dump1090 vs readsb vs tar1090: Self-Hosted ADS-B Flight Tracking 2026

Every day, thousands of commercial and private aircraft broadcast their position, altitude, speed, and identification over an unencrypted radio frequency at 1090 MHz. With a $30 USB dongle and the right software, you can receive and decode these signals from your own home — building a self-hosted flight tracking station that rivals commercial services like Flightradar24.

The ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) ecosystem is one of the most rewarding self-hosted projects you can run. It combines hardware hacking, radio signal processing, and real-time data visualization into a single system that lets you watch every aircraft flying overhead on your own private map.

In this guide, we compare the three most popular open-source ADS-B receiver toolchains — dump1090, readsb, and tar1090 — with hands-on Docker deployment instructions, feature comparisons, and guidance on building the optimal self-hosted flight tracking stack.

Why Self-Host Your ADS-B Receiver?

Commercial flight tracking services are convenient, but they come with tradeoffs that push many enthusiasts toward self-hosting:

Complete data ownership. Every aircraft position, flight number, altitude reading, and signal report stays on your server. You’re not feeding data to a corporation that monetizes it or restricts your access.

No subscription fees. Premium features on commercial platforms — extended range maps, detailed aircraft databases, historical tracking — cost $10-30/month. Self-hosted alternatives give you everything for free after the initial hardware purchase.

Share data on your terms. You can choose to feed your decoded data to multiple aggregators (FlightAware, ADS-B Exchange, OpenSky Network) simultaneously, or keep it entirely private. Most commercial services only let you feed to their own platform.

Learn about RF and aviation. Running an ADS-B receiver teaches you about radio frequency reception, antenna theory, Mode-S protocols, and the global air traffic system. It’s one of the most educational self-hosted projects available.

Reliable local coverage. Commercial services rely on a network of volunteer receivers that can go offline. Your own receiver provides consistent coverage for your local airspace regardless of what other receivers are doing.

For related projects, see our self-hosted GPS tracking guide for vehicle position tracking and network monitoring with Zabbix and LibreNMS for infrastructure observability.

Understanding the ADS-B Toolchain

Before comparing tools, it’s important to understand how an ADS-B receiver system works. The typical self-hosted stack has three layers:

1. Decoder — Receives raw I/Q samples from the RTL-SDR dongle, demodulates the 1090 MHz signal, and extracts Mode-S messages (aircraft position, callsign, altitude, speed). Examples: dump1090, readsb.
2. Web interface — Serves a real-time interactive map showing aircraft positions on a browser. Examples: tar1090, built-in dump1090 map.
3. Feeder — Optionally forwards decoded data to external aggregators. Examples: fr24feed, PiAware, adsbexchange-feeding.

The tools we compare here serve different roles in this stack. dump1090 and readsb are decoders (with built-in basic web interfaces), while tar1090 is a web interface layer that sits on top of either decoder.

dump1090: The Original ADS-B Decoder

GitHub: antirez/dump1090 — 2,863 stars, last updated February 2026

dump1090, created by Salvatore Sanfilippo (antirez, the creator of Redis), is the original and most widely known ADS-B decoder. Despite its simple name (“dump” Mode-S messages at “1090” MHz), it remains the foundation of the entire self-hosted ADS-B ecosystem.

Features

• Real-time decoding of Mode-S and ADS-B messages from RTL-SDR hardware
• Built-in HTTP server with interactive aircraft map
• Beast-format and AVR-format output for feeding to other services
• Gain control and frequency correction settings
• Position tracking and aircraft database management
• JSON output for custom integrations

Strengths

• Simplicity — Single binary, minimal dependencies, easy to compile
• Huge community — Thousands of tutorials, forum posts, and troubleshooting guides
• Proven stability — Years of production use across millions of receivers worldwide
• Wide hardware support — Works with RTL-SDR, BladeRF, and other SDR devices

Limitations

• Limited aircraft database — Basic plane type lookup; no airline logos or detailed registries
• Basic web interface — Functional but dated; limited filtering and display options
• No multi-receiver support — Single dongle per instance
• Slower CPU performance — Less optimized than modern forks

Docker Deployment

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services:
  dump1090:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-dump1090:latest
    container_name: dump1090
    restart: unless-stopped
    devices:
      - /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - DUMP1090_GAIN=49.6
      - DUMP1090_NET_BEAST_RATE=360000
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
      - "30005:30005"
      - "30001:30001"
    volumes:
      - ./dump1090-config:/etc/dump1090
      - /var/run/dump1090:/var/run/dump1090

Installation from Source

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# Install build dependencies
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y \
  build-essential libusb-1.0-0-dev librtlsdr-dev \
  pkg-config git

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/antirez/dump1090.git
cd dump1090
make BLADERF=no

# Run with RTL-SDR dongle
./dump1090 --interactive --net --gain 49.6

readsb: The Modern ADS-B Decoder

GitHub: wiedehopf/readsb — 595 stars, last updated April 2026

readsb is a modern fork of dump1090 that has become the decoder of choice for experienced ADS-B enthusiasts. The name stands for “Reader of Mode-S/ADSB” — a direct evolution from the original tool with significant improvements.

