Comparison

SPC1 vs Pistonly

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

Head to head
About

SPC1

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The SPC1 app is the ideal companion for your SPC1 box.

About

Pistonly

This app acts as an AI mechanic, interpreting OBD2 fault codes and car service history to identify likely issues. It provides guided checklists and detailed explanations, helping users understand and manage car repairs.

Highlights
  • AI fault code analysis
  • Car service history logging
  • Guided repair checklists
  • Live sensor data
  • Odometer cross-check
  • Plain language explanations
Features
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Pistonly is an AI mechanic. Most OBD2 scanners show a code and leave you to Google it. Pistonly reads the code, checks it against your car's service history, names the likely cause, and tells you whether the car is safe to drive. THE AI DIAGNOSTICIAN • Add your car by VIN: make, model, generation and engine fill themselves in. • Add codes live from an adapter, or type in a dealer scan: PIWIS, ISTA, VCDS/ODIS, XENTRY, Techstream and more. • The AI works through your service history, ranks the likely causes, names a typical repair price for each and gives you an ordered checklist. No history yet? A few questions build one. • No code? Describe the sound, smell or vibration, and it names the usual causes and how to check. • See what actually fixed this code for owners of the same car, and what you already tried on yours. • Then keep asking: the chat knows this car's codes, history and last verdict. WHAT OIL, WHICH FUEL The approval your engine needs, not just the viscosity: capacity, interval, and the octane worth paying for on this engine. No adapter needed. Pro. PARAMETERS THE STANDARD SET NEVER SHOWS Diagnostic profiles for 216 models ship with the app, so Pistonly reads what generic OBD2 never exposes: the pressure in each individual tyre, steering angle, temperatures and voltages from modules generic mode never reaches. A Cayenne has 28 of these, a RAV4 has 215. Pro. WHAT IS THAT LIGHT ON MY DASHBOARD? Pick the symbol or describe it in your own words, even without an adapter. You get what it means on your car and how urgent it is. Pro. CAN I DRIVE IT? Every code carries a plain answer: drive on, drivable but fix it, or better not to drive. Your garage turns it into a health score out of 100. FREE REPAIRS YOU'RE OWED Pistonly checks the manufacturer's safety recalls for your model and year. A dealer does that work free of charge, whoever owns the car now, and most owners never find out. Campaigns marked "do not drive" are red. A FULL OBD2 TOOLBOX (with an ELM327 adapter) • Read the whole car in one pass, with a PDF report for your mechanic • Pre-purchase check: codes cleared before a viewing, reset monitors, mileage across modules and open recalls (Pro) • Control units: modules that used to stay silent now answer, and a scan resumes where it left off. • Live sensors, on-board monitors (Mode 06) and I/M readiness • Service functions, odometer cross-check, freeze frame and CSV logging FREE • 9,500 fault codes in plain English, with the can-I-drive verdict • Service reminders • Drive Mode: a full-screen dashboard for the phone mount, with lap timing • Recalls, weak spots of your model, health score, home screen widget, service book • Control units, live sensors, Mode 06, readiness, trip computer PISTONLY PRO • The AI engineer: codes, symptoms and sounds, dashboard lights, oil and fuel, follow-up chat • Manufacturer parameters and enhanced PIDs • Pre-purchase check and odometer rollback check • Service functions and CSV data logging • More than one car in your garage, each with its own history • Or bring your own Claude or Perplexity API key Monthly, annual, or a one-time lifetime unlock. Cancel anytime. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no sign-up. Your garage, history and VIN stay on your device, and the VIN is never sent to our servers. Signed in to iCloud? Everything backs up there. Pistonly is advisory: strong hypotheses and a checklist, not a final verdict. Works with any ELM327-compatible Bluetooth OBD2 adapter. No adapter? Try the built-in demo. Marques and logos are trademarks of their owners; Pistonly is not affiliated with any manufacturer. Model profiles are derived from the OBDb community database under CC BY-SA 4.0. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://held-jackrabbit-8cc.notion.site/Pistonly-Privacy-Policy-3a0893c247bf80e7b6d4d17f590bd631

Screenshots

SPC12 screens
Pistonly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SPC1 at none against Pistonly's 3. Pistonly's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.0). On price, ads 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. Pistonly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SPC1 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SPC1 ships an update every 3 weeks, Pistonly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SPC1 versus Pistonly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSPC1Pistonly
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS27.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTPE Europe GmbHAliaksei Yelin

In-app purchases

None

SPC1

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Pistonly

Subscriptions2
  • Pistonly Pro — Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pistonly Pro — Annual$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pistonly Pro Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is SPC1 free?
SPC1 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pistonly free?
Pistonly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SPC1 or Pistonly have ads?
Neither SPC1 nor Pistonly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SPC1 or Pistonly?
SPC1 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pistonly weekly. Most recently, SPC1 was updated on October 31, 2026 and Pistonly on October 24, 2026.

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