OwnTracks vs Empower Driver
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OwnTracks
This app lets you create a private log of your locations or share them with others. It prioritizes data security and privacy by using open protocols. Be mindful that continuous GPS use can impact battery life.
- Private location diary
- Location sharing
- Open-source
- Open protocols
- Data security and privacy
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OwnTracks - Your location companion OwnTracks allows you to keep track of your own location. You can build your private location diary or share it with your family and friends. OwnTracks is open-source and uses open protocols for communication so you can be sure your data stays secure and private. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Empower Driver
This app connects passengers directly with drivers, offering a more sustainable income for drivers and potentially lower costs and customized rides for passengers. It bypasses large corporate platforms to facilitate direct transactions.
- Direct driver-passenger connection
- Sustainable driver income
- Less expensive rides
- Customized transportation options
- Bypass corporate middlemen
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We started Empower to empower drivers who can’t make a sustainable living under the current rideshare model and to provide an alternative for passengers who want the convenience provided by on-demand transportation platforms, but prefer to support drivers, not the companies exploiting them. By removing the giant corporate middleman, Empower is able to do that, while enabling passengers to obtain less expensive and more customized transportation directly from drivers.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Empower Driver at 4.6 against OwnTracks's 4.2. Empower Driver also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 33) and chart position (#78 vs unranked). OwnTracks's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Empower Driver holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Empower Driver has 2.8K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of OwnTracks's written reviews are positive against 61% of Empower Driver's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
OwnTracks ships an update monthly, Empower Driver fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OwnTracks | Empower Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (33 ratings) | 4.6 (2.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 67.4% of reviews — better | 61.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 33 | 2.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | — | #78 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christoph Krey | Yazam Inc. |
Customer experience
OwnTracks
Empower Driver
Bugs and requests
OwnTracks
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Empower Driver
Reported bugs
3 issues- Background check delays
- App crashes and freezes
- Inability to delete account
Requested features
4 requests- Destination mode to pick up riders along the way
- Cancellation fees for riders
- Cleanup fees for driver incidents
- Improved GPS accuracy and navigation
In-app purchases
OwnTracks
No in-app purchases
Empower Driver
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is OwnTracks free?
Is Empower Driver free?
Which has better reviews, OwnTracks or Empower Driver?
Do OwnTracks or Empower Driver have ads?
Which is updated more often, OwnTracks or Empower Driver?
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