# Carly vs Auto Expense.

The clearest difference is rating: Carly at 4.6 against Auto Expense.'s 4.1. Carly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months). Auto Expense.'s advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 29%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Carly sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per year and Auto Expense. sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Carly holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carly has 9.9K ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Carly's written reviews are positive against 65% of Auto Expense.'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Carly ships an update weekly, Auto Expense. every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Carly | Auto Expense. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carly-obd2-car-scanner/id467344155/reviews)** | [4.1 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/auto-expense/id1273663978/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.9K** | 46 |
| Positive reviews | 29.2% of reviews | **64.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 417 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Carly Solutions GmbH Co KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/408379680) | [Zhengzhou Yeqiang Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1273663977) |

## What reviewers say

### Carly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carly-obd2-car-scanner/id467344155)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smart Mechanic | $11.99 | per year |
| Toyota | $21.99 | per year |
| Mercedes | $28.99 | per year |
| Smart Mechanic | $35.99 | per year |
| Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda | $53.99 | per year |
| Carly for BMW Full-Version | $59.99 | per year |
| BMW and Mini | $63.99 | per year |
| All Brands Upgrade | $78.99 | per year |
| All Brands | $82.99 | per year |
| VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda + Mechanic | $89.99 | per year |
| BMW and Mini + Smart Mechanic | $99.99 | per year |
| All Brands + Smart Mechanic | $118.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Adapter not working as expected
- Inaccurate or misleading diagnostic information

**Requested features**

- More vehicle support
- Improved user interface
- Offline functionality
- Easier subscription management


### Auto Expense.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/auto-expense/id1273663978)

Track your vehicle's fuel economy, energy consumption, and all associated expenses. Log fuel fill-ups, services, repairs, and other fees with detailed reporting and customizable units. Keep your car's financial history organized and accessible.

**Highlights:** Track fuel/energy logs, Log services, repairs, and other fees, Calculate fuel economy and cost per mile, Generate comprehensive cost reports, Set service reminders, Track unlimited vehicles separately, Data import/export and backup options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium - 1 year | $4.99 | per year |
| Premium - 6 months | $5.49 | per 6 months |
| Premium - 1 year | $6.99 | per year |
| Premium - 1 year | $9.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Cars | $27.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Records | $45.99 | one-time |
| Export Data | $45.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 📊 Useful for tracking expenses
- 💰 Reasonable pricing
- 🔍 Comprehensive features
- 🗓️ Helpful for budgeting and monitoring mileage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with decimal input for fuel and price
- 🤖 Poor translation quality in non-English languages
- 💸 Expensive subscription model
- 📤 Difficulty with data export and import
- 🔍 Confusing or unclear UI elements

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to add fuel expenses above a certain limit
- App crashes after recent updates
- Persistent ads even after paid subscription
- Incorrect currency conversion and calculations

**Requested features**

- Support for alternative fuel types (e.g. CNG, LPG)
- Automatic sync across devices
- Customizable expense categories
- Improved reporting and analytics
- Ability to set maintenance reminders


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Carly free?

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

### Is Auto Expense. free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Carly or Auto Expense.?

Carly is rated higher. Carly averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.9K ratings, while Auto Expense. averages 4.1 from 46 ratings.

### Do Carly or Auto Expense. have ads?

Auto Expense. shows ads; Carly does not.

### Which is updated more often, Carly or Auto Expense.?

Carly ships an update weekly, and Auto Expense. every 9 months. Most recently, Carly was updated on October 31, 2026 and Auto Expense. on October 22, 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.*