Tinker DIY vs ReferredBy Local
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tinker DIY
Instantly connect with certified automotive experts through live video chat for car repair help, pre-purchase inspections, or rideshare vehicle safety checks. Get professional guidance for buying, selling, or maintaining your vehicle.
- Live video chat with experts
- Rideshare inspection
- Turo annual safety inspection
- Used car buying/selling guidance
- Real-time car repair assistance
- ASE-certified mechanics
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Tinker: On-Demand Vehicle Inspections & Expert Car Help Get your vehicle inspection done quickly and easily, right from your phone. Tinker gives you on-demand access to certified automotive experts for Uber, Lyft, and Turo inspections, plus real-time help with your car. Get Your Vehicle Inspection Completed On-Demand Need an inspection for rideshare or carsharing purposes? Start your inspection whenever you're ready - no appointment needed. Connect with a certified Tinker mechanic through the app and complete your inspection virtually. Expert Car Help When You Need It Have a question about your car? Talk to a certified mechanic about warning lights, strange noises, maintenance, repairs, and more. Get expert guidance without having to visit a shop. Why Tinker? On-demand access - no appointment needed Virtual vehicle inspections from your phone Certified automotive experts Real-time video guidance Convenient help from wherever you are without a trip to the shop Get three tries to pass if your inspection fails for any reason Whether you need an inspection or help figuring out what's going on with your car, Tinker makes it easier to get expert automotive help when you need it.
ReferredBy Local
Connect with trusted local service providers for home and business needs. Browse completed work, compare professionals, request quotes, and manage bookings seamlessly. Both users and providers can build trust through verified profiles and reviews.
- Browse nearby completed work
- Compare trusted service providers
- Request quotes
- Manage bookings
- Direct messaging
- Leave reviews
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ReferredBy Local helps people hire local service providers with more confidence. Browse real nearby completed work, compare trusted providers, request quotes, manage bookings, message directly, and leave reviews after completed jobs. Providers can build a business profile, showcase completed work, respond to leads, and grow trust through reviews and verification. Privacy Policy: https://referredby-frontend.vercel.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReferredBy Local at 100% against Tinker DIY's 45%. ReferredBy Local also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Tinker DIY's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (2K vs 2). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. ReferredBy Local sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Tinker DIY asks for nothing beyond the download.
ReferredBy Local holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tinker DIY has 2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Tinker DIY's written reviews are positive against 100% of ReferredBy Local's.
Tinker DIY ships an update every 3 weeks, ReferredBy Local daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tinker DIY | ReferredBy Local |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 116 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Glocal development LLC | renato Hernandez Juarez |
Customer experience
Tinker DIY
ReferredBy Local
Bugs and requests
Tinker DIY
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login/signup issues
- App crashes or freezes
- Disconnected calls not refunded
Requested features
3 requests- Add support for motorcycles
- Allow searching for brand-specific mechanics
- Improve communication with expert applicants
ReferredBy Local
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Tinker DIY
No in-app purchases
ReferredBy Local
- Provider Access$9.991 Month
