2024 Satellite Communicator monthly SERVICE PLANS compared

[Melensdad]

Unlike the last time I did this comparison several years ago, the market now is much more open to different brands of hardware.

2024 "Best" Satellite 2-way Communicators

POST #7 below may be a contributing factor in your decision making process as it discusses what many articles ignore. There is a new kid on the block this year from Motorola, actually arrived on the market during 2023. Looks like it might be too early to adopt it, some of the tests look like...

www.forumsforums.com

That said, there are still 2 primary Satellite Networks that dominate.

Motorola is breaking into the market with a tiny new device, I am choosing to ignore that unit as it is not widely adopted, and early testing seems to indicate it is somewhat lacking at this point in time. One would expect that, as a communications giant, Motorola will fix the bugs, the hardware will improve and they will impact the market.


In stand alone 2 way satellite communicator market there are 2 primary satellite networks.

The Globalstar and Iridium networks..

If you need OPEN WATER coverage you want the Iridium compatible units. If you need the polar regions, you want the Iridium compatible units. If you need central Russia, parts of Asia or Africa, then you need the Iridium compatible units. SPOT simply does not do those regions so you can stop reading at this point if those are your concerns.

NONE of these units allow you to make a call through a satellite.

Part 1: COVERAGE MAPS

SPOT X:
SPOT X uses the 24 satellite Globalstar private network of satellites. Globalstar covers MOST the landmass of earth but not all of it and it lacks coverage over oceans. In some areas (orange) there may only be 1 way communication.

View attachment 138321

GARMIN + Zoleo + BivyStick + others:

These brands all use the 66 satellite Iridium Satellite network that covers 100% of the earth.

Any device that uses the Iridium Satellites will offer similar full global coverage, but may have different features and will have different price plans.

View attachment 138322

 

[Melensdad]

PART 2: SUBSCRIPTIONS

Just like with a cellular phone, auto insurance or a subscription to Playboy magazine, satellite communicators only work if you sign up for their subscription service.

Both the SPOT and the various IRIDIUM compatible brands offer multiple plans and they offer a couple different option for the plans.

There are ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS at lower rates and there are FLEX PLANS that allow you to turn off your unit for part of the year and only pay for the months that you use.

But the devil is in the details of these plans and it pay to read the details.

For example, if you have a SPOT X 2 way communicator and sign up for the ANNUAL BASIC plan, and you PAY FOR THE WHOLE YEAR at the start of the year you get all your custom texts for the entire year loaded up on day one, so effectively they roll over starting on day 1. But if you pay monthly then you get your allocations of custom texts per month and they do NOT "roll over" into the next month if you don't use them. So if you pay for the whole year and you use 40 texts in month 1 the you incur $0.00 in extra fees. But if you pay monthly then you pay 10-cents per extra text over 20 texts, so you start paying overcharges at text #21. May not seem like much, but if you end up in a situation where there is a whole string of texts due to a mechanical problem or something else where you need SOME help but not an actual rescue it could easily start to pile up charges. Paying the whole year may save you a nice chunk of change.


SPOT X Annual Subscription plans:

Below is the annual plan for SPOT X. Notice it does NOT point out that if you pay up-front that you get access to all your custom messages. Again, the devil is in the details, not in the info-graphics.

GARMIN (Iridium Satellite Network) Pricing Plans for Annual and Flex plans:

Below is the GARMIN InReach Mini plan. This same plan pricing is also available for the other GARMIN branded devices. The Garmin FREEDOM plan is very similar to the SPOT "Flex" plans. You can use it part time, shut it down part time.

• I believe Garmin charges a $5 fee each time you "suspend" their service. They bill you $5 per month for every month the service is not in use.
• Garmin charges a $34.95 one time Activation Fee.
• If you "terminate" service to attempt to save money instead of 'suspending' your service, you will pay the $34.95 Activation Fee again when you restart your service.
• I cannot find a "roll over" of your text messages from one month to the next if you don't use your allocation.
• Garmin offers WEATHER at a small added fee, something that SPOT X does not have.

