The availability of low-cost wildlife trackers increases the capacity to collect valuable ecological data when research budgets are limited. We converted a commercially available global positioning system (GPS) product into a low-cost tracking device that sends data via the mobile phone network, and assessed its performance under varying conditions. We established a stationary test, deploying devices along a continuum from open urban areas to topographically and structurally complex forested sites. We tested three features of the device: (a) the GPS, by measuring fix success rate, fix precision and horizontal dilution of precision (HDOP), (b) remote download capacity via the mobile phone network and (c) battery drain. Measures of GPS performance demonstrated high fix success rates and precision. HDOP values were influenced by habitat type and topographical position, but generally remained very low, giving an acceptable degree of error for most applications in wildlife research. Devices experienced delayed data transmission at sites with less phone reception, and faster battery drain at sites with denser vegetation. We recorded device malfunctions in 8.2% of the 110 sampling locations, but these were not associated with habitat type or topography. Our device was effective under a wide range of conditions, and the development process we used provides guidance to other researchers aiming to develop cost-effective wildlife trackers. Reducing the financial and labour costs of acquiring high-quality movement data will improve the capacity to increase sample size in animal movement studies.