HookTrace vs Ground Control Chat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
HookTrace
Read full descriptionHide full description
HookTrace is the ultimate bridge between your iPhoneβs high-precision GPS and your private automation infrastructure. Tired of cloud services owning your location history? HookTrace puts you back in the driver's seat. It turns your device into a universal GPS sensor that transmits live location data directly to any Webhook URL you specify. Perfect for: β’ Smart Home Automation (Home Assistant, OpenClaw, Jeedom) β’ Workflow Engines (n8n, Node-RED, Zapier) β’ Custom Developer Projects & Dashboards Key Features: β’ FULL PRIVACY: No third-party servers. Data goes from your phone straight to your endpoint. β’ BACKGROUND TRACKING: Runs reliably in the background, optimized for iOS 18+. β’ FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE: Set custom Authorization headers and Device IDs. β’ BATTERY OPTIMIZED: Choose between "Significant Change" mode for extreme battery saving or "Real-time" for high-precision tracking. β’ LIVE MAP: See your current location and breadcrumb trail at a glance. Technical Specs: β’ Standard JSON Payload (Latitude, Longitude, Accuracy, Speed, Battery, Timestamp). β’ Supports HTTPS and custom Auth-Headers. β’ Distance-based filters to prevent unnecessary data spam. Stop sharing your life with big tech. Start hooking your traces to your own home.
Ground Control Chat
Read full descriptionHide full description
Every Claude Code session on your Mac becomes a pixel pilot on your phone. Ground Control shows your AI coding agents as unique little creatures marching on a neon city street. Cyan means working. Lavender means idle. Pink means one of them needs you. Tap a pilot to open its conversation. Read every reply as it streams in. Send new orders from the couch, the train, or the other side of the world, and watch your actual terminal on the Mac update live. SETUP IN ONE MINUTE Run one command on your Mac (npx @clastres/groundcontrol), scan the QR code it prints, done. No account. No signup. PRIVATE BY ARCHITECTURE Your pairing key is generated on your Mac and shared only through the QR code you scan. Everything travels end to end encrypted. Our relay routes sealed bytes and cannot read them. We store nothing. UNIQUE PILOTS Every session hatches its own creature, generated from its identity, with its own walk cycle. It keeps that face forever. Requires a Mac running Claude Code and the Ground Control daemon.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: HookTrace at every 2 days against Ground Control Chat's weekly. Ground Control Chat's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HookTrace ships an update every 2 days, Ground Control Chat weekly. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.
| Parameter | HookTrace | Ground Control Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days β better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jakob Kramer | LASTRES SANCHO CARLOS ANDRES |
In-app purchases
HookTrace
No in-app purchases
Ground Control Chat
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HookTrace free?
Is Ground Control Chat free?
Do HookTrace or Ground Control Chat have ads?
Which is updated more often, HookTrace or Ground Control Chat?
Other comparisons















