# DashLink 2 vs Garmin Catalyst™

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Garmin Catalyst™ at 82% against DashLink 2's 9%. Garmin Catalyst™ also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). DashLink 2's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Garmin Catalyst™ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Catalyst™ has 120 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of DashLink 2's written reviews are positive against 82% of Garmin Catalyst™'s.

DashLink 2 ships an update every 7 months, Garmin Catalyst™ monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DashLink 2 | Garmin Catalyst™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dashlink-2/id1212601010/reviews) | **[4.8 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-catalyst/id1603280610/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 22 | **120** |
| Positive reviews | 9.1% of reviews | **81.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 92 MB | 220 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Auto Meter Products, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1051124752) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### DashLink 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dashlink-2/id1212601010)

Transform your iOS device into a virtual dashboard for your vehicle. Monitor engine performance, track fuel economy, and diagnose trouble codes. Customize your display for instant feedback on your car's performance.

**Highlights:** Virtual dashboard display, Monitor vehicle performance, Track fuel economy, Read/clear trouble codes, Customizable data layout, OBD-II/EOBD compliant support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Garmin Catalyst™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-catalyst/id1603280610)

Access and analyze your motorsports performance data on your smartphone. Review lap times, session summaries, and driver profiles. Track annual driving activity and session weather conditions.

**Highlights:** Access performance data, View lap times, Session summaries, Customizable driver profiles, Track annual activity, Record weather conditions

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Great performance data
- 💡 Actionable driving insights
- 👍 Simple setup
- 👍 Great for track drivers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches when logging in
- 🐛 App just glitches
- 🐛 Loading is soooo slow
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Comparing to friends frequently fails

**Reported bugs**

- Everytime you try logging in the app just glitches anyways can’t even get logged in.
- Comparing to others frequently fails
- Compare to friend feature way to frequently fails with the message about the tracks not matching well enough despite being the same track on the same days even.
- New version is off
- It won’t let me compare the laps with other friends on the same day. Says lap not similar. Literally same day same track same session.

**Requested features**

- Option to select 1-5 laps for optimum view
- Watch reference videos side by side on the Catalyst
- Add video review on phone or iPad
- Allow moving videos to iCloud for review
- Ability to download in-car camera footage directly from device to app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DashLink 2 free?

DashLink 2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Garmin Catalyst™ free?

Garmin Catalyst™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DashLink 2 or Garmin Catalyst™?

Garmin Catalyst™ is rated higher. DashLink 2 averages 3.5 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Garmin Catalyst™ averages 4.8 from 120 ratings.

### Do DashLink 2 or Garmin Catalyst™ have ads?

Neither DashLink 2 nor Garmin Catalyst™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DashLink 2 or Garmin Catalyst™?

DashLink 2 ships an update every 7 months, and Garmin Catalyst™ monthly. Most recently, DashLink 2 was updated on September 24, 2026 and Garmin Catalyst™ on October 11, 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.*