Glympse vs OwnTracks

Struggling to choose between Glympse and OwnTracks? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Glympse is a Social & Communications solution with tags like location, sharing, realtime, temporary, crossplatform.

It boasts features such as Real-time location sharing, Cross-platform - works on iOS, Android, desktop browsers, Temporary location sharing - can set time limit on how long location is shared, Group location sharing - can share location with multiple people, Custom messaging - can include text messages with location and pros including Easy way to let people know your ETA or location, Can feel safer sharing location for limited time, Good for coordinating meetups or events.

On the other hand, OwnTracks is a Travel & Location product tagged with location-tracking, gps, mobile.

Its standout features include Real-time location tracking, Customizable tracking intervals, Works across multiple platforms, Open source and self-hosted option available, Integration with other services via MQTT and HTTP APIs, Waypoint and region based notifications, Power saving modes, Encrypted communication, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Highly customizable and extensible, Respects user privacy, Works offline and across different networks, Active development community.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Glympse

Glympse

Glympse is a free app that allows users to temporarily share their real-time location with others. It works across platforms and devices. Users can create a Glympse to share their location for a specified period of time, after which the Glympse expires automatically.

Categories:
location sharing realtime temporary crossplatform

Glympse Features

  1. Real-time location sharing
  2. Cross-platform - works on iOS, Android, desktop browsers
  3. Temporary location sharing - can set time limit on how long location is shared
  4. Group location sharing - can share location with multiple people
  5. Custom messaging - can include text messages with location

Pricing

  • Freemium

Pros

Easy way to let people know your ETA or location

Can feel safer sharing location for limited time

Good for coordinating meetups or events

Cons

Can be privacy concern for some users

Requires recipient to also have app installed

Can be battery drain on mobile


OwnTracks

OwnTracks

OwnTracks is an open source application that allows users to track the location of phones and other devices. It works by sending location data from GPS-enabled devices to a central server, which can be visualized on a map. It is useful for keeping tabs on family members or assets.

Categories:
location-tracking gps mobile

OwnTracks Features

  1. Real-time location tracking
  2. Customizable tracking intervals
  3. Works across multiple platforms
  4. Open source and self-hosted option available
  5. Integration with other services via MQTT and HTTP APIs
  6. Waypoint and region based notifications
  7. Power saving modes
  8. Encrypted communication

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Freemium

Pros

Free and open source

Highly customizable and extensible

Respects user privacy

Works offline and across different networks

Active development community

Cons

Setup can be complex for non-technical users

Requires always-on GPS which can drain battery

Limited analytics compared to commercial options

No official mobile apps