iCar vs CarOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iCar
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a car interface with quick access to music, planning, and phone apps. Includes an emergency call feature and allows direct control of currently playing music.
- Car interface for iPhone/iPad
- Quick access shortcuts
- Music playback control
- Emergency Call mode
- Access to planning apps
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iCar is an application that allows you to add an car interface to your iPhone or iPad. With three shortcuts on the side, you can easily access music, plan and phone applications. There is also an "Emergency Call" mode that allows you to call for help if you have a problem with a long press on the "Phone" button. iCar also allows you to have direct access to all the music that is currently playing on your iPhone or iPad and to control it without having to open the music application. ------ The app contains an optional subscription system, a monthly and an annual. These subscriptions offer you a premium service with access to a speedometer, the customization of your application and the withdrawal of advertisements. Payment and Subscription Infos : * These are auto-renewable subscriptions * Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your iTunes Account (in the Settings App) after purchase. * The payment of these subscriptions via your iTunes account is effective only with the confirmation of the payment. * Your subscription will be automatically renewed unless the "Automatic Renewal" option has been deactivated at least 24 hours before renewal. * Your account will be charged 24 hours before the end of the subscription period. Terms & Conditions : http://hc-webapplication/apps/icar/terms.html
CarOS
Transform your mobile device into a powerful car head unit with this app. It offers a safe and intuitive interface for navigation, music, calls, and more while driving. Automate settings and share your location in real-time for a connected and secure driving experience.
- Turn-by-turn navigation
- Music and radio playback
- Voice-controlled messaging
- Smart dashcam functionality
- Real-time location sharing
- Automated driving settings
- Worldwide emergency assistance
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Your car doesn't have a screen. Your iPhone is one. CarOS turns your iPhone, on its phone mount, into your car's dashboard: maps, music, calls and a dash cam on one screen, with big round buttons you can hit without hunting for them. Nothing to buy, nothing to wire, nothing to install. It works in any car, truck, van or RV. NEW: CAROS 5 Rebuilt from scratch, with a brand-new design: clear by day, dark at night, and a SmartBar that keeps the essentials one tap away on every screen. FREE, FOR EVERY DRIVE • Dashboard: your map, what's playing and your trip on one screen • Radio: thousands of stations from around the world • Listening: one player for every audio source • Road alerts reported by other drivers, shown and spoken • Weather at a glance • Your week: distance, time behind the wheel and trips, ready to share • Impact detection with an SOS screen and local emergency numbers in 238 countries and territories • Live Sharing: let someone follow your trip with a private web link CAROS PREMIUM • Maps: search, Home and Work, places nearby and turn-by-turn voice guidance • Music: your library and Apple Music, with big controls • Podcasts: search, subscribe and listen • Phone: favorites, recents, contacts and keypad, in big buttons • Messages: pick a contact, dictate your text, hear it read back, then send • Dash Cam: continuous recording that keeps the clip safe after a hard impact • Face Control: play, pause or skip a song with a smile (iPhone with Face ID) • Parking: remember where you parked, add a photo and a note, walk back with directions • Calendar: today's appointments, with directions and a call button • Shortcuts: run your favorite shortcuts from the road • Spotify and Google Maps, when their apps are installed • Trip automations: when you start driving, set brightness and volume and start the dash cam or Face Control ON IPAD Turn an iPad into a large in-car screen, in full-screen landscape, with the dashboard always in view. DESIGNED FOR THE ROAD Large text, large buttons and few steps, in light or dark mode. Keep your iPhone on its mount, set things up while parked, and follow local laws. SUBSCRIPTION CarOS is free to download, with Radio, the dashboard and the safety features included. CarOS Premium unlocks everything else, as a weekly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, both with a free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://carosapp.com/legal Made by an independent developer since 2021. Questions or ideas? Write to us from Settings › Report a problem.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: CarOS at none against iCar's shown. iCar's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 14%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. iCar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and CarOS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iCar | CarOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (8 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews — better | 14.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cyril Hubeau | Oh My Software |
Customer experience
iCar
CarOS
Bugs and requests
iCar
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
CarOS
Reported bugs
24 issues- App crashes frequently
- Random logouts
- Video recording not working
- Messages app crashes
- Adding apps is not intuitive
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- App shuts down unexpectedly
- Constant disconnects and reconnects
- GPS locates phone, not car
- App closes when trying to access music
- Subscription issues (not recognized)
- Music navigation lagging
- Spotify crashes
- App forgets login
- Camera settings crash
- Cannot scroll in Spotify playlists
- Podcast not updating
- Cannot log into account
- App doesn't reflect on car screen
- Camera crashes when changing settings
- App crashes when changing settings
- App crashes when trying to use Spotify
- App crashes when accessing music
- App crashes in many menus
- App crashes after Spotify authentication
Requested features
13 requests- Integrated navigation within the app
- Support for Waze and Amazon Music
- Ability to edit widgets
- More app integrations
- Speed limit display on map
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- Split screen functionality
- Improved iPad interface
- CarPlay recognition
- Direct integration of Coyote or Waze
- Direct integration of Spotify music
- Direct integration of Shopify
- Turn-by-turn navigation within CarOS
- Allow portrait mode
In-app purchases
iCar
- Premium Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Subscription Support Monthly$7.991 Month
- Premium Yearly Subscription$50.991 Year
CarOS
- Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$0.997 Days
- Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$3.491 Month
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year






