Comparison
The best dog walk apps that don’t need a collar
| App | Price | Platforms | How it tracks | Dog steps | Social | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doggy Doo | Free | iPhone (plus web log-in) | Phone GPS; tap Start | Yes, adjusted for breed, size and age | Community feed, followers, weekly leaderboard | Streaks, a weekly health score and a community of dog walkers |
| Tails | Free; optional Unleashed+ ($7.99/week, $9.99/month or $49.99/year) | iPhone and Android | Phone GPS; records walks automatically | Not a listed feature | Packs (small groups with a shared goal); family sharing | A health log with poop and sniffing time, shared with family and your vet |
| TrackMyPaw | Free for 5 walks; Pro $2.99/month or $17.99/year | iPhone | Phone GPS | Daily step goals and badges | Personal leaderboard per dog; shareable walk cards | Care routines (meds, grooming) and vet reports alongside walks |
| Steps4Dogs | Free; premium £2.99/month or £24.99/year (UK App Store) | iPhone and Android | Phone step counter with a route map | Yes, with breed-based daily step goals | Global and breed rankings; friend rankings | Step goals, achievements and rankings |
Doggy Doo
- Price
- Free
- Platforms
- iPhone (plus web log-in)
- How it tracks
- Phone GPS; tap Start
- Dog steps
- Yes, adjusted for breed, size and age
- Social
- Community feed, followers, weekly leaderboard
- Best for
- Streaks, a weekly health score and a community of dog walkers
Tails
- Price
- Free; optional Unleashed+ ($7.99/week, $9.99/month or $49.99/year)
- Platforms
- iPhone and Android
- How it tracks
- Phone GPS; records walks automatically
- Dog steps
- Not a listed feature
- Social
- Packs (small groups with a shared goal); family sharing
- Best for
- A health log with poop and sniffing time, shared with family and your vet
TrackMyPaw
- Price
- Free for 5 walks; Pro $2.99/month or $17.99/year
- Platforms
- iPhone
- How it tracks
- Phone GPS
- Dog steps
- Daily step goals and badges
- Social
- Personal leaderboard per dog; shareable walk cards
- Best for
- Care routines (meds, grooming) and vet reports alongside walks
Steps4Dogs
- Price
- Free; premium £2.99/month or £24.99/year (UK App Store)
- Platforms
- iPhone and Android
- How it tracks
- Phone step counter with a route map
- Dog steps
- Yes, with breed-based daily step goals
- Social
- Global and breed rankings; friend rankings
- Best for
- Step goals, achievements and rankings
From each app's App Store listing or website, checked October 2026. Prices and features change; if something here is out of date, email support@doggydoo.app and we'll fix it.
How to choose
Which one is right for you?
You want motivation and a community: Doggy Doo. It's free, counts breed-adjusted dog steps, keeps a streak, and puts your walks on a feed with a weekly leaderboard. See why we call it Strava for dogs.
You want a health record for your vet: Tails logs poop and sniffing time next to each walk, and the whole family can add to it.
You manage meds and grooming too: TrackMyPaw puts care routines and a vet report next to your walks.
You love step goals and rankings: Steps4Dogs is built around daily step goals, achievements and leaderboards by breed.
FAQ
No-collar dog tracking, answered
What’s the best dog walk tracker app without a collar?+
It depends on what keeps you walking. Doggy Doo is free and best for streaks, breed-adjusted dog steps and a community feed with a weekly leaderboard. Tails is strongest for a shared health log, TrackMyPaw for care routines, and Steps4Dogs for step goals and rankings. All four track with your phone, so you don’t need a collar.
Can my phone track my dog’s walks?+
Yes. Your phone’s GPS records the route, distance and time while you walk together. Apps like Doggy Doo then estimate your dog’s steps from that distance using your dog’s size and age.
When is a GPS collar worth it?+
A collar helps if your dog walks or runs without you, or you want to find your dog if it gets lost. For logging walks you take together, a phone app is enough.
Is there a free dog walk tracker app?+
Yes. Doggy Doo is free on iPhone. Tails and Steps4Dogs are free with optional paid plans, and TrackMyPaw is free for your first 5 walks.