Garmin charges $34.95/month for their MONTHLY Consumer "Recreation" FLEX plan
Garmin charges $24.95/month for their ANNUAL Consumer "Recreation" CONTRACT plan

ZOLEO, using the IRIDIUM satellites pricing system

Zoleo seems more flexible, it charges an extra $6 per month to share your location, so that must be considered in their price. Their unit also connects up to CELLULAR and WIFI networks so you can transmit through those networks, but I find that sort of odd because you also need a cell phone to effectively use a Zoleo, so that device should also connect up the same CELLULAR and WIFI networks, so why not just send out a text message? Still, I guess if you are within CELLULAR range, and have an emergency and send out an SOS, the Zoleo system is sort of like a set of suspenders with your belt, the SOS will get out.

$41/month for the middle plan gets you location sharing and 250 messages a month, plus piece of mind SOS monitoring.

I can find no "roll over" of messages, but you get 250 with their middle plan.
I can find no weather service.

ACR BIVY STICK on the Iridium Satellite Network

Bivy plans offer a $5 monthly discount for users who pay by the year
Their subscription system allocated "credits" which can be used for various services. You pay for credits and then those are automatically deducted as you use the service.

One time, 3-Month Commitment on Plus or Unlimited Plan Required​

• $29.99 activation fee applies when activating.
• After the initial 3-month commitment, plans can be changed or deactivated online at any time.
• Deactivating a plan will result in losing any rollover credits accrued in the account. Basic & Plus plans only.
• Annual plans require a one-year contract. See Terms and Conditions. *

• Deactivating your plan will result in losing the phone number assigned to the Bivy Stick. A new number will be assigned when you reactivate.
• After the initial 3 month commitment, plans automatically renew on a monthly basis until the plan is deactivated.
• SOS messages are included and do not decrement from your plan.
  
  
• Each INBOUND message = 1 Credit
  Each OUTBOUND message = 1 Credit
  Each WEATHER CHECK = 1 Credit
  Each PREMIUM WEATHER CHECK = 2 Credits
  
  Satellite MailBox Check = 1 Credit per 6 Requests

• Tracking​

  Two Minutes = 1 Credit per 12 Minutes​
  Thirty Minutes = 1 Credit per 3 Hours​
  Five Minutes = 1 Credit per 30 Minutes​
  Sixty Minutes = 1 Credit per 6 Hours​
  Ten Minutes (Default) =1 Credit per 1 Hour
  

 

[Melensdad]

PART 3: FEATURES

DISCLAIMER ... some features appeal to some users and some don't.
DISCLAIMER #2 ... my primary uses are TRACKING and MESSAGING so my bias may show toward the SPOT X. However if mapping and navigation in a primary concern then the Zoleo, BivyStick and SPOT X simply do not compete in the same league as the Garmin and Garmin would be the only realistic choice.
DISCLAIMER #3 ... realistically most 'consumer' users will not pay for the top tier plans so my comparisons are typically of the BASIC or MID LEVEL service consumer levels, I may mention some of the other plans


MAPPING and NAVIGATION:

Realistically the GARMIN units are the best choices if you want/need NAVIGATION and mapping capability.

Garmin's InReach units are very strong navigation aids when paired with a phone and the BaseMap system, you have access to your location on topographical maps, waypoints, directions and the whole host of Garmin navigational aids.​

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SPOT X has no such navigation other than a simple directional compass and some waypoints but no high resolution topographical maps for charting your way home out of the wilderness. I've tried to use it for navigation, it is rudimentary and basic, at best.​

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ZOLEO has no such navigation system that I can find, none of their literature talks about it as a feature.​

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BIVY STICK has a 'group track' feature that allows for tracking, on a map, other people in your group who have a BIVY STICK, but I'm unable to determine if that is tied to any sort of navigation for each user to get to a specific point on a map. It is clearly designed to get you to your companion who has a BIVY STICK but not sure it helps you find your route to a specific map point as Garmin units do.​

