EMQX vs OwnTracks Recorder
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | EMQX | OwnTracks Recorder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Erlang | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,599 | ★ 1,187 |
| First released | 2026 | 2015 |
| Replaces | — | Google Location Sharing, Life360 |
Why pick each one
Choose EMQX if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 16.6k GitHub stars
- Written in Erlang
Choose OwnTracks Recorder if…
- Fully private location tracking
- Very lightweight
Frequently asked questions
Is EMQX or OwnTracks Recorder better?
Neither is universally better. EMQX has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are EMQX and OwnTracks Recorder free and open-source?
Yes. EMQX is licensed under Apache-2.0 and OwnTracks Recorder under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EMQX and OwnTracks Recorder with Docker?
EMQX: yes. OwnTracks Recorder: yes.