Comparison

Carly vs BimmerLink

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

Head to head
About

Carly

This app allows car owners to diagnose issues, monitor live engine data, and perform maintenance tasks. It offers advanced features like coding hidden car functions and detecting mileage manipulation, helping users save on repairs and understand their vehicle's health.

Highlights
  • Read and clear fault codes from all ECUs
  • Monitor engine live data parameters
  • Step-by-step car repair guides
  • Perform car maintenance and reset service intervals
  • Check starter battery condition
  • Code and unlock hidden car features
  • Detect mileage manipulation
Features
Read full description

Carly is the most versatile OBD2 solution, offering diagnostics, engine live data, and guides for car repair and maintenance. It's helped over a million car owners to save up to $2,000 per year for car-related topics. Get the Carly app and the Carly Universal Scanner to access data through the OBD2 port of your car. Unleash your inner car hero with Carly! It works for Audi, BMW, Ford, Lexus, Mercedes, Mini, Opel, Porsche, Renault, Seat, Skoda, Toyota, VW, and almost all other car brands with an OBD2 port. As every car is unique, which specific Carly features are available will vary with every model, build year, hardware, and software. ———— BASIC FEATURES INCLUDED IN THE (FREE) BASIC PACKAGE Diagnostics (OBD), Live Data (OBD), and Emission Check (OBD) enable you to have control over the most important systems — engine and transmission. ADVANCED FEATURES INCLUDED IN THE PREMIUM PACKAGE (YEARLY LICENSE) • UNDERSTAND YOUR CAR'S HEALTH With Carly Diagnostics, you can read and clear fault codes from all built-in electronic control units (ECUs), including engine, transmission, ABS, airbag, and multimedia, keep track of your car’s health, gauge the severity of problems, and more. • POWERCHARGE YOUR REPAIR SKILLS Get expert repair guides for your specific issues to help you understand and fix the issues by yourself. • MONITOR ENGINE LIVE DATA Live parameters or live data can help you take the guesswork out of understanding what your car needs and narrow down the fault causes. • PERFORM CAR MAINTENANCE INDEPENDENT OF THE WORKSHOP The Carly Maintenance feature helps you step-by-step to service your car yourself, reset your service and keep track of your service intervals directly from your phone. • VIEW THE CONDITION OF YOUR BATTERY The Carly Battery Check function helps you monitor the status of your car's starter battery, which will help to increase your batterie lifetime. • CODE AND UNLOCK HIDDEN FEATURES Access hidden features set by the manufacturer and customize your car to fit your needs. This feature is only available on certain car brands/models, and the coding options vary between each control unit. • DETECT MILEAGE MANIPULATION Mileage manipulation is on the rise. Don’t get tricked when buying a used car — use Carly to perform a used car inspection before buying. ———— HOW IT WORKS Step 1: Check which features are available for your car model Step 2: Order your Carly Universal Scanner Step 3: Plug the scanner into the OBD2 port and log in on this app THE CARLY UNIVERSAL SCANNER — THE MOST ADVANCED OBD DEVICE The OBD2 device was designed to support almost all car brands with an OBD2 port and to enable advanced Carly features. The scanner comes with: • A lifetime warranty • Premium customer support Take the health of your car into your own hands! ———— You can purchase a subscription for an individual car brand or for all car brands. This is a yearly subscription. The subscription automatically renews for one year if not canceled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. The subscription can be managed in your purchases and the automatic renewal can be deactivated there. Terms of Use: https://bit.ly/35Mxg5s Privacy Policy: https://bit.ly/35Rruze

About

BimmerLink

This app provides direct access to your BMW or MINI vehicle's systems. Read and clear trouble codes from all control units, monitor real-time sensor values, and control features like exhaust flaps and active sound design. It also supports battery registration, DPF regeneration, and service resets.

Highlights
  • Read and clear trouble codes from all control units
  • Display real-time sensor values
  • Remote control of exhaust flap
  • Mute Active Sound Design
  • DPF regeneration
  • Battery registration
  • Service reset
Features
Read full description

