AdventureLive vs ZOLEO location sharing: which to use?

What is the difference between AdventureLive and ZOLEO location sharing?

ZOLEO is a satellite messenger with its own sharing tools. AdventureLive is a separate service for people who carry an inReach or SPOT, or wear a Garmin with LiveTrack. The most important difference is simple: AdventureLive does not support ZOLEO. If your tracker is a ZOLEO, use ZOLEO's tools. If it is an inReach or SPOT, AdventureLive reads it and adds to it.

We make AdventureLive, so weigh our view with that in mind. What we say about ZOLEO comes from its home page and support pages, linked under Sources. Some support pages blocked our automated fetch, so for those we relied on excerpts of the pages. Check ZOLEO for current details. This page is part of our guide to the best live tracking for adventures.

At a glance

What does ZOLEO do well?

ZOLEO is a complete messenger. Its home page describes a two-way device with its own phone number, pairing with a phone or tablet and moving between cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite. It says it transmits over the Iridium network, and it lists SOS with your GPS location, check-ins through a Safety Circle, two-way texting and 24/7 Medical Assist for non-emergencies. The app shows weather forecasts for any location, powered by Xweather, which is something AdventureLive's page does differently, because ours is for the person at home.

For sharing, ZOLEO has two tools. Its support pages describe Location Share+ as an optional monthly add-on with automatic location updates. ZOLEO Track is a web application, separate from Location Share+, that shows the location activity of the ZOLEO devices on your account. Without Location Share+, the map shows check-in and SOS activity. During a Location Share+ session it adds a breadcrumb trail. You can share from it with a link, and shared links open in a browser without the ZOLEO app or an account. That is as easy for family as ours.

Its limits are on the pages too. Location Share+ costs extra. The pages we read did not give plan prices. The pages we read do not mention a 3D map.

What does AdventureLive do well?

AdventureLive turns an inReach, SPOT or LiveTrack feed into one trip page. Followers see a 3D satellite map, your planned route, the line you have actually travelled and your dot, with "Seen 22 min ago, via inReach". They see check-ins and the weather where you are now and for the next 48 hours, with safety alerts for strong wind, gales, severe cold, heat, heavy rain and thunderstorms, where you are and on the route ahead. They need no app and no account.

You name up to five home contacts. If your inReach or SPOT sends a HELP message, each gets an email with the time, the place on a map and the trip page, and a cancel email follows if it is cancelled. Planning is on the web: sign in with your email and password, confirmed by a 6-digit email code, or with Google. Legs can have a GPX route or none, and you can fly the route in 3D.

It has limits. It needs an inReach, a SPOT or Garmin LiveTrack, plus that device's own plan. It does not support ZOLEO. It has no phone app. Your dot is only as fresh as the tracker's interval, and AdventureLive reads an inReach at most every 4 minutes and a SPOT every 2½, only while a trip is live.

When should you choose ZOLEO's sharing?

• You already own a ZOLEO, or you prefer its app and pricing.
• You want one device that does messaging, check-ins and Medical Assist.
• You want weather in your own app as you go.

When should you choose AdventureLive?

• You carry an inReach or SPOT, or a Garmin with LiveTrack.
• You want your family to see the weather where you are, next to your dot.
• You want home contacts emailed on a HELP message.
• You want a 3D map with the route you planned.

To start, Plan your trip, then link a tracker and add home contacts.

Which is better for a trek like Kilimanjaro?

If you already have a ZOLEO, its Track map and check-ins cover the basics for family, and you do not need anything else. If you are choosing a device and want your family to see the weather where you are on a 3D map, an inReach or SPOT with AdventureLive does that, at the cost of that device's plan. Both routes need a paid satellite plan, so compare the plan prices at ZOLEO, Garmin and SPOT before you buy. Weather and safety alerts help your family judge a bad day on the mountain, but the forecast is a guide and not a guarantee. See Kilimanjaro live tracking for how a trek runs.

Can you use both?

Not with one ZOLEO, because AdventureLive cannot read it. You could carry a ZOLEO for messaging and an inReach or SPOT for the family page, but that is two devices and two plans, so most people pick one. If you are still choosing a device, read inReach vs SPOT vs ZOLEO for expeditions and a satellite messenger for Kilimanjaro.

What about an emergency?

No tracking page is a rescue service. ZOLEO's SOS goes to its emergency service, and an inReach or SPOT SOS goes to Garmin Response or SPOT's emergency centre. They tell the emergency contacts you set up with them. AdventureLive emails home contacts on HELP only and never claims to email SOS. The forecast is a guide, so check local forecasts and warnings.