Open Source GPS Tracking Software
Open source GPS tracking software like Traccar, OpenGTS and OwnTracks is free to self-host, but you build, brand, maintain and support the fleet tracking platform yourself. AIQ Connect gives you the same data ownership in a complete, white-label GPS tracking and telematics product, with a real team behind it.
All the freedom of open source, none of the hard work
AIQ Connect gives you the same open source ideas you love, your own server and your own data, but it comes finished and ready to use, so you skip the building and the fixing.
What is open source GPS tracking software?
Open source GPS tracking software is a vehicle tracking tool whose code is open for anyone to see, change and run on their own server. Free projects like Traccar, OpenGTS and OwnTracks let you set up your own GPS server without paying for a license.
Here is how it works. Your GPS devices send their location, the software puts each vehicle on a map, saves where it has been, and sends alerts. It all runs on a server you control. That is the good part: you own your data, you are not stuck with one company, and lots of helpers keep making the code better. Traccar alone works with more than 200 kinds of GPS devices.
The hard part shows up when you try to run it as a business. Now you have to set up the server, add support for new devices, add your own brand, build the reports, install every update, and help every customer on your own. There is no team to call when a client's fleet stops showing up on the map. That is the gap AIQ Connect is built to fill.
Open source GPS tracking software vs AIQ Connect
Traccar, OpenGTS and OwnTracks are all great software. The real question is simple: do you want to look after a tracking tool, or run a tracking business? Here is how they stack up.
| What it does | Traccar | OpenGTS | OwnTracks | AIQ Connect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on your server, you own the data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| License cost | Free | Free | Free | One payment |
| Branded pages for each client | Build it yourself | No | No | Built in |
| Billing and invoices built in | No | No | No | Yes |
| Number of GPS devices supported | 200+ | A few | App only | 1,000+ |
| Adding a new device type | Code it yourself | Code it yourself | No | Done for you |
| Reports and charts | Basic set | Basic | Very few | 60+ reports |
| A support team to call | Community | Community | Community | Included |
| Setup and getting started | Do it yourself | Do it yourself | Do it yourself | Done for you |
| Best for | Coders, hobbyists | Techy fleets | Personal privacy | Tracking businesses |
← swipe to see the full table →
// based on public features as of 2026. Traccar, OpenGTS and OwnTracks are separate open source projects. AIQ Connect is the self-hosted product offered on this site.
Why GPS businesses grow out of raw open source
You keep everything that makes open source great, your server, your data, no being stuck with one company, and drop the parts that quietly eat your time and your money.
You still fully own your data
Just like any open source GPS tracker, AIQ Connect runs only on your own server. Live vehicle locations, driver records, trip history and client data never leave your system. It can even be fully cut off from the internet if your clients need that. This is the same data ownership that draws people to open source in the first place.
- Data kept on your server, not a shared cloud
- You decide backups and how long to keep data
- Strong, bank-level data protection
- No one else can see your client fleet data
You skip the building and fixing
The real cost of open source is not the price, it is the work. Someone has to set up the server, add each device type, build the reports, design a branded look, and keep it all patched. AIQ Connect comes with all of that already done. Most clients are up and running in a few weeks, not months of building it in-house.
- Setup and onboarding done by a real team
- Works with 1,000+ GPS devices out of the box
- New device types added for you when you ask
- Updates and fixes handled, not your job
You get a finished product to sell
Open source gives you a tool for yourself. Selling tracking to clients needs a real product: branded pages, logins for each person, and billing. AIQ Connect gives you a white-label look with your own brand, so your customers see your logo and your product, plus a page for each client they can log into on their own.
- Your brand, your web address, all the way through
- A separate branded page for each client
- Built-in billing to charge customers
- Set who on your team and clients can see what
The most popular open source GPS tracking projects
If you are looking at open source first, these are the three names you will bump into most. Each one is good at what it was made for, so it helps to know where each fits.
Traccar
The most used open source GPS tracking system. It works with 200+ device types and 2,000+ models, has an API, and does live tracking, geofencing, driver behavior and reports. It is the strongest open source pick for fleets, as long as you can host and look after it yourself. That is why a supported Traccar alternative appeals to businesses that would rather not run their own tech team.
OpenGTS
Short for "Open GPS Tracking System," this was one of the first web tools made just for fleet tracking, and it has been used in over 110 countries. It can do the job, but it is older, and it usually takes real tech skill to set up and bring up to date.
OwnTracks
OwnTracks is different. It is a privacy-first personal location tracker that lets you keep a private location diary or share where you are with family. It is great for one person, but it is not made to run a tracking business with many clients.
The one thing they share is that they hand you the engine and leave the rest to you. AIQ Connect keeps the self-hosted, you-own-your-data idea but gives you the whole vehicle, ready to drive. If you want to self-host a complete GPS tracking platform without building it from scratch, that is exactly what it is for.
Everything open source gives you, already built in
Open source hands you an engine. AIQ Connect gives you the whole GPS tracking and telematics platform, live maps, fuel tracking, smarter routes, an open API and a way to sell under your own brand, ready on your own server.
Live map and tracking
Watch every vehicle live on a map in real time, with location, speed, direction and idle time. You can also replay any trip to see exactly where a vehicle went, by date and time.
Alerts you choose
Instant alerts for speeding, hard braking, leaving a set area (called geofencing), going off route or stopping where it should not, without you having to build the alert system.
Smarter routes
Plan the best routes, check that drivers stick to them, and cut both delivery time and wasted fuel, all built into the platform, not bolted on later.
Fuel tracking and theft alerts
See fuel fills and use for each vehicle, spot sudden drops and stop fuel theft, with fuel reports most open source GPS trackers do not include.
Open API for developers
A full API lets you build apps, dashboards and links to other tools. It works with 1,000+ GPS devices out of the box, with no protocol coding needed.
Android and iOS apps
Ready-made tracking apps for Android and iPhone, so you and your clients can watch many vehicles from anywhere, without building apps yourself.
Sell it under your brand
Start your own tracking business as a reseller, with branded pages and partner accounts, instead of trying to re-brand a raw open source project.
Many languages, anywhere
The software speaks 15 or more languages and picks the right one on its own. It is already used by partners in many places around the world.
Looked after and supported
Updates, automatic backups and a real support team. That is the ongoing work you would otherwise carry yourself with a self-hosted open source stack.