Prey

Overview

Prey is a device security and fleet-management app for people who need to find missing hardware and administrators responsible for many devices. Its mix of location tools and remote controls is more compelling for recovery and fleet response than for broad inventory management.

Launched in Santiago, Chile, in 2009, Prey serves individuals, businesses, and educational organizations. Its strengths are active location tracking and the ability to coordinate actions across a fleet; its platform caveats make it a less straightforward choice for some Linux and iOS users.

Key features

Tracking and response

Active tracking, missing reports, location history, Wi-Fi triangulation, and geofences give users several ways to follow a device and organize a response when it goes missing. Admins can mark devices as missing, lock their screens, sound an alarm, or send a message remotely. This combination is useful when recovery requires both location visibility and a way to act on the device.

Data protection and fleet management

Prey includes custom wipe, factory reset, remote encryption, and a Windows kill switch alongside file retrieval. Retrieval is narrowly bounded: only one file of up to 25 MB can be fetched at a time, and retrieved files are hosted for 30 days. That can help recover a small, specific file, but it is not a substitute for retrieving a larger set of data.

For administrators, a fleet status dashboard, automated and mass actions, labels, search, roles, and permissions make the product more suited to coordinated device oversight than a tracker focused on one device. A developer API supports external integrations, and Prey publishes JAMF deployment instructions. Prey says agent communications use encryption and authentication protocols; its security features also include two-factor verification, SAML/SSO, and SSL/TLS support.

Pricing

That makes it difficult to judge how far the free option will stretch before committing to a paid plan.

• Prey Free: free.
• Prey Tracking: $1.30 a month, billed annually per slot, with no minimum slot purchase. The per-slot price decreases above 50 slots. This is the entry paid tier for buyers focused on tracking.
• Prey Protection: $1.95 a month, billed annually per slot, with no minimum slot purchase. The per-slot price decreases above 50 slots. It costs more than Tracking, though the plan distinction is not detailed.
• Prey Full Suite: $2.25 a month, billed annually per slot, with no minimum slot purchase. The per-slot price decreases above 50 slots. It is the highest-priced named per-slot option, but its additional inclusions are not detailed.
• Prey Starter: $2.99/mo, purchased for 5 devices. It includes up to 20 missing reports and a 24-hour device activity log, making its capacity and reporting window explicit.

Prey no longer offers an automatic self-service 14-day trial. It may arrange customized trials for qualified organizations, so individual buyers should not assume they can test a paid plan before purchase. The per-slot plans are billed annually, while Starter is presented at a monthly price; buyers should weigh those terms and the stated Starter caps against their needs.

Platforms

Prey supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, and an API. Desktop installers are offered for Mac ARM, Mac Intel 64-bit, Windows 64-bit, and Ubuntu 64-bit, and mobile apps are documented. Linux support is officially limited to Ubuntu, so users of other distributions should look elsewhere. Prey says iOS capabilities are heavily constrained by the operating system and advises against installing the app unless it will remain open; that caveat makes it a poor fit for unattended iPhone tracking.

Who it's for

Prey is best suited to individuals and organizations that prioritize locating lost or stolen devices, applying remote security actions, and managing a fleet from one set of controls. Businesses or educational organizations with multiple devices can make use of fleet actions, roles, permissions, and the API. It is less suitable for users who need dependable iOS tracking while the app is closed, Linux support beyond Ubuntu, or retrieval of larger files in batches.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Multiple location methods: Active tracking, Wi-Fi triangulation, history, geofences, and missing reports support different recovery workflows.
• Remote response and protection: Admins can lock, alarm, message, or mark devices missing, with additional wipe, encryption, and reset options.
• Fleet controls: Dashboard, mass and automated actions, roles, labels, search, and API support suit multi-device administration.

Cons

• Significant mobile and Linux constraints: Official Linux support is Ubuntu-only, while iOS use depends on keeping the app open and remains heavily limited.
• Restricted file retrieval: One file at a time, capped at 25 MB and hosted for 30 days, limits its usefulness for broader recovery.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, start with Asset Tracking Software.

Choose Shelf if asset inventory is the priority: its Personal plan is free at $0/mo and includes unlimited assets, one user, a personal workspace, and three custom fields. Its freemium offering and wider platform range, including self-hosted, make it a different fit from Prey's device-recovery emphasis.

AssetTiger is another asset-tracking alternative.

Consider Reftab if a free inventory-focused starting point matters: its Free plan covers up to 50 assets and includes unlimited inventory and software tracking, mobile apps, and barcode and QR-code support.

AssetCenter is another freemium alternative for asset management.

MapYourTag offers a free plan for 10 assets, with two users, email alerts, and 10 scans of asset history per asset.

Sortly offers a free plan covering 100 unique items, one user license, and two active jobs.

UNIO24 has a free UNIO 50 plan for 50 assets.

Simple Asset Tracker is another alternative.

Verdict

Choose Prey if device recovery and remote security actions matter as much as overseeing a fleet: its tracking options, device controls, and administration tools make that combination its clearest strength. Look elsewhere if you depend on background iOS tracking, a non-Ubuntu Linux installation, or bulk file retrieval; those limits cut directly into its usefulness for those jobs.