Alternatives / Google Location Sharing
Looking for an open source Google Location Sharing alternative? We found one open source location-sharing app: Paralino, an end-to-end encrypted app for Android and iOS. It covers live location, groups, place alerts, and history, but it is a young project used through its hosted service.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Paralino | Private, end-to-end encrypted location sharing | AGPL-3.0 |
We looked for open-source apps that cover the core of Google's location sharing: sharing your real-time location with chosen people, seeing them on a map, and getting alerts. We verified the project's license, recent activity, stars, and platforms in its repository. Only one project met these criteria, so this page covers a single alternative and is clear about what it does and does not replace. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Paralino is the only open-source app we found that covers real-time location sharing with family and friends. Everyone you share with needs to install it, unlike Google's sharing, which is built into the Google Maps app that most people already have.
Paralino encrypts location, speed, battery level, and travel history on your device before they are uploaded, using modern cryptography such as XChaCha20-Poly1305, X25519, and Ed25519, and offers privacy zones that obscure your location. The service is hosted in the EU, and the company states it has no ads and does not share data.
Paralino offers live location on a map, private groups, place alerts with geofences, location history, low battery alerts, privacy zones, and a personal space for your own devices. It is an app for sharing with people you choose, rather than a full maps and navigation service like Google Maps.
Paralino's apps are licensed under AGPL-3.0, with Android and iOS apps in the repository. It is used through the hosted Paralino service rather than as a server you deploy yourself, so it is open source but not self-hosted. Check the project's documentation for any changes to self-hosting.
Paralino's last commit was in September 2026, and it is a young project with a small community and 66 stars.
Google Location Sharing is built into Google Maps and your Google account, so your location history and sharing relationships are stored by Google and tied to your account. An open-source alternative lets you inspect the code and use end-to-end encryption so that even the service operator cannot read your location, at the cost of a smaller user base and a younger project.
| Alternative | Type | License | Platforms | Self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralino | Location sharing | AGPL-3.0 | Android, iOS | No, hosted in the EU |
Want private location sharing with family and friends
Paralino shares real-time location on a map with end-to-end encryption, multiple groups, privacy zones, and no ads.
Want alerts when someone arrives or leaves a place
Paralino offers place alerts with geofences, low battery alerts, and push notifications.
Want to share location without a Google account
Paralino has its own accounts and hosting in the EU, so your sharing does not depend on Google.