"CHECK IN" Button Functionality:

Garmin InReach Mini, Zoleo, BivyStick and the SPOT X have unlimited us of a check in button that sends a pre-typed message. I know Garmin, Zoleo and SPOT send the message with your coordinates. I assume but can't yet confirm that BivyStick also sends coordinates with the pre-programmed check in.​

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TEXT MESSAGING: PART 1 - CUSTOM MESSAGING:

SPOT X

• SPOT X basic plan includes 20 custom messages per month, those are incoming or outgoing.
• Messages can be easily created on the SPOT X using the keyboard.
• Messages can be created on your Smartphone and sent through your SPOT X.

GARMIN InReach Mini

• GARMIN's basic plan includes 10 custom messages per month, those are incoming or outgoing.
• Messages can be created on the Mini, but it is very cumbersome and very slow
• Messages can be created on your Smartphone and sent through your InReach Mini

ZOLEO

• Zoleo's basic plan includes 25 custom messages per month, those are incoming or outgoing.
• Messages are created on your Smartphone and sent through your Zoleo

BIVY STICK

• The plan uses CREDITS for all services. Messages use 1 credit. Basic plan comes with 20 credits.
• Additional credits are $0.75 each.
• Messages are created on your Smartphone and sent through your BivyStick

TEXT MESSAGING: PART 2 - PRE-Programmed Messaging:

SPOT X

• Unlimited SOS communications
• Unlimited "Check in" communications (you program the wording for this message)
• Unlimited use of the 14 pre-programmed messages (you program what each message says)
• Fetch rate to search for incoming messages can be set by the user at various intervals. Factory default setting is for manual checking of incoming messages.

Garmin InReach Mini

• Unlimited SOS communications
• Unlimited "Check in" communications (you program the wording for this message)
• Unlimited use of 3 pre-programmed messages (you program the wording for this message)
• I can't find the fetch rate settings for checking incoming messages but I will update when I do.

Zoleo

• Unlimited SOS communications
• Unlimited "Check in" communications (you program the wording for this message)
• 25 text messages per month for the basic plan
• I can't find the fetch rate settings for checking incoming messages but I will update when I do.

BivyStick

• Unlimited SOS communications
• Unlimited "Check in" communications (you program the wording for this message)
• Text Messages use 1 credit per message
• I can't find the fetch rate settings for checking incoming messages but I will update when I do.

Clearly the communications advantage goes to the SPOT X with its 14 pre-programmed messages.

On my SPOT X unit I typed up messages that range from "Gas Stop, back on the road shortly" to "Tourist Stop, back on the road in a couple hours" as well as "Hotel stop, done for the day" in addition to others that are similar non-emergency messages but can alert someone at home that I am stopping for various duration from a quick stop to an overnight.​

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I also have a few mechanical issues messages that would cover various durations and indicate some severity of a problem, or lack of severity. Finally I have a few messages that indicate real problems and that I need help, but perhaps not a medical helicopter dispatched.​

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On ALL of the above messages, my map coordinates are sent out, along with a link to a map. With 14 pre-written messages programmed into my unit, and UNLIMITED use of them, I can send off fairly descriptive messages to people who may be watching my progress on a trip. The messages can go to their emails or be sent as SMS messages to their phones.​

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HONORABLE MENTION goes to GARMIN:

On the GARMIN InReach Mini there are 3 of these types of messages available so you must be far more selective in your communication to a loved one back home, but they are still free/unlimited to use those.​

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Zoleo and BivyStick do not seem to have anything similar?​

TRACKING via an electronic 'breadcrumb' trail:

Most units offer tracking, but here again SPOT X may have an advantage for the average user, at least with the BASIC and SECONDARY plans. BivyStick probably has the worst pricing for breadcrumb tracking, but if that is not important to you then it won't eat into your wallet. Zoleo has a $6 location share?

