Comparison

Directed SmartStart vs Achakey

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

Head to head
About

Directed SmartStart

Control your car remotely from your smartphone or smartwatch. Start, lock, unlock, and locate your vehicle, with advanced features like real-time status and safety notifications. Includes roadside assistance access.

Highlights
  • Remote start, lock, unlock
  • Vehicle location tracking
  • Real-time vehicle status
  • Safety notifications (speeding, geofencing)
  • Trunk release and panic button
  • Roadside assistance access
  • Apple Watch control
Features
Read full description

Start, locate and control your car from virtually anywhere with your iPhone or Apple watch! "Making the cloud-connected car a reality" - Edmunds.com "Without a doubt, one of the coolest apps I've ever seen" - GIZMODO With the release of its all-new 5th generation Directed SmartStart app, connecting with and controlling your vehicle is easier than ever – including real time status via the updated dashboards, and control via your Apple watch! - Add a Directed SmartStart GPS module to the Directed remote start or security system in your car so you can start, lock and unlock your car from virtually anywhere. You can also locate your car, share its location with your friends or family, and get safety notifications if your Directed SmartStart-protected car is speeding or goes where it's not supposed to go. - For the ultimate connected car experience, install a complete Directed SmartStart Digital System and you’ll also get engine runtime and real time status on your choice of app dashboard. Get notified if your vehicle sets a diagnostic code, or check your fuel, battery, or odometer right in the app! - All 4G LTE GPS modules come with a free 30-day GPS trial so you can check out the cool features right away, and there’s even an option for a year of free Basic service. Step up to Secure service to get 2-way control confirmations or add GPS or Small Fleet & Family for the ultimate in car control and monitoring along with extended warranty and theft protection. The sleek, modern dashboards of Directed SmartStart 5.3 mobile app give you fingertip control over the following features of your installed Viper remote start or security/remote start system: - Lock/arm - Unlock/disarm - Remote car starter - Trunk release - Panic - Aux channels Follow these three simple steps to get Directed SmartStart: 1) Download the free Directed SmartStart app 2) Get a SmartStart system installed in your vehicle 3) Set up your account, and start using your SmartStart system Directed SmartStart also includes Directed Motor Club, providing convenient 24/7 access to our nationwide roadside assistance network. Just press a button in the app to get connected for towing due to breakdown or accidents, or assistance with a dead battery or flat tire. Member roadside assistance is free with Secure or higher level service plans and pre-registration. Even if you don’t sign up, you can use the guest program for the same great service at a fixed cost. Latest features: - Real time status on your favorite dashboard! Check the remote start runtime or whether your doors are locked and more instantly just by opening the app! (digital systems only) - Monitor the battery, odometer, and fuel level in the extended Status page (requires a digital system, some features may not be supported on all vehicles) - Convenient widget for one-touch command execution without needing to open the app first - Start, lock, unlock or locate your car using your Apple watch, or send other commands - Receive alert notifications on your phone and Apple watch - Four user-selectable dashboards and launch page settings – now you can customize the app for the way you use it - Modern dashboard "swipe up to start" feature eliminates accidental remote start commands - Map page integrates GPS and SmartPark features seamlessly – locate your vehicle, or track down where you parked - Manage notifications: Each user can select how they want to receive alerts or other notifications. Choose from push alerts with custom sound effects, email, or SMS (SMS alerts may not be available outside North America)

About

Achakey

Control your car's locks remotely using your smartphone. Share digital car keys with trusted individuals and manage all your vehicle access in one place. Supports specific smart box and digital key systems.

Highlights
  • Lock and unlock car doors remotely
  • Share digital car keys
  • Store multiple car keys
  • Supports Achakey Smart Box
  • Supports KG Mobility Digital Smart Key
  • Supports Kia AutoQ The Driving App Key
Read full description

You can lock and unlock the car door using the smartphone's app instead of the car key. You can share car keys like sending and receiving messages with your smartphone. You can share digital keys with friends and family through the app. You can store all of the car keys in the Achakey app. From individuals to businesses, it's over with just Achakey! It is an app that supports Achakey Smart Box. It is an app that supports KG Mobility Digital Smart Key. It is an app that supports Kia AutoQ The Driving App Key. * Note : You can purchase the product first and install it in the vehicle, or only use the app in vehicles with smart boxes already installed.

Screenshots

Directed SmartStart4 screens
Achakey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Directed SmartStart at none against Achakey's shown. Directed SmartStart also leads on rating (2.7 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (123 vs 6). Achakey's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (40% vs 22%). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Directed SmartStart holds the better App Store score, 2.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Directed SmartStart has 123 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 22% of Directed SmartStart's written reviews are positive against 40% of Achakey's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Directed SmartStart ships an update every 3 months, Achakey every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Directed SmartStart versus Achakey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDirected SmartStartAchakey
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (123 ratings) — better2.3 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews22.0% of reviews40.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings123 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.2
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB82 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDirectedTuneit Inc.

Customer experience

Directed SmartStart

All ratings123 ratings
Positive39.0%
Neutral10.6%
Negative50.4%
Written reviews132 reviews
Positive22.0%
Neutral11.4%
Negative66.7%

Achakey

All ratings6 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

Bugs and requests

Directed SmartStart

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Geofencing not working
  • Remote start failures
  • Incorrect vehicle status

Requested features

4 requests
  • Siri/Shortcuts integration
  • Improved status indicators
  • Scheduled remote start
  • Multilingual support

Achakey

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Directed SmartStart

No in-app purchases

None

Achakey

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Directed SmartStart free?
Directed SmartStart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Achakey free?
Achakey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Directed SmartStart or Achakey?
Directed SmartStart is rated higher. Directed SmartStart averages 2.7 out of 5 from 123 ratings, while Achakey averages 2.3 from 6 ratings.
Do Directed SmartStart or Achakey have ads?
Achakey shows ads; Directed SmartStart does not.
Which is updated more often, Directed SmartStart or Achakey?
Directed SmartStart ships an update every 3 months, and Achakey every 3 weeks. Most recently, Directed SmartStart was updated on October 7, 2026 and Achakey on October 4, 2026.

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