Questions

Is it free?

Yes. Axlebook is free software under the AGPL-3.0. There’s no paid tier, no account to create with anyone, and nothing locked behind a subscription. You can use it, change it and host it for yourself or your family. If you run a modified version as a service for other people, the license asks you to share your changes under the same terms.

Where is my data?

On the machine you run it on. With the default setup that’s a SQLite database plus your photos and receipts in one Docker volume (/data inside the container). With Postgres, the records live in your database and the files stay in /data.

How do I back it up?

Settings, Your data, Download backup gives you a zip of everything, including photos and receipts. For scheduled backups, copy the /data directory (and run pg_dump if you use Postgres). Thebackup docs have the commands.

Does it phone home?

No. There’s no telemetry, no update check and no analytics. Axlebook only contacts other servers you’ve set up yourself: an email server or notification service for reminders, an identity provider for single sign-on, or a local Ollama server for the optional AI features. It runs fine on a network with no internet access.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. It’s designed for phones first and can be installed to your home screen. Logging a fill-up works without signal; it’s sent when you’re back online.

Can my household share it?

Yes. Create accounts with admin, editor or viewer roles, and share a vehicle with someone for viewing or editing.

How is it different from other trackers?

Many vehicle trackers are hosted services, where your records live on someone else’s servers. Axlebook is self-hosted, like a few other open-source projects such as LubeLogger. Within that group, Axlebook’s focus is on:

• full-tank-to-full-tank fuel economy that handles partial and missed fill-ups;
• reminders by date, distance or both, that reschedule from the record that completes them;
• motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles, semis and trailers alongside cars, with engine hours and kWh;
• importing the spreadsheet you already keep, including several vehicles in one file;
• a documented REST API for everything, and SQLite or Postgres.

The best choice is the one that fits how you work; most of these projects, Axlebook included, are free to try.

I found a bug or want a feature

Open an issue on GitHub. Translations and code are welcome too.