Comparison

FORScan Viewer vs OBD Compass

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

FORScan Viewer

This application allows users to read and view information about the on-board network of Ford, Mazda, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles. It supports various OBD adapters and displays diagnostic trouble codes for all modules.

Highlights
  • Read vehicle on-board network configuration
  • View Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)
  • Supports Ford, Mazda, Lincoln, Mercury vehicles
  • Compatible with OBDLink MX+, vLinker adapters
  • Displays module information
Features
Read full description

FORScan Viewer is an application that allows users to connect to a compatible OBD adapter and view information about the on-board network of Ford, Mazda, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. FORScan Viewer is an independent third-party application and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or approved by Ford Motor Company, Mazda Motor Corporation, or their affiliated brands. Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Mazda are trademarks of their respective owners and are used solely to describe vehicle compatibility. The application communicates only with compatible third-party OBD-II adapters owned and operated by the user. The application does not control, modify, or operate any equipment manufactured by Ford, Mazda, Lincoln, or Mercury. SUPPORTED OBD ADAPTERS - OBDLink MX+ (recommended) - vLinker FS Bluetooth (recommended) - vLinker FD BLE (recommended) - other ELM327-compatible WiFi or BLE adapter (not recommended). Attention! Some ELM327 adapters are not fully compatible with this application and may not work properly. COMPATIBILITY FORScan Viewer is designed to display information for the following vehicles: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury: 1996-2022 models, some 1994-1995 models - Mazda: 1996-2022 models. Important note: Mazda 7G models (new Mazda 3, CX-30, MX-30, CX-50, etc) have limited or no support! - Other vehicle manufacturers are NOT supported FEATURES - Reading and displaying information about the on-board network configuration of the connected vehicle (modules), including Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) for all modules - More functions are available in FORScan Lite LEGAL NOTICE FORScan Viewer does not contain proprietary vehicle software, firmware, service manuals, or other copyrighted materials owned by vehicle manufacturers. Vehicle data displayed by the application is obtained through standard diagnostic interfaces and user-authorized connections.

About

OBD Compass

Features
Read full description

The Bluetooth OBDII scan tool is loaded with essential features such as full OBDII functionality. Key Features: 1. Vehicle health check, read vehicle faults. 2. Various visual data such as numerical values, waveforms, and dials. 3. n-depth analysis of fault codes, including causes of generation, potential impacts of fault codes on vehicles, maintenance suggestions, and estimated costs, etc. 4. Maintenance records and reminders. 5. Community and Knowledge Base.

Screenshots

FORScan Viewer4 screens
OBD Compass3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OBD Compass at monthly against FORScan Viewer's every 3 months. FORScan Viewer's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FORScan Viewer ships an update every 3 months, OBD Compass monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
FORScan Viewer versus OBD Compass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFORScan ViewerOBD Compass
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (105 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews31.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings105 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksei SavinHK TOPDON TECHNOLOGY Co., LIMITED

Bugs and requests

FORScan Viewer

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App fails to detect OBD2 adapters despite successful pairing
  • Bluetooth connection drops and fails to reconnect
  • WiFi adapter detection not working after updates
  • Error code clearing functionality non-functional
  • Vehicle identification fails on certain models
Show 3 more
  • App crashes during connection attempts
  • Permission settings not persisting correctly
  • Incompatibility with specific adapter models (iCar Pro, Vgate, etc.)

Requested features

8 requests
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) adapter support
  • Full feature parity between iOS and Windows versions
  • Turkish language support
  • Improved UI scaling for modern iPhones
  • Expanded vehicle compatibility
Show 3 more
  • Programming capabilities in iOS version
  • Better adapter compatibility documentation
  • Support for non-Ford vehicle manufacturers

OBD Compass

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

FORScan Viewer

No in-app purchases

None

OBD Compass

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FORScan Viewer free?
FORScan Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OBD Compass free?
OBD Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do FORScan Viewer or OBD Compass have ads?
Neither FORScan Viewer nor OBD Compass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FORScan Viewer or OBD Compass?
FORScan Viewer ships an update every 3 months, and OBD Compass monthly. Most recently, FORScan Viewer was updated on October 24, 2026 and OBD Compass on October 16, 2026.

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