# Kicker U vs Carmin

The clearest difference is price: Carmin at Free against Kicker U's $3.99. Carmin also leads on rating (4.3 vs 2.3) and review sentiment (55% vs 43%). Kicker U's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Carmin is free to download; Kicker U costs $3.99 up front. Carmin sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Kicker U asks for nothing beyond the download.

Carmin holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 50 and 223 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Kicker U's written reviews are positive against 55% of Carmin's.

Kicker U ships an update every 3 weeks, Carmin every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kicker U | Carmin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.3 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kicker-u/id418548755/reviews) | **[4.3 (223 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carmin/id1527982107/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **223** |
| Positive reviews | 42.7% of reviews | **55.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#38** | — |
| Size | 87 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kicker](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632645523) | [Chuan Nguyen Van](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527982109) |

## What reviewers say

### Kicker U

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kicker-u/id418548755)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

Access a mobile-audio installation toolbox with this app. Design and build custom enclosures, assist with subwoofer wiring, and utilize various calculators for port conversion and tuning frequency. Save Thiele-Small parameters to create custom boxes for any driver.

**Highlights:** Mobile audio installation knowledge, Custom enclosure design, Subwoofer wiring assistance, Port conversion calculator, Tuning frequency calculator, Thiele-Small parameter saving

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for box building
- 👍 Handy for tuning amps
- 👍 Good for Kicker product specs
- 👍 Time saver for installers
- 👍 Provides cut lists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 No back button
- 🐛 Poor color contrast
- 🐛 Missing newer sub models
- 🐛 Inconsistent calculations

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on opening driver manages and box building
- App crashes on iOS 18.6
- App consistently freezes
- Sine sweep quit working
- App shuts down when selecting box builder

**Requested features**

- Add back button
- Include newer sub models (L7T, L7S, Solo X)
- Improve color contrast/readability
- Add port and vent visualization in box builder
- Generate more box templates


### Carmin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carmin/id1527982107)

Access a comprehensive library of regularly updated automotive electrical wiring diagrams for car repair and study.  Includes videos and technical documents for research and reference.

**Highlights:** Electrical wiring diagrams, Regularly updated diagrams, Videos library, Technical documents, Car repair reference, Study purposes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Comprehensive vehicle diagram database
- 💰 Free version available with good content
- 🎯 Helpful for car diagnostics and repairs
- ⚡ Quick access to wiring information
- 🌍 Supports multiple vehicle brands and models

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive advertisements in free version
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and instability on iOS
- 🚫 Limited vehicle coverage (missing years and models)
- 🔤 Diagrams display as code/symbols instead of images
- 🌐 Language limitations (primarily English)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening diagrams on iOS
- App only opens one diagram per session before crashing
- Requires reinstallation to function properly
- Diagrams display as code/hieroglyphics instead of images
- Crashes on iOS 15, 16, and 17

**Requested features**

- Search functionality by make/model/year
- Alphabetical sorting of vehicles
- Favorites/bookmarks for frequently used diagrams
- Wiring color codes display
- Ability to isolate specific wiring for clarity


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kicker U free?

Kicker U costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Carmin free?

Carmin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Kicker U or Carmin?

Carmin is rated higher. Kicker U averages 2.3 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Carmin averages 4.3 from 223 ratings.

### Do Kicker U or Carmin have ads?

Carmin shows ads; Kicker U does not.

### Which is updated more often, Kicker U or Carmin?

Kicker U ships an update every 3 weeks, and Carmin every 5 weeks. Most recently, Kicker U was updated on October 16, 2026 and Carmin on October 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*