Which Is Better? – CanineJournal.com


Halo and SpotOn are very similar virtual wireless dog fencing systems, but there are some significant differences between the two. How do these two GPS-enabled systems compare? We’ll give you all the details you need to help you decide which one is best for your specific needs and your budget.

Visit Halo Collar’s Website | Visit SpotOn Virtual Fence’s Website 

Equipment

Halo’s collar fits a much wider range of dogs than SpotOn’s collar. Halo can accommodate neck sizes between 11″ to 30.5″ and SpotOn only 13″ to 24″. With a minimum weight of 25 pounds (Halo’s is 20 pounds), SpotOn leaves out a lot of dog breeds and sizes that can use this system.

Both collars have convenient rechargeable batteries. The battery life of the Halo Collar can only last from 12 to 14 hours, while SpotOn’s battery lasts from 18 up to 24 hours. And some users say SpotOn’s recharges faster.

Both systems have excellent portability and can be used over any terrain.Halo logo

Equipment Winner: Halo

Features

Both GPS systems work the same way, but when it comes to features, SpotOn wins this category. With SpotOn, you can create 1,000 fences, which can overlap each other. Halo only allows you to set up 20 fences, but you can’t overlap them. Still, both systems can cover an extremely wide area of property.

Both systems give you multiple correction levels (including tone, vibration, and static modes), but SpotOn gives you 30 levels, while Halo only gives you 15. You can use their apps to manage your fences and feedback for your pup.SpotOn logo with tagline "Virtual fence"

Features Winner: SpotOn

Performance

We’ve relied on customer feedback to gauge this category. Our research shows that this GPS satellite fencing technology needs a lot of tweaking for both companies. For both Halo and SpotOn, we’ve seen a 50/50 mix of positive vs negative reviews for how their systems perform.

The main complaints about both systems involve inaccurate feedback for fencing boundaries, lost GPS signals, and hit-or-miss customer service. More specifically, Halo users complain about lag time with alerts and false-positive alerts. SpotOn user complaints are more about the system being difficult to activate and that the apps crash frequently.Halo & SpotOn logos

Performance Winner: Halo & SpotOn (Tie)

Price

Halo collars white and blackThe clear winner in this category is the Halo Collar. While SpotOn has a few added features that Halo doesn’t, we don’t think those features make up for the huge price disparity between the two systems in the initial purchase price alone. Both systems also require a monthly subscription plan, and we think Halo still comes out on top with these fees factored in. Here are the pricing details.

Halo Price

The Halo collar and system price includes six months free of their Gold subscription plan (see below). The site often offers discounts on its system (we’ve seen $699 and $799).

Halo Subscription Plans

A Halo subscription plan is required to enable data storage for fences, GPS location services, activity tracking, and training from Cesar Millan.

The Basic plan gives you most of what you’ll need for the system to work, including unlimited cellular data. The Silver plan’s major benefit is advanced tracking, and the Gold plan gives you premium training content.

  • Basic: $4.49/month
  • Silver: $9.99/month
  • Gold: $29.99/month

SpotOn Price

The price of the SpotOn collar and system includes one year of free tracking.

SpotOn Subscription Plan

SpotOn Virtual FenceThe SpotOn Virtual Fence requires its AT&T and T-Mobile cellular coverage services for its tracking feature to work.

As you can see, the initial price of the SpotOn system is nearly $500 more than Halo. While you get a free one-year subscription with SpotOn compared to six months free with Halo, SpotOn is still a higher overall cost for your first year of use — even if you go with Halo’s highest-tier subscription plan.

We also think Halo’s Silver monthly plan at $9.99 per month is all you’d need (and very likely the Basic plan at $4.49 per month will work for many people). Compare this to $6.95 per month with SpotOn, and we still think Halo has the leg up here.Halo logo

Price Winner: Halo

Customer Service & Reputation

Both of these companies are fairly new, so it’s hard for us to get a long-term idea of their reputation or customer service track records. Still, from what we’ve seen from user reviews, both companies get mixed reviews for their customer service and tech support.

Halo tech support is available for video chat sessions via Zoom Mondays through Fridays and live chat, phone, and email support seven days per week. SpotOn tech support is available Mondays through Fridays via live chat, phone, and email.Halo & SpotOn logos

Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Halo & SpotOn (Tie)

Overall Winner

We recommend Halo over SpotOn, largely due to the significant pricing differences but also because Halo can accommodate many more dog sizes than SpotOn. However, the choice between the two ultimately comes down to your needs. SpotOn could be better for you if you want more customizable fencing and better battery life in the collar. If you’d like to learn more about Halo, you can read our full Halo review.Halo logo

Overall Winner: Halo

If you’re not sold on these expensive GPS-enabled systems, then you may want to consider some more affordable wireless dog fencing systems. These other systems work well for a regular-sized family yard using radio frequencies to keep your dog in bounds.



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