SimpleGPS vs OwnTracks
OwnTracks is a great free open-source project - an iOS and Android app that sends your phone location to a server you stand up yourself (an MQTT or HTTP backend). It tracks a person (the phone), not a vehicle, and "free" here means your own server, broker configuration and maintenance.
SimpleGPS is the other approach: a device for the car (not a phone), an included SIM, ready listeners, a hosted platform and a modern interface. You host and maintain nothing - plug the device in and the car appears on the map.
OwnTracks tracks your phone and needs your own MQTT server. SimpleGPS tracks the car with a fitted device, is hosted and just works - no servers and no dependence on the driver's charged phone.
Side by side
| SimpleGPS | OwnTracks | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent public pricing (€) | Yes | Free (open source), but you pay for a server + your time |
| Modern app-style UI | Yes | No |
| Device included / sold with the service | Yes | No |
| Hosted - no own server needed | Yes | No - you host it yourself |
| Fits private individuals | Yes | Only if you are technical |
| Real-time tracking | Yes | Yes |
| No long-term contract | Yes | Yes |
| Self-serve online signup | Yes | DIY install and setup |
| Bulgarian support | Yes | No |
The differences in detail
Phone vs a device in the car
OwnTracks reports the phone location - if the driver leaves the car with the phone, or the battery dies, the trail stops. SimpleGPS uses a device wired to the car: it starts with the engine and depends on nobody keeping a phone charged.
MQTT broker vs a ready platform
To run OwnTracks you stand up and maintain your own MQTT or HTTP backend and point the app at it. With SimpleGPS there is nothing to host - the device talks straight to our hosted listener.
What you actually see
OwnTracks gives you raw points on a map. SimpleGPS turns them into trips, history, geofences, alerts and waybills - ready to use, without writing scripts over the data.
When is OwnTracks the better choice?
OwnTracks is great if you are technical, want to track your own phone and enjoy running your own MQTT server. If you want to see a vehicle (or several) on a map - with a device that does not depend on the driver keeping a phone charged - SimpleGPS is for you.
Bottom line
OwnTracks tracks a phone and needs your own server. SimpleGPS tracks the car with a device, is hosted and simply works - for a transparent monthly fee in euro.
Frequently asked questions
Does OwnTracks track a car or a person?
A person - specifically the phone it is installed on. For a car the phone would have to stay in it, charged, with the app running. SimpleGPS tracks the car itself with a fitted device.
Do I need my own server for OwnTracks?
Yes - the app sends data to an MQTT or HTTP backend you stand up and maintain yourself. SimpleGPS is fully hosted; you maintain nothing.
Does it drain the phone battery?
Continuous location tracking in OwnTracks is hard on the battery. The SimpleGPS device is powered by the car, so that problem simply does not exist.
Who is OwnTracks for?
Technical people who want to track their own phone and run their own server. For tracking a vehicle with everything ready to go - SimpleGPS.
Try SimpleGPS
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