CarLive vs SmartBT iPlug
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CarLive
This app connects to smart automotive audio electronic products. It offers control and functionality for various consumer electronics, leveraging a strong technical background in chip software development.
- Automotive audio control
- Consumer electronics integration
- Smart device connectivity
- Bluetooth functionality
- Chip software development expertise
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Zhongdao electronics co., LTD. Is a technology-oriented company specializing in the design of automotive audio electronic products and consumer electronic products. The main products are: intelligent bluetooth shoe lights,led bluetooth audio, small home appliances control board IC and other products. The technical backbones of the company are all outstanding students from universities and colleges. 85% of the employees have bachelor's degree or above, and the main technical staff have rich experience in chip software development. On the basis of a stable development team, the company has won the support of many manufacturers and manufacturers all over the world, including original chip manufacturers such as hangzhou silan microelectronics, South Korea ABOV, Taiwan yilong, silicon power, Japan ROHM, ST and so on. Guided by market demand, the company adheres to rigorous and steady design principles, open and flexible design concepts, and professional cooperative design atmosphere.
SmartBT iPlug
Enhance your car audio experience with this app, offering intelligent control over various media modes like radio, disc, USB, SD, and Bluetooth. Adjust sound settings, customize lighting, and access maps for a more convenient drive.
- Multiple media modes (Radio, Disc, USB, SD, Bluetooth, Aux)
- Radio tuning and station presets
- Music and video playback control
- Bluetooth music streaming with ID3 display
- Adjustable EQ curves and DSP sound enhancement
- Speaker balance and fader control
- Customizable light color and wallpaper
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Connect the car audio player with the "Smart BT iPlug", which can get a more intelligent and convenient driving experience. Mode - Radio, Disc, USB, SD, Bluetooth, Aux in etc. Radio - FM1, FM2, FM3, AM1, AM2 5 band. Seek/Tune frequencies, Access the preset stations, Store the radio stations etc. Disc - Playback the music/video from Disc connected to the source unit. Track Up / Down, Play / Pause etc. USB、SD - Playback the music from USB、SD connected to the source unit. Search the songs in music list, ID3 display (Song Title, Artist, Album), Track Up / Down, Play / Pause etc. Bluetooth - Music streaming, Play / Pause, Track Up / Down, ID3 display (Song Title, Artist, Album). Auxiliary input - External Audio Control. Preset EQ curves (Pop, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Flat, User). DSP, enhance or attenuate the sound of different frequencies to beautify the sound, the number of frequency bands is up to 20/15/9/7 segments, etc. (different models). Speaker control (Front, Rear, Left, Right). Free control of light color. 16 languages User Interface. Quick access to map. Custom wallpaper.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CarLive at 60% against SmartBT iPlug's 17%. CarLive also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.7) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 8 months). SmartBT iPlug's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.
CarLive holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of CarLive's written reviews are positive against 17% of SmartBT iPlug's.
CarLive ships an update every 5 weeks, SmartBT iPlug every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CarLive | SmartBT iPlug |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | 1.7 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better | 16.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | 小梅 苏 | Shenzhen Anghui Electronic Science & Technology Co., Ltd. |
Customer experience
CarLive
SmartBT iPlug
In-app purchases
CarLive
No in-app purchases
SmartBT iPlug
No in-app purchases






