Comparison

DOT Vehicle Manager vs The Detectory

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

Head to head
About

DOT Vehicle Manager

Features
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Introducing our latest innovation - the NEW DOT Vehicle Manager app. Take advantage of this powerful app to effortlessly increase fleet visibility and monitor the real-time activity of all your vehicles, drivers, deliveries and compliance via your smartphone. The app seamlessly integrates with all our software to offer you a range of fantastic benefits. Within a few clicks of the app, you can view vehicle details, including reg, activity status, location, sites, direction, mileage, fuel and speed in real-time. See Geofence activities of vehicles entering, leaving and waiting times. View start and finish times, locations, driver details, driver behaviour, distances, and the journey trails on Google Maps. Effortlessly inspect the safety and compliance of your fleet. Review your driver's tachograph hours, break periods, and day duty left. Also, check that the vehicle isn't driven without a driver's card and has completed a vehicle walk-around check. Ultimately, the DOT Vehicle Manager app increases your insight into your fleet's daily activities, enhances safety and boosts overall efficiency, making it an indispensable tool for fleet managers striving for success. Core Benefits β€’ The app is FREE for DOT Tracking customers β€’ Access valuable live driver tacho data β€’ View live drive periods and time remaining β€’ Locate vehicles within a specific area of the map β€’ See vehicle activity, status, location and direction β€’ View geofence vehicles’ activities and waiting times β€’ Watch a specific vehicle for an allocated time β€’ See start and finish times, distances and snail trails β€’ View your vehicle walk-around inspections β€’ See vehicle activities such as site, speed and status β€’ View vehicle details including reg, status, latest GPS, tacho mode, mileage, speed and fuel.

About

The Detectory

Features
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The Detectory is the all-in-one app built for the metal detecting community. Whether you run a club, lead a group of friends, or just love a good day out with the detector, it brings everything you need into one place. Run your club β€’ Create or join a detecting club in minutes β€’ Manage members with role-based permissions β€’ Set custom rules, dig points, and priority RSVPs β€’ Keep private club discussions away from public eyes Plan events β€’ Organise digs and meet-ups with full event details β€’ Drop precise locations using GPS, what3words, or worldwide address search β€’ Draw field boundaries on satellite maps so members know exactly where to swing β€’ Send automatic event reminders to attendees β€’ Track RSVPs and attendance Log every find β€’ Record finds with photos, location, depth, material, and notes β€’ GPS-accurate find locations with what3words for later reference β€’ Estimate dates and link finds to specific events β€’ Find locations are private β€” only you and your club admins ever see coordinates Identify finds with AI (Pro) β€’ Snap a photo β€” both sides for coins β€” and get an AI identification in seconds β€’ Suggests object name, period, date range, material, condition, rarity, and historical context β€’ Pre-fills your Log Find form so you can save in a tap β€’ Not happy with the result? Add what you can see ("I can read COMF on the reverse") and ask the AI to try again β€’ Always verify with your FLO or trusted reference for important finds β€” AI suggestions aren't always right, especially for anything that may qualify as Treasure Explore the ground β€’ High-quality satellite imagery worldwide β€’ LIDAR terrain overlay (UK) reveals earthworks, ridge-and-furrow, and lost paths invisible from above β€” a secret weapon for spotting promising sites β€’ Adjustable layer opacity to blend satellite and LIDAR β€’ Open in your favourite maps app for navigation Stay connected β€’ Real-time push notifications for events, comments, and posts β€’ Share posts with photos, video, and rich detail β€’ Comment, react, and discuss with your club Privacy first Find locations are never visible to other members or the public. Private finds stay private to you alone. Club finds are visible only to fellow members and admins. Your data stays yours. The Detectory Pro β€’ Unlimited clubs (run or join more than one) β€’ Unlimited members per club β€’ Up to 5 images per post or find β€’ AI find identification β€” identify coins, artefacts, jewellery and more from a photo (daily limits apply) β€’ Plus more Pro features rolling out regularly Free users get one club, ten members, and one image per post β€” plenty to get started. Built by a detectorist, for detectorists. Got a feature you'd love? Use the in-app feedback or visit thedetectory.com. Happy detecting!

Screenshots

DOT Vehicle Manager4 screens
The Detectory4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DOT Vehicle Manager at none against The Detectory's 2. The Detectory's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. The Detectory sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. DOT Vehicle Manager asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DOT Vehicle Manager ships an update every 2 months, The Detectory every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
DOT Vehicle Manager versus The Detectory: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDOT Vehicle ManagerThe Detectory
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 β€” better15.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size41 MB72 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRoad Tech Computer Systems Ltd.Orange Pixel Limited

In-app purchases

None

DOT Vehicle Manager

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

The Detectory

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Pro Subscription Yearly$69.991 Year

Questions

Is DOT Vehicle Manager free?
DOT Vehicle Manager is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Detectory free?
The Detectory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DOT Vehicle Manager or The Detectory have ads?
Neither DOT Vehicle Manager nor The Detectory shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DOT Vehicle Manager or The Detectory?
DOT Vehicle Manager ships an update every 2 months, and The Detectory every 6 days. Most recently, DOT Vehicle Manager was updated on October 13, 2026 and The Detectory on October 20, 2026.

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