TAKGRID — Guide

Free TAK Server: What Your Options Really Are

There are free ways to run a TAK server, and for some teams they are the right choice. Here is what each one asks of you, so you can pick before you spend a weekend on it.

In Brief

The short answer

The TAK Server software itself is free. What is not free is the server it runs on, the certificates that make it secure, the hours to set it up, and the work of keeping it running. If you have the time and a Linux machine, free works. If you need people connected by tonight and nobody on your team has done this before, a few days of hosting costs less than the day you would lose.

The Options

Five free ways to get a TAK server

  1. 01

    No server

    Don't use a server at all

    TAK apps such as ATAK and WinTAK can share positions directly over a local network or a radio network, with no server in between. This works when everyone is in the same place on the same network. It stops when one person is somewhere else, on mobile data.

    Good for
    A team on one site, on one network.
    Cost
    Nothing.

  2. 02

    TAK Product Center

    The official TAK Server, installed yourself

    The official server is free, from the TAK Product Center, and its source is public on GitHub. It needs Java 17 and PostgreSQL with PostGIS. You provide the machine, the domain name, the certificates and the updates.

    Good for
    Someone comfortable with Linux, with time to learn.
    Cost
    Your hours, and a hosting bill every month.

  3. 03

    Community project

    FreeTAKServer (FTS)

    This is the name most people mean by "free TAK server": a free, open-source alternative to the official server, written in Python under the Eclipse Public License. Before you build on it, check on its GitHub page when it was last updated. That matters, because a TAK server faces the internet, and one that gets no fixes also gets no security updates. It is a separate program, not the official TAK Server.

    Good for
    A self-hoster who has checked that it is still being updated.
    Cost
    You run, secure and patch it yourself.

  4. 04

    Open source

    OpenTAKServer (OTS)

    An open-source, Python-based alternative built to be lighter to install and run on modest hardware like a Raspberry Pi. It is a separate program from the official TAK Server; we do not run it. Check its own site for what it covers today.

    Good for
    A self-hoster, a Raspberry Pi in a go-bag, a hobby team.
    Cost
    You still run, secure and update it.

  5. 05

    Shared with strangers

    A public community server

    Some projects run open test servers that anyone can join. You do not control who else is on it, whether it stays up, or who can read your team's positions.

    Good for
    Trying ATAK for ten minutes. Not a real team.
    Cost
    Nothing, except your privacy.

FreeTAKServer

Were you looking for FreeTAKServer?

FreeTAKServer is a community project that offers a free alternative to the official TAK Server. Check when it was last updated before you rely on it. A server that gets no fixes leaves you on your own for security.

Two other free options are the official TAK Server (option 2 above) and OpenTAKServer (option 4). TAKGRID runs the official one for you.

See the project on GitHub

The Comparison

What "free" costs in practice

Time to first connection

Self-Installed

A few hours to a full day for someone experienced with Linux and TAK.

TAKGRID Scout

Instant deployment. Create a user in the dashboard, then connect from ATAK with Quick Connect.

Skills

Self-Installed

Comfort with Linux, networking, firewalls and certificate management.

TAKGRID Scout

None. No command line, just an account.

Certificates

Self-Installed

You build your own certificate authority and keep the certificates renewed.

TAKGRID Scout

Certificate enrollment is included. Each device gets its certificate automatically.

Who looks after it

Self-Installed

You: updates, certificate renewals, uptime and troubleshooting, for as long as it runs.

TAKGRID Scout

We do. Managed upgrades and daily encrypted off-site backups.

Who else is on it

Self-Installed

Nobody on your own server. On a public community server, anyone who joins.

TAKGRID Scout

A private, isolated TAK environment for your team.

Stay Free

When free is the right answer

  • Your whole team is in one place on one network.
  • You are learning TAK and the server is the point of the exercise.
  • You have someone who enjoys running Linux and will still be there in six months.

If that is you, use the free options above. Really.

Rent a Few Days

When a few days of hosting is easier

  • You have an exercise, a search, an event or a game day, and the people arrive on a date.
  • Your phones are on mobile data in different places.
  • Nobody wants to be the one who can't find why the certificates fail on the day.

Scout, by the Day

The official server, for the days you need it

Scout is $20 a month or $4 a day, up to 25 devices, in a private, isolated TAK environment. Deployment: instant.

Three days is $12, $8 less than a month. Rented by the day, Scout stays cheaper than a month for up to 4 days; after that, take the month.

More than 25 devices? Ranger covers up to 60 devices, at $45 a month or $8 a day.

Scout, per day

$4/day

Or $20/mo. Up to 25 devices.

  • GOTS TAK Server
  • CloudTAK browser client
  • LDAP users and group management
  • XMPP messaging server
  • 1 live video stream
  • Certificate enrollment
  • Managed upgrades
  • Daily encrypted off-site backups
Deploy Scout

or see all plans

Questions

Common Questions

Is TAK Server really free?

Yes. The software is free from the TAK Product Center. The server it runs on, the domain, the certificates and the time to set it up are not.

Is there a free hosted TAK server?

Not from TAKGRID: our plans are paid, and the smallest is Scout, at $20 a month or $4 a day. Public community servers are free to join for trying the apps, but you do not control who else is on them or who can read your positions.

Do I need a server for ATAK?

Not on one local network: ATAK can share positions directly between devices there. You need a server when people are in different places.

Is FreeTAKServer the same as the official TAK Server?

No. FreeTAKServer is a separate, community-built program. The official TAK Server comes from the TAK Product Center, and it is the one TAKGRID runs.

What is the cheapest way to try TAKGRID?

Scout by the day: $4 a day, up to 25 devices. It stays cheaper than a month for up to 4 days.

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