Dawarich
Visualize your location history, track your movements, and analyze your travel patterns with complete privacy and control (alternative to Google Timeline a.k.a. Google Location History).
Best self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) software in 2026
Maps, cartography, GIS and GPS software.
We track 19 open-source, self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) apps. 16 of them had commits in the last 90 days, 11 can run with Docker, and the most common licenses are GPL-3.0 (4), AGPL-3.0 (3), GPL-2.0 (3). The most-used languages are Java, Nodejs, C. Below are the top picks by GitHub stars, followed by every app ranked by stars weighted by maintenance health.
Alternatives to Google MapsAlternatives to TripItAlternatives to PolarstepsAlternatives to Google Maps TimelineAlternatives to Life360Alternatives to Strava
Top 5 by GitHub stars
| # | App | Stars | Health | Last activity | License | Language | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dawarich | 10.9k | Active | 2026-11-07 | AGPL-3.0 | Docker | ✓ |
| 2 | Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM) | 8.2k | Active | 2026-11-02 | BSD-2-Clause | C++ | – |
| 3 | GraphHopper | 6.8k | Active | 2026-11-09 | Apache-2.0 | Java | – |
| 4 | Nominatim | 4.6k | Active | 2026-11-03 | GPL-2.0 | C | – |
| 5 | wanderer | 4.1k | Active | 2026-11-08 | AGPL-3.0 | Docker, Go | ✓ |
- Dawarich — Visualize your location history, track your movements, and analyze your travel patterns with complete privacy and control (alternative to Google Timeline a.k.a. Google Location History).
- Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM) — High performance routing engine designed to run on OpenStreetMap data and offering an HTTP API, C++ library interface, and Nodejs wrapper.
- GraphHopper — Fast routing library and server using OpenStreetMap.
- Nominatim — Server application for geocoding (address -> coordinates) and reverse geocoding (coordinates -> address) on OpenStreetMap data.
- wanderer — Trail database where you can upload your recorded tracks or create new ones and add various metadata to build an easily searchable catalogue.
Head-to-head comparisons
Dawarich vs Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM)Dawarich vs GraphHopperDawarich vs NominatimGraphHopper vs Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM)Nominatim vs Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM)GraphHopper vs NominatimAdventureLog vs TRIP
All 19 self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) apps
Ranked by GitHub stars weighted by maintenance health.
Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM)
High performance routing engine designed to run on OpenStreetMap data and offering an HTTP API, C++ library interface, and Nodejs wrapper.
GraphHopper
Fast routing library and server using OpenStreetMap.
Nominatim
Server application for geocoding (address -> coordinates) and reverse geocoding (coordinates -> address) on OpenStreetMap data.
wanderer
Trail database where you can upload your recorded tracks or create new ones and add various metadata to build an easily searchable catalogue.
AdventureLog
Travel tracker and trip planner.
TileServer GL
Vector and raster maps with GL styles. Server side rendering by Mapbox GL Native. Map tile server for Mapbox GL JS, Android, iOS, Leaflet, OpenLayers, GIS via WMTS, etc.
OpenStreetMap
Collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world.
OpenTripPlanner
Multimodal trip planning software based on OpenStreetMap data and consuming published GTFS-formatted data to suggest routes using local public transit systems.
OpenRouteService
Route service with directions, isochrones, time-distance matrix, route optimization, etc.
TRIP
Minimalist POI Map tracker and Trip planner.
AirTrail
Personal flight tracking system.
OwnTracks Recorder
Store and access data published by OwnTracks location tracking apps.
NextGIS Web
Web GIS server for geospatial data management, web map publishing, and QGIS-centered collaborative workflows.
Geo2tz
Get the timezone from geo coordinates (lat, lon).
Onloc
Track and share your location in real time. Control and lock stolen or lost phones.
MapTiler Server
Host OpenStreetMap vector tiles, satellite imagery, own geodata and data from PostGIS database.
Traccar
Java application to track GPS positions. Supports loads of tracking devices and protocols, has an Android and iOS App. Has a web interface to view your trips.
Bicimon
Bike Speedometer as Progressive Web App.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) software in 2026?
By GitHub stars, the most popular self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) apps are Dawarich (10,900 stars), Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM) (8,204 stars), GraphHopper (6,802 stars). Popularity is only one signal: also check maintenance health, license and whether it fits your setup.
How many self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) apps are actively maintained?
16 of the 19 apps listed had commits in the last 90 days; for 2 we have no repository activity data.
Which self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) apps can I run with Docker?
11 of the 19 apps can run with Docker.
Which licenses do self-hosted Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) apps use?
The most common licenses in this category are GPL-3.0 (4 apps), AGPL-3.0 (3 apps), GPL-2.0 (3 apps).
How much does it cost to self-host Maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) software?
The software itself is free to download. Based on our rough hardware estimates, the cheapest suitable VPS plan starts at about $3.5/month (median $5/month across apps in this category). Several light apps can share one server.
Related categories
Figures from GitHub and Docker Hub as of 2026-11-15; hosting costs are rough estimates.