Get an AirTag when the object has no radio
Keys, a wallet, a suitcase, a bag, a passport holder. These objects broadcast nothing and no app can ever find them. An AirTag gives them a signal, plus access to the Find My network so they can be located far away, plus Precision Finding on a recent iPhone.
For luggage specifically, an AirTag is the clear choice, network coverage is what matters when the bag is in another airport.
Use an app when the object already has a radio
Headphones, earbuds, speakers, watches, bands, tablets, laptops, controllers, smart home devices. All of these are already transmitting. Attaching a tag to your headphones would be an odd solution to a problem their own Bluetooth radio already solves.
An app also reads devices you do not own, which is how you identify an unknown tracker, something an AirTag by definition cannot do.
Cost
An AirTag is a one-off purchase per object. An app is one cost covering every device you own that already has Bluetooth. Most households with a lot of hardware end up with a few tags for the untagged objects and an app for everything else.
Other comparisons
How this sits against the rest of what is available.
- Tile, Chipolo and budget tags: what the app adds
- GPS tracker or Bluetooth: which do you need?
- SmartThings Find and iPhone: the gap
- Why iPhone Settings doesn’t show every device
- How to choose a Bluetooth finder app for iPhone
- Bluetooth scanner for iPhone, Scan tab
- Transmit power: How loudly a device broadcasts
- All comparisons, the complete list
Common questions
Is an AirTag better than a Bluetooth finder app?
For an object with no radio of its own, yes, nothing else works. For an object that already broadcasts Bluetooth, a tag adds nothing that the device is not already doing.
Can I find an AirTag with a Bluetooth scanner?
You can detect a Find My accessory broadcasting nearby. For your own AirTag, Apple’s Find My is better because it can play a sound and offer Precision Finding. A scanner is the right tool for an unknown tag whose speaker has been disabled.
In the app: This is what the app does. Read about Bluetooth Scanner.