Prey

Prey is a device security and fleet management service for locating and recovering lost or stolen devices. Tracking features include active tracking, missing reports, Wi-Fi triangulation, location history, and geofences. Administrators can remotely lock a screen, sound an alarm, send a message, or mark a device as missing. Data protection options include custom wipe, file retrieval, remote encryption, factory reset, and a Windows kill switch. Fleet tools include automated actions, a status dashboard, mass actions, labels and search, roles and permissions, and a developer API. Prey lists encrypted and authenticated agent communications, two-factor verification, SAML/SSO, and SSL/TLS support. File retrieval handles one file at a time, up to 25 MB; retrieved files are hosted for 30 days. Official Linux support is limited to Ubuntu, and iOS features are heavily limited by the operating system. A free plan is available. Paid plans start at $1.30 a month per slot when billed annually.

Prey combines device recovery tools with controls for managing fleets. Its Linux and iOS limitations and the file retrieval cap are worth considering.

Prey may suit individuals, businesses, and educational organizations that need to locate devices or manage a fleet. Its listed fleet controls and developer API may also fit teams overseeing multiple devices.

Prey is a device-security and fleet-management service for locating missing hardware, protecting data, and coordinating responses across multiple devices. It suits individuals, businesses, and schools that need recovery controls as well as administration. The strongest case is a mixed fleet where tracking and remote action matter more than full inventory accounting.

Overview

Launched in Santiago, Chile, in 2009, Prey combines device recovery with centralized management. Active tracking, missing reports, location history, Wi-Fi triangulation, and geofences give users several ways to establish where a device is and how its status changed. That makes it useful when a lost laptop or phone needs an organized response rather than a simple last-known-location check.

Its administrative side is aimed at organizations: a fleet-status dashboard, automated actions, mass actions, labels and search, roles and permissions, and a developer API. Individuals can use the recovery tools without needing those controls, while IT teams can apply consistent actions across many endpoints.

Key features

Tracking and remote response

Marking a device as missing can trigger a practical recovery workflow. Administrators can remotely lock the screen, sound an alarm, or send a message, combining visibility with a way to communicate or restrict access. Geofences and location history are particularly useful for monitoring movement over time rather than relying on a single position.

Data protection

Prey lists custom wipe, factory reset, remote encryption, and a Windows kill switch. These options give administrators escalating ways to protect a device or its contents when recovery is uncertain. File retrieval is more narrowly useful: it handles one file at a time, up to 25 MB, and hosts each retrieved file for 30 days. That is suitable for rescuing a small document, not for collecting a substantial working folder.

Fleet administration and security

Automated and mass actions reduce the work of responding device by device. Labels, search, permissions, and the dashboard help separate operational roles, while the developer API supports external integrations. Prey also publishes deployment instructions for JAMF. It says agent communications use encryption and authentication protocols and supports two-factor verification, SAML/SSO, and SSL/TLS.

Pricing

Prey has a free plan, but its opened plan page does not state a device limit or price terms beyond $0.00. That makes it a low-risk starting point, though organizations should confirm capacity before standardizing on it.

Prey Starter costs $2.99 a month, billed monthly, and includes five device slots. It is the clearest fit for a small personal or household deployment that needs a defined allowance without annual billing.

Prey Tracking costs $1.30 a month per slot, billed annually, with no minimum slot purchase; the per-slot price decreases above 50 slots. Prey Protection is $1.95 a month per slot on the same annual, no-minimum basis, and Prey Full Suite is $2.25 a month per slot under those terms. Tracking is the economical choice when location and recovery are the priority; Protection costs more for broader security controls, while Full Suite is aimed at teams wanting the complete feature set. Prey offers a free trial, but it no longer provides an automatic self-service 14-day trial; customized trials may be arranged for qualified organizations.

Platforms

Prey supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, the web, Windows, and an API. Installers are offered for Mac ARM, Mac Intel 64-bit, Windows 64-bit, and Ubuntu 64-bit. Official Linux support is limited to Ubuntu. On iOS, capabilities are heavily constrained by the operating system, and Prey advises against installation unless the app can remain open, making iPhone coverage substantially less dependable than the platform list alone suggests.

Who it's for

Choose Prey if you need device recovery plus centralized controls for a business, school, or personal collection of hardware. It is especially well suited to fleets where mass actions, permissions, integrations, and remote protection justify a per-slot subscription. It is a weaker fit for Linux fleets outside Ubuntu, iOS-first deployments, or anyone expecting broad file extraction after a loss.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Multiple tracking methods, including geofences and location history, support a more complete recovery process.
• Pro: Lock, alarm, messaging, wipe, encryption, and reset actions let administrators respond remotely.
• Pro: Fleet dashboards, mass actions, permissions, API access, and JAMF guidance serve organizational deployments.
• Con: File retrieval is restricted to one 25 MB file at a time, with 30-day hosting.
• Con: Linux support officially covers Ubuntu only.
• Con: iOS limitations and the requirement that the app remain open reduce its usefulness for unattended recovery.
• Con: The trial may require qualification and a customized arrangement rather than instant self-service signup.

Alternatives

For dedicated asset records and barcode-oriented workflows, compare Asset Tracking Software. AssetTiger is a paid asset-tracking option with a free plan, free trial, and Android, API, iOS, and web support. Asset Giant suits a small free deployment with 100 assets, one user, 50 MB storage, and no time limit, but it has no trial. MapYourTag is a better match for scan-based tracking, with a free tier for 10 assets and two users and a paid Pro plan. Reftab offers free tracking for up to 50 assets with mobile apps and barcode or QR support. Scanlily targets smaller catalogs with a one-user, 500-item free plan. Shelf provides a free personal workspace with unlimited assets and supports Linux, macOS, self-hosting, web, and Windows. Sortly is a visual inventory alternative with a 100-item, one-user free tier. AssetCenter offers a no-time-limit free plan for 25 assets.

Verdict

Prey is a strong choice for people and organizations that want location intelligence tied directly to remote security actions and fleet administration. Choose it for coordinated recovery across mixed device fleets, especially when API, permissions, and mass actions matter. Look elsewhere if your priority is comprehensive inventory tracking, dependable unattended iOS coverage, non-Ubuntu Linux support, or retrieving large quantities of files after a device goes missing.