# CMDR vs Open Lap

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Open Lap at none against CMDR's 4. Open Lap also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). CMDR's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (16 vs 4). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CMDR sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Open Lap asks for nothing beyond the download.

Open Lap holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of CMDR's written reviews are positive against 100% of Open Lap's.

CMDR ships an update every 4 weeks, Open Lap every 13 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CMDR | Open Lap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmdr/id1050273483/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-lap/id1448048406/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 3 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peter Stanley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041000015) | [Philipp Anné](https://appshunter.io/developer/965549566) |

## What reviewers say

### CMDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmdr/id1050273483)

This app delivers the latest news from the Elite: Dangerous universe quickly and efficiently. It helps users stay informed about important in-game events, such as server downtime, by making news items content-aware for easy calendar integration.

**Highlights:** Fast Galnet News delivery, Content-aware event integration, Calendar synchronization, Clean and lean interface, Offline news access (implied by 'sat on a train')

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Delicious snack for the Dev | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small coffee for the Dev | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium coffee for the Dev | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large coffee for the Dev | $3.99 | one-time |


### Open Lap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-lap/id1448048406)

Manage your slot car races with this app, offering practice, qualifying, and race modes. Customize car settings, track intermediate times, and receive voice alerts for events like low fuel. Supports Carrera DIGITAL 124/132 systems.

**Highlights:** Race management modes (practice, qualifying, race), Individual car settings (speed, brake, fuel), Intermediate/sector time tracking, Personalized voice alerts, Pace car and yellow flag control, Bluetooth connectivity via Carrera AppConnect

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CMDR free?

CMDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Open Lap free?

Open Lap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CMDR or Open Lap?

Open Lap is rated higher. CMDR averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Open Lap averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do CMDR or Open Lap have ads?

Neither CMDR nor Open Lap shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CMDR or Open Lap?

CMDR ships an update every 4 weeks, and Open Lap every 13 months. Most recently, CMDR was updated on November 2, 2026 and Open Lap on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*