Comparison

Candle vs CurbToCar

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

Head to head
About

Candle

Features
Read full description

Candle helps blind and visually impaired people find their way. The app is built for VoiceOver from the ground up: large buttons, clear announcements and vibration instead of looking at a map. COMPASS • Direction by vibration: Candle vibrates when you point your iPhone north or in one of the eight compass directions, and announces it. • Compass to a destination: hold the iPhone in front of you – Candle tells you the direction and distance to your destination. PLACES NEARBY • Explore: cafés, restaurants, pharmacies, ATMs, bus stops, taxi stands, hospitals, public toilets, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights with sound signals – sorted by distance while you walk. • Radar: point your iPhone in a direction and hear which places are there. • Wikipedia: articles about sights around you. YOUR PLACES AND ROUTES • Save favourite places – from your current position or by address search, also by voice. • Walking navigation to saved places, with announcements you choose: detailed or short. • Location notes: leave a hint at a spot, e.g. "stairs after the door" – when you pass it with Candle open, your iPhone vibrates and Candle tells you the hint. Add a new one quickly with a long press on the Candle icon. • Share places as a link and receive them from family and friends. PRIVACY No sign-up, no ads, no tracking. Your places and location notes stay on your device. For maps, places and routes Candle uses open services such as OpenStreetMap. OPEN SOURCE Candle is free and open source: github.com/freegroup/candle Found a bug or have an idea? We welcome feedback – especially from blind and visually impaired users.

About

CurbToCar

This app uses your phone's camera and computer vision to help blind and low-vision users locate their vehicles. It provides audio guidance and distance estimation to make finding rides faster, safer, and more independent.

Highlights
  • Camera-based vehicle detection
  • Real-time object tracking
  • Continuous audio feedback
  • Distance estimation
  • Designed for accessibility
  • Independent navigation
Features
Read full description

CurbToCar helps blind and low-vision users quickly and confidently find their rides using only their phone’s camera. Whether you’re meeting a rideshare, or a friend’s car, CurbToCar removes the guesswork between the curb and the car. CurbToCar was built for the last 10 feet. With smart computer vision and sound guidance, getting to your ride becomes faster, safer, and more independent. Co-designed with Eric Santana + co-designers through the MIT Assistive Tech Club, CurbToCar was built from the ground up around accessibility, clarity, and independence. How it works Point your phone toward the pick-up area and CurbToCar uses object detection and real-time tracking to locate vehicles. With continuous audio feedback and distance estimation, the app guides you toward your car, helping you navigate without relying on sighted assistance. Our favorite thing is user feedback, so please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or suggestions!

Screenshots

Candle4 screens
CurbToCar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Candle at every 4 days against CurbToCar's every 2 months. Candle also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.2). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Candle ships an update every 4 days, CurbToCar every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Candle versus CurbToCar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCandleCurbToCar
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.5 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—8 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndreas HerzTage Mehta

In-app purchases

None

Candle

No in-app purchases

None

CurbToCar

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Candle free?
Candle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CurbToCar free?
CurbToCar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Candle or CurbToCar have ads?
Neither Candle nor CurbToCar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Candle or CurbToCar?
Candle ships an update every 4 days, and CurbToCar every 2 months. Most recently, Candle was updated on October 24, 2026 and CurbToCar on October 15, 2026.

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