BimmerLink is the direct link to your BMW, MINI, or Toyota Supra. Read and clear trouble codes, monitor live sensor data, and perform maintenance functions from your phone. A supported OBD adapter or cable is required. Feature availability depends on your vehicle and its equipment. READ AND CLEAR TROUBLE CODES Read and clear diagnostic trouble codes from all control units in your car. LIVE SENSOR DATA Monitor values such as oil temperature and boost pressure in real time. Create a personalized dashboard to keep the readings that matter to you in view. DATA LOGGING Record sensor values in CSV log files for detailed analysis. CONTROL UNIT FUNCTIONS Access live data and diagnostic functions for individual control units in your car. EXHAUST FLAP CONTROL Choose whether your car's exhaust flap is open or closed. Requires a factory-installed exhaust flap. ACTIVE SOUND DESIGN Mute the artificial engine sound generated by Active Sound Design (ASD). Requires factory-installed ASD. SOUND TUNING Disable exhaust burble on cars equipped with the S55 engine (M2 Competition, M3, and M4). DPF REGENERATION Check the condition of your diesel particulate filter and request a regeneration when needed. Available on supported diesel vehicles equipped with a DPF. CARPLAY ADD-ON Use CarPlay to view live sensor data from your car's engine control units and control the exhaust flap and Active Sound Design, all from your car's display. Additional in-app purchase required. BATTERY REGISTRATION Register a new battery after replacement directly from the app. PARKING BRAKE SERVICE MODE Activate service mode for your car's electromechanical parking brake. SERVICE RESET Reset service indicators after completing maintenance, such as an engine oil change or brake pad replacement. RESET SHORT-CIRCUIT LOCKS Reset short-circuit locks in the lighting control unit. TRANSMISSION ADAPTATION VALUES View adaptation values for your car's ZF 8HP automatic transmission. REQUIRED ACCESSORIES BimmerLink requires a supported Bluetooth or Wi-Fi OBD adapter or cable. Visit bimmerlink.app for supported accessories and vehicle information. SUPPORTED VEHICLES Feature availability varies by model and equipment. - 1 Series, 1 Series M Coupé (2004+) - 2 Series, 2 Series Coupé, M2 (2013+) - 2 Series Gran Coupé (2020+) - 2 Series Active Tourer (2014+) - 2 Series Gran Tourer (2015+) - 3 Series, M3 (2005+) - 4 Series, M4 (2013+) - 5 Series, M5 (2003+) - 6 Series, M6 (2003+) - 7 Series (2008+) - 8 Series, M8 (2018+) - X1 (2009+) - X2 (2018+) - X3, X3 M (2010+) - X4, X4 M (2014+) - X5, X5 M (2006+) - X6, X6 M (2008+) - X7 (2019+) - XM (2022+) - Z4 (2009+) - i3 (2013+) - i4 (2021+) - i5 (2023+) - i7 (2022+) - i8 (2013+) - iX (2021+) - iX1 (2022+) - iX2 (2024+) - iX3 (2021+) - MINI (2006+) - Toyota Supra (2019+)

Screenshots

Carly4 screens
BimmerLink4 screens

Verdict

The call

Carly and BimmerLink both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 54% of BimmerLink's written reviews are positive against 29% of Carly's. BimmerLink also leads on chart position (#98 vs unranked). Carly's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Carly sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per year and BimmerLink sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Carly against 4.7 for BimmerLink. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.9K and 9.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Carly's written reviews are positive against 54% of BimmerLink's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Carly ships an update weekly, BimmerLink every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Carly versus BimmerLink: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCarlyBimmerLink
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (9.9K ratings)4.7 (9.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.2% of reviews53.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9.9K — better9.6K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#98 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size417 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarly Solutions GmbH Co KGSG Software GmbH & Co. KG

Customer experience

Carly

All ratings9,895 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral1.7%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews602 reviews
Positive29.2%
Neutral5.5%
Negative65.3%

BimmerLink

All ratings9,131 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral2.1%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews554 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative35.9%

User reviews

Carly

From 9.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great customer service
  • 🚀 Lots of functionality
  • 💡 Useful diagnostic and coding features
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Connectivity and compatibility issues
  • 🔍 Limited functionality for some vehicles
  • 📚 Confusing or lacking documentation

BimmerLink

From 9.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Useful features
  • 💡 Helpful for DIY maintenance
  • 🚀 Saved money on repairs
  • 🚀 Cleared error codes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Inaccurate sensor readings
  • 🐛 Doesn't work as advertised
  • 💰 Expensive for limited functionality
  • 🐛 Resets settings after car turned off

Bugs and requests

Carly

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes
  • Adapter not working as expected
  • Inaccurate or misleading diagnostic information

Requested features

4 requests
  • More vehicle support
  • Improved user interface
  • Offline functionality
  • Easier subscription management

BimmerLink

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unable to connect to OBD adapter
  • Fails to clear error codes
  • Battery registration not working
  • Sensor values not updating properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for more BMW models
  • Improve exhaust flap control functionality
  • Add option to change units (Celsius/Fahrenheit, MPH/KPH)
  • Improve CarPlay integration
  • Add more customization options for dashboard

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Carly

Subscriptions12
  • Smart Mechanic$11.991 Year
  • Toyota$21.991 Year
  • Mercedes$28.991 Year
Show 9 more
  • Smart Mechanic$35.991 Year
  • Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda$53.991 Year
  • Carly for BMW Full-Version$59.991 Year
  • BMW and Mini$63.991 Year
  • All Brands Upgrade6 Months trial$78.991 Year
  • All Brands$82.991 Year
  • VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda + Mechanic$89.991 Year
  • BMW and Mini + Smart Mechanic$99.991 Year
  • All Brands + Smart Mechanic$118.991 Year
2 purchases

BimmerLink

One-time2
  • CarPlay Add-On$9.99
  • BimmerLink full version$39.99

Questions

Is Carly free?
Carly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BimmerLink free?
BimmerLink is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Carly or BimmerLink?
BimmerLink is rated higher. Carly averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.9K ratings, while BimmerLink averages 4.7 from 9.6K ratings.
Do Carly or BimmerLink have ads?
Neither Carly nor BimmerLink shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Carly or BimmerLink?
Carly ships an update weekly, and BimmerLink every 4 weeks. Most recently, Carly was updated on October 31, 2026 and BimmerLink on October 31, 2026.

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