Comparison

Open Vehicles vs Carista OBD2

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

Head to head
About

Open Vehicles

Remotely monitor your electric vehicle's status, including charge level, door and tire pressure, and core system temperatures. View your car's live GPS location on a map. Integrates with charging station data.

Highlights
  • Remote EV monitoring
  • State of Charge (SOC)
  • Door/trunk/hood status
  • Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
  • Core system temperatures
  • Live GPS location tracking
  • Charging station integration
Features
Read full description

Brought you by the open-source OVMS project, you can finally remotely monitor your cutting edge Electric Vehicles. The app shows you your current state of charge (SOC), door/trunk/hood status, tire pressures and temperatures (TPMS), core system temperatures (PEM, motor, and ESS/battery), and displays your car's live GPS location on the map. Although separate OVMS hardware is required for remote monitoring your vehicle, you can try out this app and see what it can offer you via the included DEMO car account. Charging station integration and information provided by Zero Carbon World (http://www.zerocarbonworld.org/open-charge-map) and the Open Charge Map project (www.openchargemap.org). Find out more about the OVMS car attachment hardware and the project on our website: http://www.openvehicles.com/.

About

Carista OBD2

This app acts as a DIY car mechanic, allowing you to customize features, diagnose warning lights, monitor live data, and perform maintenance. Save time and money by handling common car tasks yourself.

Highlights
  • Customize car behavior and unlock hidden features
  • Diagnose and reset dashboard warning lights
  • Monitor real-time vehicle parameters
  • Perform simple DIY car maintenance procedures
  • Access advanced electronic diagnostics
Features
Read full description

Carista lets you diagnose warning lights, read and reset fault codes, monitor live vehicle data, customize your car, and perform DIY service procedures - all from your phone. Save hours and thousands of dollars in unnecessary workshop visits, and take control of your car's maintenance, diagnostics, and personalization. Trusted by 3+ million users worldwide, Carista supports 30+ car brands, offers SFD & SFD2 compatibility, and brings 10+ years of leadership in the OBD2 industry. CUSTOMIZE YOUR CAR (PRO) Unlock hidden features and personalize how your car behaves. • Gauge needle sweep at startup • Start screen logo • Virtual instrument cluster themes • Daytime running lights • Coming-home and leaving-home lights • Throttle response behavior And many more ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS (PRO) Go beyond the Check Engine Light. Diagnose multiple electronic control modules, including ABS, airbag, SRS, Engine, Transmission, and manufacturer-specific systems. Read and clear diagnostic trouble codes before visiting a workshop. SEE YOUR CAR'S LIVE DATA (PRO) Monitor real-time vehicle parameters and see what's happening inside your car. Depending on your vehicle, live data can include: • Engine and turbo information • Launch control count • Mileage information • Airbag crash count • Service interval information • Engine RPM and other performance parameters With supported vehicles, Apple CarPlay lets you view basic OBD2 live data on your car's screen while driving. PERFORM DIY SERVICE PROCEDURES (PRO) Handle simple maintenance yourself and avoid workshop visits. Depending on your vehicle, Carista offers: • Electronic parking brake (EPB) service • Service due indicator reset • Tire pressure sensor (TPMS) registration • Diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration • Battery registration And other vehicle-specific service functions SUPPORTED CAR BRANDS Carista supports Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Cupra, Dacia, Ford, Genesis, GMC, Holden, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, MAN, Mazda, Mini, Nissan, Opel/Vauxhall, Pontiac, Renault, Saab, Scion, SEAT, Skoda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. Feature availability varies by vehicle, model year and hardware: https://carista.com/apps/supported-cars BASIC OBD2 FEATURES FOR MOST 2005/2008+ CARS (FREE) Compatible vehicles with an OBD port also get basic OBD2 diagnostics, live data, and emissions readiness tools. EASY TO USE: Locate the OBD2 port • Plug in the scanner • Turn on ignition • Open the app • Pair it with the scanner HARDWARE For the best experience, pair the app with the Carista EVO Scanner. Carista also works with selected compatible OBD2 scanners, including OBDLink CX, OBDLink MX Bluetooth, OBDLink LX, Kiwi3, and genuine Bluetooth ELM327 v1.4 scanners. The Carista OBD Scanner (white) is not compatible with Ford vehicles or SFD/SFD2-protected 2020+ Volkswagen Group vehicles. Check compatibility before purchasing a scanner. WHY CARISTA? • 3M+ users worldwide — Trusted by millions of drivers to understand, maintain, and personalize their cars. • 10+ years of automotive expertise — Over a decade of experience in vehicle diagnostics and customization. • Official Volkswagen Group partner — Trusted automotive technology with advanced capabilities for supported VW Group vehicles. • 300+ customizations — Hundreds of ways to personalize your car and unlock hidden features. • SFD & SFD2 support — Unlock supported SFD- and SFD2-protected features and customizations on compatible Volkswagen Group vehicles. • 30+ car brands supported — One app for a wide range of popular manufacturers. • One subscription. All Pro features. — Access every Pro feature for your vehicle without buying individual credits. • Regularly updated — New vehicles and features added frequently. Learn more: https://carista.com/ Supported vehicles: https://carista.com/apps/supported-cars Privacy Policy: https://carista.com/policies/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Open Vehicles4 screens
Carista OBD24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Open Vehicles at 74% against Carista OBD2's 34%. Open Vehicles also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 14) and ads (none vs shown). Carista OBD2's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). On price and device support 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. Carista OBD2 sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Open Vehicles asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Carista OBD2 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carista OBD2 has 4.3K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Open Vehicles's written reviews are positive against 34% of Carista OBD2's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Open Vehicles ships an update every 4 months, Carista OBD2 every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Open Vehicles versus Carista OBD2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpen VehiclesCarista OBD2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (14 ratings)4.6 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.7% of reviews — better34.2% of reviews
Number of ratings144.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#189 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB142 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperNetwork Box CorporationPrizmos

Customer experience

Open Vehicles

All ratings12 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral10.5%
Negative15.8%

Carista OBD2

All ratings4,223 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews816 reviews
Positive34.2%
Neutral9.6%
Negative56.3%

Bugs and requests

Open Vehicles

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Carista OBD2

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Subscription issues and billing problems
  • Incompatibility with certain OBD2 adapters
  • Customization features not working as expected
  • Inaccurate fault code detection

Requested features

5 requests
  • Support for more vehicle makes and models
  • Offline diagnostics and customization
  • Ability to save customization settings
  • More detailed error code information
  • Improved user interface and navigation

In-app purchases

None

Open Vehicles

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Carista OBD2

Subscriptions5
  • Basic$19.991 Month
  • Pro$19.991 Month
  • 1 month Pro4 variants$19.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • 3 month Pro2 variants$29.993 Months
  • Pro5 variants$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-Time Diagnostic & Reset$9.99

Questions

Is Open Vehicles free?
Open Vehicles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Carista OBD2 free?
Carista OBD2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Open Vehicles or Carista OBD2?
Carista OBD2 is rated higher. Open Vehicles averages 4.2 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Carista OBD2 averages 4.6 from 4.3K ratings.
Do Open Vehicles or Carista OBD2 have ads?
Carista OBD2 shows ads; Open Vehicles does not.
Which is updated more often, Open Vehicles or Carista OBD2?
Open Vehicles ships an update every 4 months, and Carista OBD2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Open Vehicles was updated on October 29, 2026 and Carista OBD2 on October 29, 2026.

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