OBD Mate vs ThinkDriver
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OBD Mate
Diagnose vehicle faults and receive driving assistance using your smartphone or tablet. Connect via Bluetooth to read and clear error codes, monitor sensor data, and view custom dashboards for a better driving experience.
- Fault diagnosis
- Driving assistance
- Read and clear codes
- Freeze frame data
- O2 sensor monitoring
- Customizable dashboard
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The OBD assistant is a driving companion that can communicate with the vehicle terminal through Bluetooth using smartphones and tablets to complete functions such as fault diagnosis and driving assistance. It not only has rich and comprehensive vehicle detection and diagnosis functions such as fault code reading and clearing, freeze frames, battery voltage, gearbox, and performance testing, but also has a cool instrument panel and driving assistance functions, making driving more fun.
ThinkDriver
This diagnostic tool allows car owners to perform full system vehicle checks, going beyond standard OBDII functionality. It provides immediate insights into potential car issues, acting as a comprehensive helper for vehicle maintenance.
- Full system vehicle diagnostics
- Advanced OBDII alternative
- Immediate issue detection
- DIY car maintenance helper
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THINKDRIVER, a DIY diagnostic product, which is extremely close to professional diagnostic tools, goodbye to normal OBDII dongle. THINKDRIVER can let all car owners to test the full system of the vehicle, much more than the OBDII. Now, THINKDRIVER will be the best helper for every car owner! This is the ultimate car diagnostic connector that allows you to easily and immediately know whether you should be aware of any issues with your car.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ThinkDriver at 58% against OBD Mate's 9%. ThinkDriver also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.8) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). OBD Mate's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ThinkDriver holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 115 and 270 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of OBD Mate's written reviews are positive against 58% of ThinkDriver's.
OBD Mate ships an update every 5 weeks, ThinkDriver monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OBD Mate | ThinkDriver |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (115 ratings) | 4.5 (270 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 9.4% of reviews | 57.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 115 | 270 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 365 MB | 325 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Autophix Tech Co., Ltd | THINKCAR INC |
Customer experience
OBD Mate
ThinkDriver
Bugs and requests
OBD Mate
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
ThinkDriver
Reported bugs
10 issues- Keeps shutting down during scan
- Scanner does not work
- Not working with 2022 subscription update
- Device won't work after getting a new phone
- Keeps asking to activate device, then pay again
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- Doesn't recognize older cars (pre-2014)
- App ALWAYS crashes
- Machine doesn't read VIN
- App falls when needing special functions
- Doesn't work when VIN manual entry fails
Requested features
2 requests- Add payment with Apple Cash
- Install just a code scanner icon
In-app purchases
OBD Mate
No in-app purchases
ThinkDriver
No in-app purchases
