Dawarich Review, Pricing & Features

Dawarich is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Google Timeline for owning, visualizing, and analyzing your personal location history data.

Category
Productivity
Pricing
Freemium, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2024
Headquarters
Berlin, Germany
Free PlanWeb AppiOSFree TrialAndroidAPIOpen SourceFreemiumSelf-Hosted

Overview

Dawarich is an open-source, self-hostable application that replaces Google Timeline, letting users import, store, and visualize their own location history on infrastructure they control. It was created by developer Evgenii Burmakin (GitHub handle Freika) and takes its name from the German phrase 'da war ich' -- 'I was there.'

Built with Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, and Sidekiq background jobs, Dawarich ships as a Docker Compose stack and has grown to over 9,000 GitHub stars, reflecting strong demand for privacy-first alternatives as Google restricts Timeline's cloud features.

Key Features

Users can import historical data from Google Takeout, OwnTracks, and GPX files, or stream live location from mobile GPS-logging apps. The interface offers heatmaps, trip statistics, and a distinctive 'Fog of War' mode that progressively reveals the map as new areas are visited.

Dawarich is released under the AGPL-3.0 license: self-hosting for personal or internal use is free and unrestricted, while anyone offering a modified version as a network service must release their source code changes as well.

Pricing

Self-hosting Dawarich is entirely free with the full feature set included. For users who don't want to manage their own server, Dawarich Cloud offers managed hosting on a Lite plan (around EUR 49.99/year) or a Pro plan (around EUR 17.99/month), both with a free trial and refund window.

Dawarich Cloud infrastructure is hosted in European data centers with encryption in transit and at rest and GDPR compliance, appealing to users who want managed convenience without sacrificing data protection.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Full feature set available for free when self-hosted, with no functionality paywall
  • Direct, well-supported migration path from Google Takeout data
  • Strong open-source community with active GitHub and Discord engagement
  • AGPL license guarantees continued access to source code and modifications

Cons

  • Self-hosting requires Docker and basic server administration knowledge
  • As a young project, long-term company stability and roadmap are less established than larger vendors
  • AGPL licensing may deter some commercial integrators from building closed-source derivatives
  • Company-level details (team size, formal entity) are not publicly disclosed

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dawarich free?

Yes, self-hosting Dawarich is completely free with the full feature set. A paid Dawarich Cloud option exists for users who prefer managed hosting.

Can I import my existing Google Timeline data?

Yes, Dawarich supports importing historical location data directly from a Google Takeout export, as well as OwnTracks and GPX files.

What license is Dawarich released under?

Dawarich is released under the AGPL-3.0 license, which allows free self-hosted use and requires source disclosure if you offer a modified version as a network service.

How do I run Dawarich?

Dawarich is distributed as a Docker Compose stack built on Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL with PostGIS, and Sidekiq, deployable on your own server or a hosting provider like AWS Marketplace or ElfHosted.

Who created Dawarich?

Dawarich was created by developer Evgenii Burmakin (GitHub handle Freika); the name comes from the German phrase 'da war ich,' meaning 'I was there.'

What is Fog of War mode?

It's a map visualization mode that only reveals areas of the map you have actually visited, similar to fog-of-war mechanics in strategy video games.

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