AR vs CarOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AR
Navigate to destinations using augmented reality. This app overlays walking paths and directional arrows onto your device's camera view, guiding you to your chosen location. Simply select a point on the map or enter an address to begin.
- Augmented reality path visualization
- MapKit, CoreLocation, and ARKit integration
- Walking route guidance
- Destination search by map selection or address input
- AR view for real-time navigation
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This app joins the power of the device's location and its Augmented Reality capabilities to provide you with the best AR-Maps experience. The app uses MapKit, CoreLocation and ARKit to place a path and arrows guiding the user to the desired destination. All the user needs to do is press on a location on the map or type an address within a 10 mile radius from the users location, then the shortest walking path to the location will be displayed, press on the button label AR on the right bottom corner of the map and it'll take you to the AR View, the path will then automatically be render for you.
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 review sentiment: AR at 80% against CarOS's 14%. AR also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (14.1 vs 17.0). CarOS's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 12 months). On price 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
Both are free to download. CarOS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. AR asks for nothing beyond the download.
AR ships an update every 12 months, CarOS every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | AR | CarOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better | 14.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #179 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Johan Gonzalez | Oh My Software |
Customer experience
AR
CarOS
Bugs and requests
AR
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
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- 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
AR
No in-app purchases
CarOS
- Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$0.997 Days
- Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$3.491 Month
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year