Features

• All dump1090 capabilities with enhanced decoding algorithms
• Improved weak-signal detection and range performance
• Better CPU efficiency with optimized DSP processing
• Built-in aircraft database with more detailed type information
• Support for multiple RTL-SDR devices simultaneously
• Enhanced statistics and performance metrics
• Native support for the tar1090 web interface

Strengths

• Superior decoding performance — Better range and accuracy, especially for weak signals
• Active development — Frequent updates with algorithmic improvements
• tar1090 integration — Designed to work seamlessly with the modern web interface
• Multi-receiver support — Can combine data from multiple dongles
• Built-in statistics — Detailed performance dashboards out of the box

Limitations

• Slightly more complex — More configuration options can overwhelm beginners
• Smaller community — Fewer tutorials compared to dump1090
• ARM-focused — Best performance on Raspberry Pi; x86 optimization varies

Docker Deployment

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services:
  readsb:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-readsb-protobuf:latest
    container_name: readsb
    restart: unless-stopped
    devices:
      - /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - READSB_DEVICE_TYPE=rtlsdr
      - READSB_GAIN=autogain
      - READSB_LAT=40.7128
      - READSB_LON=-74.0060
      - READSB_ALT=10m
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
      - "30005:30005"
      - "30001:30001"
      - "30006:30006"
    volumes:
      - ./readsb-data:/var/lib/readsb
      - /var/run/readsb:/var/run/readsb
    tmpfs:
      - /tmp:exec

Key Configuration Parameters

tar1090: The Modern Web Interface

GitHub: wiedehopf/tar1090 — 1,763 stars, last updated April 2026

tar1090 is not a decoder — it’s a web interface layer that sits on top of dump1090 or readsb, replacing their built-in maps with a significantly improved user experience. Think of it as the “theme” for your ADS-B data.

Features

• Beautiful, responsive aircraft map with smooth panning and zooming
• Advanced filtering by altitude, speed, aircraft type, and airline
• Real-time aircraft details panel with comprehensive data
• Historical trajectory trails showing flight paths
• Dark mode and customizable map styles
• Aircraft silhouette rendering for identified types
• Range rings and custom marker support
• Statistics dashboard with range plots and message rates

Strengths

• Best-in-class web UI — Vastly superior to built-in decoder interfaces
• Works with any decoder — Compatible with dump1090, dump1090-fa, and readsb
• Performance optimized — Handles thousands of simultaneous aircraft smoothly
• Mobile friendly — Responsive design works well on phones and tablets
• Active development — Weekly updates with new features and fixes

Limitations

• Not a decoder — Requires a separate decoder instance (dump1090 or readsb)
• Resource usage — Slightly higher memory footprint than basic web interfaces
• Configuration complexity — Requires connecting to a running decoder’s Beast output

Docker Deployment (with readsb)

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services:
  readsb:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-readsb-protobuf:latest
    container_name: readsb
    restart: unless-stopped
    devices:
      - /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - READSB_DEVICE_TYPE=rtlsdr
      - READSB_GAIN=autogain
      - READSB_LAT=40.7128
      - READSB_LON=-74.0060
    ports:
      - "30005:30005"
    volumes:
      - ./readsb-data:/var/lib/readsb

  tar1090:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-tar1090:latest
    container_name: tar1090
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - readsb
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - TAR1090_HOST=readsb
      - TAR1090_PORT=30005
      - TAR1090_BEASTHOST=readsb
      - TAR1090_LAT=40.7128
      - TAR1090_LON=-74.0060
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./tar1090-config:/etc/tar1090

Feature Comparison

Recommended Stacks

Beginner Stack: dump1090 Only

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services:
  dump1090:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-dump1090:latest
    container_name: dump1090
    restart: unless-stopped
    devices:
      - /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - DUMP1090_GAIN=autogain
      - DUMP1090_LAT=40.7128
      - DUMP1090_LON=-74.0060
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"

Access the built-in map at http://your-server:8080. This is the simplest setup — one container, minimal configuration, and you’re tracking flights within minutes.

Enthusiast Stack: readsb + tar1090

This is the recommended configuration for most users. readsb provides the best decoding performance, and tar1090 delivers a polished web interface. The Docker Compose file above shows the complete setup with both services.