SPOT X

Unlimited use of tracking at 10 minute intervals on the basic plan. 10 minutes on a motorcycle or in a car could be a long distance. But if used consistently could show a direction of travel and at least give a starting point and clues as to where a search might be needed.​

GARMIN InReach Mini

Tracking is allowed, at 10-cents per pin drop, in 10 minute intervals on the basic plan. Assuming you are on a 7 day long trip, hiking or riding or kayaking for 6 hours each day, that would equal approximately 36 pin drops per day. 36 pin drops daily for a week translates to 252 pin drops during your trip, assuming you only use it while you are actively hiking/riding/canoeing/etc. At 10-cents per pin drop that adds up to a $25.20 over charge in addition to your monthly bill. Do that a few times over the course of the year and you might as well just upgrade to their mid-priced plan at $35/month if paid monthly or $25/month if paid annually.​

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ACR Bivy Stick

BivyStick, using their 'credits' for tracking would add up pretty quickly if you were using their tracking feature and you could eat up all your credits using the unit to breadcrumb track you on a map.​

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Zoleo

For a $6/month fee you can get location sharing but I can't figure out if that is dropping a breadcrumb trail on a map at a specific time interval.​

BLUETOOTH Smartphone Interface/App

DISCLAIMER, I have used only the GARMIN app and the SPOT app. I have NO CLUE how good or bad the Zoleo or Bivy Stick apps are.​

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Regarding GARMIN & SPOT have a Smartphone App that connects to the unit via bluetooth. The Garmin unit is better, offers more functionality, and allows for vastly superior mapping. However for the most part the SPOT X doesn't need much of this interface. Yes, it might be a bit easier to type on your smartphone than on the keyboard, but if you lose your smartphone you an still type on the keyboard pretty easily. Garmin ALMOST requires you use your smartphone for SOME of its features to be useable and totally requires the smartphone for other features. Consequently they did a much better job with their app.​

 

[Melensdad]

My thoughts:

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For GROUPS with multiple units, I would suggest a BivyStick would be a wise choice, it lets you put 12 people into a group, allows for tracking of each person in the group on a map, allows for in-group communications.​

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For NAVIGATION & MAPPING the Garmin units are superior than all others.​

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For WEATHER reporting the Bivy Stick, Zoleo and Garmin all offer regular and premium weather. SPOT X does NOT offer weather forecasts.​

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For Breadcrumb tracking of where you were, SPOT X is the least expensive, Garmin does it, at a higher price, in the lower rate plans. Zoleo offers it for a flat rate of $6/month, which is cheaper than Garmin at the lower priced Garmin plans. All offer various time intervals and costs vary by plan.​

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For frequent 2 way communications with a lot of flexibility at low cost, nothing compares to SPOT X with unlimited use of 14 custom pre-programmed messages, but it has the slowest connectivity to satellites.​

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For Wi-Fi and Cellular connection in addition to Satellite, 3 offerings are available, Messenger, BivyStick and Zoleo offer that feature.​

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For compact size, nothing beats the Garmin InReach Mini2 unit, with a close 2nd place being the Garmin inReach Messenger.​

WHEN COMPARING THE UNITS and the PRICING OF THE PLANS, THE KEY IS TO DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS. You may look at your needs, and actually end up buying a different unit simply because of the monthly pricing or because of plan features. So picking the unit will have you living with the features it's plan offers, but by researching the PLANS, you figure out what features you need/want and then pick up the UNIT that works with the plan you need.

Several years into a Satellite communicator I am still happy with my Spot X. It is not perfect. Sometimes it sends a messages in a few seconds. Sometimes it takes 10 or 15 minutes to send a message. I use my Spot X every time I ride my motorcycle, hike, etc. As I find that I am driving a lot, in very rural areas, after midnight, I may put a dash mount in my vehicles too, but haven't done that yet.

I find the Garmin InReach Mini2 and the Garmin Messenger very compelling units. I believe their hardware is better than the SPOT hardware. I believe their satellite network has faster connection send/receive times. But that comes at a higher monthly price and less flexible communications. So there is a trade off, for many Garmin will be well worth the added costs and there are different features.