Comparison

Mercury Diagnostic App vs SureShade Bimini Control

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

Head to head
About

Mercury Diagnostic App

This app allows Mercury dealer technicians to perform basic diagnostics on SmartCraft® engines. It provides live engine data, fault information, runtime history, and custom data lists. Full functionality requires a license key and a VesselView Mobile module.

Highlights
  • View live SmartCraft® engine data
  • Create custom data lists
  • Obtain active faults
  • View runtime history
  • Enter maintenance records
  • Wireless communication via Bluetooth
Features
Read full description

Mercury Marine’s Diagnostic App (MDA) enables Mercury dealer technicians to easily switch between VesselView Mobile rigged boats (or a module carried with them) throughout the day to do basic diagnostics on SmartCraft® engines with the phone in their pockets. MDA provides the ability to create custom data lists to view live engine data, obtain active faults, view runtime history, create reports, and more. The full functionality of the app is enabled with a license key obtained from Mercury Marine and works in conjunction with the Bluetooth Low Energy VesselView Mobile module. When the app is open and connected to your vessel it requires a continuous connection and therefore may impact the battery life of your device. Features: • View live SmartCraft® engine data and create custom data lists with: RPM, Battery Voltage, Engine Temperature, Engine Hours, Oil Temperature, Oil Pressure, Coolant Temperature, Sea Temperature and more! • View active fault and corresponding descriptive fault information • View engine hours and runtime history • Enter Maintenance records • Communicate wirelessly to SmartCraft® engines through a Bluetooth Low Energy connection and a connected VesselView Mobile module • Allows for normal phone operation – call, text, streaming music, search the web, etc. while connected to a Mercury Marine SmartCraft® engine ************ IMPORTANT INFORMATION ************************* • MDA is limited to use by Mercury Marine Dealers. A software license key is required to use this app. • MDA is designed to work with the VesselView Mobile module that may already be rigged on a boat, or may be purchased through your dealership or through a link inside the app. A firmware update to the VesselView Mobile module may be required to use MDA. *Requires version 1.0.3 firmware or later. • The VesselView Mobile module works with SmartCraft® capable engines built since 2003 (40HP and up). One to four engines can be viewed simultaneously. • The VesselView Mobile module simply connects to a SmartCraft® connector located either at the helm or on the engine. • Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

SureShade Bimini Control

Control your Bluetooth-enabled SureShade system remotely from your smartphone. Effortlessly raise and lower your shade without needing to interact with the physical controller.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Remote shade control
  • Raise and lower functionality
  • Smartphone integration
Features
Read full description

Connect to and control your bluetooth enabled SureShade from your smartphone. SureShade Connect enables you to raise and lower your SureShade without needing to touch the controller.

Screenshots

Mercury Diagnostic App3 screens
SureShade Bimini Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SureShade Bimini Control at 5.0 against Mercury Diagnostic App's 3.0. SureShade Bimini Control also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Mercury Diagnostic App's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SureShade Bimini Control holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mercury Diagnostic App ships an update every 11 months, SureShade Bimini Control every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Mercury Diagnostic App versus SureShade Bimini Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMercury Diagnostic AppSureShade Bimini Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMercury Marine LLConceLabs LLC

Customer experience

Mercury Diagnostic App

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

SureShade Bimini Control

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Mercury Diagnostic App

No in-app purchases

None

SureShade Bimini Control

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mercury Diagnostic App free?
Mercury Diagnostic App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SureShade Bimini Control free?
SureShade Bimini Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mercury Diagnostic App or SureShade Bimini Control?
SureShade Bimini Control is rated higher. Mercury Diagnostic App averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while SureShade Bimini Control averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Mercury Diagnostic App or SureShade Bimini Control have ads?
Neither Mercury Diagnostic App nor SureShade Bimini Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mercury Diagnostic App or SureShade Bimini Control?
Mercury Diagnostic App ships an update every 11 months, and SureShade Bimini Control every 2 months. Most recently, Mercury Diagnostic App was updated on November 5, 2026 and SureShade Bimini Control on November 3, 2026.

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