DroneMobile vs CarLock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DroneMobile
Control and track your vehicle remotely from your smartphone or smartwatch. Lock/unlock doors, start the engine, and receive alerts for security and maintenance. Requires hardware installation.
- Remote start
- Lock/unlock doors
- GPS tracking
- Widget control
- Apple Watch app
- Security alerts
- Maintenance reminders
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YOUR CAR, CONNECTED DroneMobile is the award-winning smartphone solution for staying connected to your vehicle from anywhere in the world. Using the DroneMobile iPhone app, you can lock your doors, remote start your engine, and even track your vehicle’s exact location. WIDGET + FORCE TOUCH ENABLED Remote start, lock and unlock your vehicle without even opening the DroneMobile app. Force touch the DroneMobile app icon, or swipe to your widgets, to quickly access these basic control features for your vehicle. NOW WORKS WITH APPLE WATCH Remote start, secure, and GPS track your vehicle from your Apple Watch using the DroneMobile watch app. Simply download the smartphone app and the watch app will automatically download onto your watch. INSTALLATION REQUIRED In order to use DroneMobile on your vehicle, a DroneMobile module and compatible remote start or security system must be installed onto your vehicle. To find an authorized DroneMobile retailer, visit www.dronemobile.com UPDATED INTERFACE We’ve completely revamped our control interface to make it easier to connect to your vehicle! As you lock/start your car using DroneMobile, AVA 1.0, the Animated Vehicle Assistant, will animate and change states to show your vehicle’s status. Also, upload profile pictures to get the most customizable experience in the Connected Car Industry! FEATURES • Widget vehicle control • Siri voice-control keyless entry • Remote start • Remote start shutdown • Keyless entry • Trunk release • Security system activation/deactivation • 2 Customizable auxiliary functions • GPS tracking • Push notifications for security alerts • Regular maintenance reminders • Low battery alerts • Geofence and curfew alerts for driver monitoring • Speeding alerts for driver safety OUR COMPANY CES Innovations Honoree for In-Vehicle Accessories (2015) CES Best of Innovations for In-Vehicle Accessories (2011) 4X TOP VENDOR of Security, Convenience, and Safety Products (Mobile Electronics Retailers - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) COMPATIBILITY DroneMobile can be added to any of the following brands of remote start and/or security systems: • Compustar • Compustar PRO • Arctic Start • NuStart • FTX APP USER'S MANUAL Visit https://support.dronemobile.com/hc/en-us/categories/360001278852-DroneMobile-4-User-Guide to download our App User's Guide.
CarLock
This app provides real-time tracking and alerts for your vehicle, monitoring for movement, engine starts, vibrations, and device tampering. It also tracks driving behavior, monitors car battery health, and logs trip history for enhanced security and peace of mind.
- Real-time vehicle tracking
- Movement and engine start alerts
- Driving behavior monitoring (acceleration, braking)
- Car battery health alerts
- Detailed trip tracking
- Device tampering alerts
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Requires hardware sold at carlock.co CarLock - Advanced Real Time Car Tracker & Alert System. WORK & SLEEP WITHOUT WORRY CarLock monitors and alerts you on your phone when your vehicle is moved, when the engine starts, if unusual vibration is detected & even if the device is disconnected! MONITOR YOUR TEENAGER We love our teens but they can be entirely different people behind the wheel. CarLock detects harsh acceleration (drag racing), hard breaking & sharp cornering (stunt driving). VIRTUAL MECHANIC CarLock actively monitors the health of your vehicle and alerts you in advance if your car battery is running dangerously low or is experiencing high battery drain. LIKE GPS ON STEROIDS Included is also a detailed trip tracking which lets you monitor where your car has been. You'll be notified if your car is stolen or a "trusted" driver is going off course! EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE CarLock uses cloud computing, internet storage, GPS tracking and a modern day app. You get all this for only $9.60 per month and the first month is FREE! Work's on AT&T's network. CarLock supports multiple cars on one account. The device is compatible with all cars manufactured after 1996.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CarLock at 86% against DroneMobile's 38%. DroneMobile's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, update cadence, 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.
DroneMobile holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DroneMobile has 27K ratings behind it against 357, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of DroneMobile's written reviews are positive against 86% of CarLock's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
DroneMobile ships an update every 6 weeks, CarLock monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DroneMobile | CarLock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (27K ratings) — better | 4.4 (357 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 38.0% of reviews | 86.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 27K — better | 357 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 228 MB | 145 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Firstech, LLC | Protectus Technologies, Inc |
Customer experience
DroneMobile
CarLock
User reviews
DroneMobile
From 27K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Remote start/control from anywhere
- 🔒 Security features (alarm, GPS tracking)
- 👍 Convenient app and Apple Watch integration
- 💡 Useful features (battery status, maintenance)
- 🚗 Works great when it does
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues, app not always responsive
- ⏱️ Limited remote start duration
- 🔑 Requires multiple steps for basic functions
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🤖 Unreliable notifications/alerts
CarLock
From 357 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate GPS tracking
- 🔒 Reliable security features
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 💡 Comprehensive vehicle monitoring
- 🚗 Helpful for fleet management
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional false alarms
- 🕰️ Delayed notifications
- 🔧 Inconsistent performance after updates
- 🤖 Unreliable proximity sensor
- 💰 Subscription cost concerns
Bugs and requests
DroneMobile
Reported bugs
4 issues- Doors show incorrect locked/unlocked status
- GPS not accurately tracking vehicle location
- Login/password issues after app updates
- Frequent server downtime/outages
Requested features
4 requests- Add NFC/local control for when out of cell range
- Implement winter timer/remote start automation
- Allow customizable alert sounds
- Make single car the default for all commands
CarLock
Reported bugs
3 issues- GPS location inaccuracies
- App crashes and freezes
- Sync issues between device and app
Requested features
4 requests- Faster alert notifications
- More customizable sensor sensitivity
- Integration with smart home/voice assistants
- Improved multi-vehicle management
In-app purchases
DroneMobile
No in-app purchases
CarLock
No in-app purchases








