01
Missing proof when a claim arises
When someone slips on an icy walkway, the operator bears the burden of showing that service was performed. Paper logs often fall short of what is required.
Open source · Self-hosted
Document winter service operations.
Automatically.
Wintertrace captures every snow removal and de-icing operation with GPS track, weather data, and photos. Generates a PDF service proof. Runs on standard web hosting. Open source. No subscription.
Install on your hosting
One file · WebFTP works · about ten minutes
Or try it on ours
A real installation of your own for 48 hours. Deleted automatically afterwards.
Request a live demo →PHP 8.2+ · MySQL · standard web hosting · GNU AGPLv3
Source on GitHubWintertrace is open-source software that documents winter service operations digitally. It runs on standard web hosting with PHP and MySQL — no cloud, no subscription, no vendor lock-in. The source code is public on GitHub.
A real installation of your own, for 48 hours
No shared logins, no click-through dummy: a real installation of your own for 48 hours. After that everything is deleted automatically. No strings attached.
Three problems that keep operators awake
Real operational pain points — collected from small and mid-sized winter service businesses.
02
Spreadsheets and texts become unmanageable
Three drivers, twelve customers, four shifts a week. By the time anyone asks a question weeks later, the information is gone.
03
Cloud software ties you to the vendor
When your data sits with the provider, the provider sets the terms — price, availability, export options.
Wintertrace flips this: documentation runs automatically, data stays with the operator, the software belongs to the business.
Core features
What ships with the core software today.
01
GPS tracking via OwnTracks
The free open-source OwnTracks app sends location data directly to your installation — no cloud detour.
02
Automatic weather data
Temperature, precipitation, and snow depth are captured automatically at the start and end of every operation.
03
PDF service proof
Every operation is exported as a formal PDF with GPS track, weather data, and photos.
04
Customer portal
Clients can view their operations, weather data, and (optionally) GPS tracks themselves.
05
Data protection tools
Anonymisation, retention policies, and data export are built in.
06
Signed auto-updates
Updates are cryptographically signed (Ed25519) — tampering is mathematically excluded as long as the root key is safe.
Self-hosting
On your hosting. With your data.
Wintertrace runs on standard web hosting with PHP 8.2+ and MySQL. No root access. No Docker. No special hardware. Installation runs through a browser assistant in roughly 10 minutes.
- PHP
- 8.2 or higher
- Database
- MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+
- Background tasks
- Cron, every minute
- Deployment
- FTP or SSH
Open source
Open. Verifiable. Maintainable.
The entire source code is public on GitHub. Anyone can verify what the software does — and what it does not. No telemetry. No tracking. No vendor lock-in.
- · Licence: GNU AGPLv3
- · Active development with public commits
- · Public roadmap and changelog
- · No closed-source modules required to run the core
How an operation flows
From shift start to service proof — five steps, no extra software.
- 1
Start shift
Driver logs in to the app on their phone.
- 2
Begin operation
Customer is selected, GPS recording starts.
- 3
Capture photos and notes
Optional, with timestamps and GPS fix.
- 4
End operation
Weather data is fetched, PDF is generated.
- 5
Service proof ready
Available in admin area and customer portal.
What a service proof looks like
Every operation is exported as a PDF with company header, GPS track as vector graphic, weather data, and photos. Printable, archivable, usable as evidence in liability cases.
Note: Wintertrace provides documentation support. It is not a substitute for legal advice. Specific compliance assessments should be made in consultation with qualified counsel in your jurisdiction.
What you can verify
Trust is built on facts the code itself proves — not on badges.
Open source
Source code public on GitHub, AGPLv3 licence.
Self-hosting
Your data stays on your server.
No telemetry
The software does not phone home.
Signed updates
Ed25519 signatures protect against tampering.
Public roadmap
What is coming is visible up front.
Data protection tools
Built in, not bolt-on.
Run it on your own hosting
Upload one small file via WebFTP, open it in your browser, and the installer pulls the latest signed Wintertrace core onto your hosting. About ten minutes — no FTP client needed.
Help shape Wintertrace
This software is early. Your feedback shapes where it goes — tell us what your operation actually needs.
Frequently asked
A short selection. The full FAQ covers installation, GPS, weather, data protection, liability, features, updates, and open source.
What does Wintertrace cost?
The core software is free and open source under GNU AGPLv3. Additional costs are limited to the web hosting most businesses already have.
Do I need my own server?
Standard web hosting with PHP 8.2 or higher and MySQL is sufficient. No root access, no Docker, no special hardware.
How does GPS tracking work without a cloud?
The free OwnTracks app on the driver phone sends location data directly to your installation. There is no third-party cloud in between.
How does Wintertrace support data protection obligations?
Wintertrace includes data protection tools — anonymisation, retention policies, data export. The actual compliance is established through correct usage in your organisation. Wintertrace is not a substitute for legal advice.
From the blog
Practical notes on winter service documentation, self-hosting, and the design decisions inside Wintertrace.
Release notes
Why the software stays small — and why its biggest module is a warehouse
The Warehouse module for Wintertrace has shipped: stock keeping for a winter service, inside the software that already documents the work. Also the reason the core stays deliberately small, and what 4.19 billion tokens went into.
Michael9 min readIndustry
Getting paid to clear snow in Canada: what it actually takes
You have a truck, a full-time job, and a neighbour willing to pay you to clear their driveway. Here is what it takes to do winter service on the side legally in Canada — registration, tax, GST/HST, insurance and workers' comp, province by province.
Michael12 min readIndustry
Winter service across Canada: one country, a dozen winters
What winter really looks like across Canada — from mild, rainy Vancouver to the Prairie deep-freeze and St. John's snow — and why the rules that govern snow clearing are municipal, not national.
Michael13 min read