# Car Scanner ELM OBD2 vs CarbitLink

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Car Scanner ELM OBD2 at 81% against CarbitLink's 5%. Car Scanner ELM OBD2 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). CarbitLink's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Car Scanner ELM OBD2 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 6 months and CarbitLink sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Car Scanner ELM OBD2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Car Scanner ELM OBD2 has 33K ratings behind it against 173, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Car Scanner ELM OBD2's written reviews are positive against 5% of CarbitLink's.

Car Scanner ELM OBD2 ships an update every 5 days, CarbitLink every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Car Scanner ELM OBD2 | CarbitLink |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/car-scanner-elm-obd2/id1259933623/reviews)** | [2.3 (173 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carbitlink-easyconnection/id1476025261/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 173 |
| Positive reviews | **81.1% of reviews** | 5.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 181 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stanislav Svistunov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1259933622) | [亿连(武汉)科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1375522639) |

## What reviewers say

### Car Scanner ELM OBD2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/car-scanner-elm-obd2/id1259933623)

Monitor your car's real-time performance, diagnose fault codes, and access detailed sensor data. Customize your dashboard with various gauges and charts, and even reset diagnostic trouble codes. This tool helps you understand your vehicle's health and potentially reduce repair costs.

**Highlights:** Real-time vehicle data, OBD fault code reading and resetting, Customizable dashboard with gauges and charts, Extended PID support, Emission test readiness check, HUD mode for windshield projection, Acceleration measurement tool

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Car Scanner Pro (6 months) | $3.99 | per 6 months |
| Car Scanner Pro (1 year) | $4.99 | per year |
| Car Scanner Pro (low price) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Car Scanner Pro (mid price) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Car Scanner Pro (forever) | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works great with cheap OBD2 adapters
- 👍 Highly customizable dashboard
- 👍 Comprehensive sensor data
- 👍 Helpful error code lookup
- 👍 Frequent updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connection issues
- 🐛 Incorrect sensor readings for some vehicles
- 🐛 Crashes or freezes on some devices
- 🔋 Drains battery when left running

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to connect to certain vehicle models
- Incorrect fuel economy calculations
- Sensor data not updating properly in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add support for more vehicle profiles
- Improve CarPlay integration
- Allow custom dashboard templates
- Add option to automatically save data logs
- Expand sensor coverage, especially for transmissions and ABS


### CarbitLink

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carbitlink-easyconnection/id1476025261)

This app mirrors your phone's screen to your car's display, offering features like online navigation, music, and video playback for an enhanced driving experience. It also includes essential in-car functions for safer and more convenient travel.

**Highlights:** Phone screen projection to car, Online navigation with route planning, Online music streaming, Online video playback, Local music playback, Phone call integration

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Music | $1.99 | per month |
| Navigation | $2.99 | per month |
| Google maps Navigation | $2.99 | per month |
| Mapbox_Trial | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mapbox_Month | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mapbox_Quarter | $8.99 | one-time |
| Mapbox_Year | $28.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good application
- 🚀 Nice and fast
- 🚀 Works as expected on Geely

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 The new update made the sound system very bad
- 🐛 Useless and deceitful app
- 🐛 Terrible app
- 🐛 Garbage app
- 🐛 Netflix doesn't work

**Reported bugs**

- Apple Music not working
- Mirroring not working after update
- Can't register the app
- Doesn't work on iOS 16 and newer
- Doesn't work with iPhone

**Requested features**

- Add support for Google Maps or Waze
- Add ability to add apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Car Scanner ELM OBD2 free?

Car Scanner ELM OBD2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CarbitLink free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Car Scanner ELM OBD2 or CarbitLink?

Car Scanner ELM OBD2 is rated higher. Car Scanner ELM OBD2 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while CarbitLink averages 2.3 from 173 ratings.

### Do Car Scanner ELM OBD2 or CarbitLink have ads?

Car Scanner ELM OBD2 shows ads; CarbitLink does not.

### Which is updated more often, Car Scanner ELM OBD2 or CarbitLink?

Car Scanner ELM OBD2 ships an update every 5 days, and CarbitLink every 2 months. Most recently, Car Scanner ELM OBD2 was updated on November 7, 2026 and CarbitLink on November 6, 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.*