Advanced Stack: readsb + tar1090 + graphs1090 + Feeders

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services:
  readsb:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-readsb-protobuf:latest
    container_name: readsb
    restart: unless-stopped
    devices:
      - /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - READSB_DEVICE_TYPE=rtlsdr
      - READSB_GAIN=autogain
      - READSB_LAT=40.7128
      - READSB_LON=-74.0060
    ports:
      - "30005:30005"
      - "30001:30001"
    volumes:
      - ./readsb-data:/var/lib/readsb

  tar1090:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-tar1090:latest
    container_name: tar1090
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - readsb
    environment:
      - TAR1090_BEASTHOST=readsb
      - TAR1090_LAT=40.7128
      - TAR1090_LON=-74.0060
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"

  graphs1090:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-graphs1090:latest
    container_name: graphs1090
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - readsb
    environment:
      - GRAPH1090_HOST=readsb
    ports:
      - "8081:80"

  fr24feed:
    image: sdr-enthusiasts/docker-fr24feed:latest
    container_name: fr24feed
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - readsb
    environment:
      - FR24KEY=your-fr24-sharing-key
      - RECEIVER=readsb
      - HOST=readsb
      - PORT=30005

This production-grade stack includes:

• readsb for optimal decoding
• tar1090 for the flight map UI
• graphs1090 for receiver performance monitoring (range plots, message rates, CPU usage)
• fr24feed for sharing data with Flightradar24

Hardware Requirements

Essential Hardware

Antenna Placement Tips

• Height matters — Mount as high as possible. Every meter of elevation increases your range significantly.
• Clear line of sight — Avoid obstructions between your antenna and the sky. Buildings and trees block 1090 MHz signals.
• Vertical polarization — ADS-B signals are vertically polarized. Keep your antenna vertical.
• Outdoor placement — Indoor reception works for nearby aircraft (50-100 km range). Outdoor placement extends this to 200-400+ km.
• Coax length — Use the shortest coax cable possible. Signal loss at 1090 MHz is significant over long cable runs.

FAQ

What is ADS-B and how does it work?

ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is a surveillance technology used by aircraft to broadcast their position, altitude, velocity, and identification. Aircraft transmit these messages on 1090 MHz using Mode-S transponders. Any receiver tuned to this frequency within range can decode the messages and display the aircraft on a map. The system works globally — any aircraft equipped with an ADS-B transponder (required in most airspace since 2020) broadcasts continuously.

Do I need special hardware to run an ADS-B receiver?

Yes, you need an RTL-SDR (Software Defined Radio) USB dongle that can receive signals at 1090 MHz. The RTL-SDR Blog V4 dongle ($30) is the most popular choice. You also need a computer to run the decoder software — a Raspberry Pi 4 is ideal, but any Linux machine with USB support works. An outdoor antenna significantly improves reception range but isn’t required to get started.

What’s the difference between dump1090 and readsb?

readsb is a modern fork of dump1090 with improved decoding algorithms, better weak-signal detection, multi-receiver support, and enhanced statistics. Both decode the same ADS-B signals, but readsb generally provides better range and accuracy. dump1090 has a larger community and more tutorials, making it easier for beginners. For new installations, readsb is the recommended decoder.

Can I use tar1090 without readsb or dump1090?

No. tar1090 is a web interface, not a decoder. It needs a running decoder instance (dump1090, dump1090-fa, or readsb) to provide it with aircraft data via Beast-format output on port 30005. Think of the decoder as the “engine” that processes radio signals, and tar1090 as the “dashboard” that displays the results.

How far can my ADS-B receiver detect aircraft?

Range depends primarily on antenna height and placement. A basic indoor setup typically reaches 50-150 km. An outdoor antenna at 10 meters height can reach 200-300 km. At 30+ meters with a tuned antenna and low-loss coax, ranges of 400-500+ km are achievable. Geography matters too — coastal or elevated locations with clear views of the horizon get the best range.

Is it legal to receive and decode ADS-B signals?

Yes, in most countries. ADS-B signals are broadcast unencrypted on a public frequency (1090 MHz) and are intended to be received by anyone. The FAA, EASA, and other aviation authorities explicitly encourage public reception of ADS-B data for flight tracking and safety monitoring. However, check your local regulations — some countries have restrictions on radio reception equipment.

Can I share my ADS-B data with flight tracking services?

Absolutely. Most self-hosted receivers feed data to multiple services simultaneously:

• FlightAware (PiAware) — Largest receiver network, provides free enterprise account
• ADS-B Exchange — Unfiltered data, no military filtering
• OpenSky Network — Academic/research focused, open data
• Flightradar24 (fr24feed) — Popular consumer flight tracker
• RadarBox — Another commercial aggregator

You decide which services to feed. Your self-hosted setup remains independent regardless.