SpotOn GPS Fence Nova Edition review

Great if…

• you live where cell coverage is weak or absent
• you would rather pay once than every month
• your yard is at least 1/3 acre and 80 ft wide at the narrowest point

Skip it if…

• your dog is under 15 lb
• your lot is smaller than 1/3 acre
• $999 is more than three years of a Halo or PetSafe plan would cost you

What living with it looks like

SpotOn builds its case on the antenna. The Nova has a dual-band, dual-feed active antenna and a dual-band receiver that tracks up to 151 satellites; SpotOn says this filters out weaker signals bounced off trees and buildings, which is where most GPS fences drift. You walk or draw fences of any shape, add keep-out zones around a pool or a garden, and the collar enforces them on its own.

As your dog nears the line, it hears two warning tones starting about 10 feet inside the fence, then vibration and, only if you enable it, static at the boundary. That 10-foot warning zone is why SpotOn asks for at least 80 ft at the narrowest point of the yard. Battery is stated at 33 hours or more with tracking on, longer in Extended Battery Life Mode, with a 1-hour recharge. It is IP67 and rated from -30 to 120+ °F.

The catch

Live location, escape alerts and manual cues from your phone need the optional plan ($9.95 a month, $101.88 a year or $179.76 for two years). Add it and the Nova costs about $1,281 over three years, the highest total of the GPS fences here.

The fit is narrower than Halo's: dogs from 15 lb, necks of 10 to 26 inches. Warranty is 1 year with a one-time accident forgiveness repair, and SpotOn takes returns for 90 days.

Buying advice

Checked at $999 on SpotOn's US store on November 9, 2026. Decide on the tracking plan after a month: the fence works without it.