image credit: Tile)
Best overall

Specifications

Dimensions (mm): 58 x 32 x 7.5
Weight (g): 14
Range: 400ft
Battery life: 1-year replaceable
Water resistance: Yes (IP67)

Reasons to buy

+
Huge range
+
Very loud alarm
+
User-replaceable battery

Reasons to avoid

-
Larger footprint
-
Requires premium subscription to get all features

The Tile Pro is our pick for the best alternative to the Apple AirTag because of its long 400ft range, user-replaceable battery, and loud decibel alarm in case you lose what you’re looking for. Tile Pro has the iconic Tile shape with space to attach a keyring so it can attach to your luggage or even your keys. 

As a complete package, the Tile Pro is the best smart tracker (AirTags aside) out there giving those who need a reliable tracking solution everything they could possibly want. There is a premium subscription that adds extra features like a 30-day location history, and while we wish there were no subscriptions at all on this $34.99 tracker, it unfortunately plagues all of Tile’s products. That said, the $3/month subscription is not a necessity here.

Best budget

Tile Mate

(Image credit: Future)
Best budget

Specifications

Dimensions (mm): 37.8 x 37.8 x 7.1
Weight (g): 8
Range: 250ft
Battery life: 3-year non-replaceable
Water resistance: Yes (IP67)

Reasons to buy

+
Affordable
+
Slim and discreet
+
Decent range

Reasons to avoid

-
Battery not replaceable
-
Requires premium subscription to get all features

The Tile Mate is a more affordable entry into the Tile ecosystem with a lot of the benefits of the more expensive Tile Pro at a cheaper $24.99 price point. Available in black and white the Mate has a 250ft tracking range and a 3-year battery life. The battery here is unfortunately not replaceable which means you’ll need to buy a new Tile Mate once yours gives in.

In our review, we praised the Tile Mate for its slim and discreet design alongside a “fairly loud” alarm. It’s worth noting that the Mate, just like the Tile Pro, requires Tile’s premium subscription to get smart alerts — why does everything these days need to be a subscription?

Best for a wallet

Tile Slim

(Image credit: Future)
Best for a wallet

Specifications

Dimensions (mm): 85.5 x 54 x 2.5
Weight (g): 14
Range: 250ft
Battery life: 3-year non-replaceable
Water resistance: Yes (IP67)

Reasons to buy

+
Similar size to a credit card
+
Can attach to anything flat with adhesive
+
Decent range

Reasons to avoid

-
Battery not replaceable
-
Requires premium subscription to get all features

The Tile Slim is awesome. It features all the same bells and whistles as the Tile Mate but fits into a credit card-sized slim format. Ideal for putting in your wallet, the Tile Slim also works great with adhesive onto any flat object like an iPad or a book. Tile Slim is different enough from AirTag that it can live alongside Apple’s trackers in your ecosystem.

Unfortunately, to get the most from the Tile Slim you’ll need to pay the $3/month subscription fee but this small drawback isn’t enough to stop you from buying one of the best AirTag alternatives.

Best design

Chipolo ONE

(Image credit: Future)
Best design

Specifications

Dimensions (mm): 37.9 x 6.4
Weight (g): 7.65
Range: 200ft
Battery life: 2-year replaceable
Water resistance: Yes (IPX5 Standard)

Reasons to buy

+
Great color options
+
No subscriptions
+
Small footprint

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as water-resistant as competition
-
Battery removal isn’t that straightforward

The Chipolo One is so much fun. Available in six different colors, yellow, red, blue, green, black, and white, the Chipolo One is as much a smart tracker as it is a fashion accessory. The tiny AirTag alternative has a 120dB speaker, 2 years of battery life that’s also replaceable when it runs out, and a 200ft range.

One drawback of the ONE is the lack of IP67 water resistance like all of the other trackers on this list. While the IPX5 Standard is splash-proof you don’t want to get caught out in the rain. That said, the Chipolo ONE has zero subscription fees and feels like the most consumer-friendly product on this list.

Best for attaching to tech

Tile Sticker

(Image credit: Tile)

5. Tile Sticker

Best for attaching to tech

Specifications

Dimensions (mm): 27 x 7.8
Weight (g): 5
Range: 250ft
Battery life: 3-year non-replaceable
Water resistance: Yes (IP67)

Reasons to buy

+
Can stick to almost anything
+
Tiny
+
Strong adhesive

Reasons to avoid

-
Battery not replaceable
-
Requires premium subscription to get all features

The Tile Sticker is aptly named as it can stick to everything and anything. Ideal for attaching to your tech with its small footprint, the Sticker is a brilliant alternative to Apple’s AirTag. Tile recommends you use the Sticker on things like your TV remote, headphones, bikes, or anything else as it has a strong adhesive and looks incredibly discreet.

Like every other Tile entry on this list, we have to mention the subscription fees — you’ll need to pay $3/month to get the best experience. The Tile Sticker is also good for 3 years but you’ll need to replace the whole product after that, not ideal for the environment.

Best extra feature

Cube Pro

(Image credit: Cube)

6. Cube Pro

Best extra feature

Specifications

Dimensions (mm): 42 x 42 x 6.5
Weight (g): 14
Range: 200ft
Battery life: 1-year replaceable
Water resistance: Yes (IP67)

Reasons to buy

+
Replaceable battery
+
Take selfies from a distance
+
Premium metal design

Reasons to avoid

-
Larger footprint
-
Range not as far as other Pro options

The Cube Pro is the only tracker in this buying guide that has a secret weapon: It also works as a shutter button for your iPhone’s camera. The premium metal enclosure and replaceable battery make the Cube Pro a great alternative for anyone who wants more than just a smart tracker.

If you take lots of selfies on the go and think you would use the remote shutter feature, then the Cube Pro is the tracker for you. The Range isn’t quite as good as the Tile Pro, offering a range of 200ft, but that shouldn’t deter you from a brilliant product that deserves a place on this list of best Apple AirTag alternatives.

Q&A

What to look for in a smart tracker?

You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.

Every smart tracker on this list is fantastic and will do a great job at allowing you to easily track your items. The best advice is to pick a tracker based on your needs and whether or not you want to pay extra for a subscription service.

If you’re looking for the best option overall and don’t mind paying $3/month then the Tile Pro is the best with its large 400ft range. A more budget option is the Tile Mate which offers a similar experience with slightly fewer features.

If you’re looking for something to fit in your wallet, the Tile Slim is ideal as its credit card form factor makes it stand out from the crowd. Rounding out the Tile options, the Tile Sticker is incredibly versatile and can be stuck to basically anything thanks to its tiny footprint.

The Chipolo One adds a little bit of flair with its bright colors and completely subscription-free business model. The Cube Pro rounds out the choices for the best AirTag alternative with a sleek metal design and an extra feature that allows you to take photos remotely.

Should I pick an alternative or just buy an Apple AirTag?

Alternatives to Apple AirTag make sense for those who don’t own Apple products or want specific footprints like the Tile Slim which fits perfectly into a wallet. That said, iPhone owners and those heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem should seriously consider AirTag as Apple’s tracker is one of the best on the market and relatively inexpensive compared to other Apple products.

Is Tile or AirTag Better?

Tile trackers use Bluetooth and the company’s own user network to help track down the location of your items. Tile doesn’t yet offer UWB (Ultra-wideband) which makes it inferior for tracking compared to Apple’s AirTag which seamlessly works alongside the billions of iPhones on the planet. 

John-Anthony Disotto
How To Editor

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019.  John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.