Hauk vs OpenFamily
Hauk
github.com
OpenFamily
openfamily.appSide by side
| Figure | Hauk | OpenFamily |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Family Locator Apps | 8.3 (#7) | 8.3 (#8) |
| Integrations | The Android app supports HTTP and SOCKS proxies, and the backend supports LDAP authentication. | Android notifications use UnifiedPush through ntfy, and the app does not require Google Play Services. |
| Intended users | The project describes sharing location with friends and family, such as sending a link to someone you are meeting. | OpenFamily is designed for households with a member comfortable running a small Docker stack, rather than fleets or public tracking. |
| Product | Hauk is an open-source, self-hosted realtime location sharing service. | OpenFamily is a self-hosted family GPS location tracker for household location sharing. |
Plans
In their own words
Hauk
Hauk is a free, open-source service for sharing a phone’s live location through a backend that users host themselves. With its Android app, a user can set how long to share, then send a link for others to follow the location on a map. Sharing ends when the set period expires or the user stops it, and anyone with the link can view the location while it is active. The app sends location data only to the Hauk server configured in its settings. Running it therefore requires a server with PHP and Memcached or Redis, including the corresponding PHP extensions. Deployment options include manual or scripted installation, an Arch Linux AUR package, and an official Docker image. The project supports end-to-end encryption, LDAP authentication, and Tasker share starts; the Android app also supports HTTP and SOCKS proxies. Hauk is licensed under Apache-2.0. Its public demo is limited to two-minute shares and is intended for demonstration. The project recommends HTTPS through a reverse proxy to protect data in transit.
OpenFamily
OpenFamily is a free, open-source, self-hosted GPS tracker for household location sharing. Its live map shows family members with photo avatars, battery levels, last-seen times, and movement states, with updates through WebSocket. Saved places can trigger arrival and departure alerts. Safety tools include SOS with a ten-second countdown, check-ins with notes, and non-emergency requests for family help. Location history includes map trails, place stays, stops, and in-transit segments; detailed history is retained for 90 days. People join using invite codes and can be assigned admin, member, or child roles. A web admin panel manages accounts and families, creates invites, configures optional SMS, downloads the Android APK, and displays the map. OpenFamily runs as a Docker Compose stack on a VPS, Synology NAS, home server, or LAN machine. It supports Android, iOS, web, API, and self-hosted use. Account and location data are stored in PostgreSQL on the operator's server; default map tile hosts can see the area being viewed.