OBD Diagnostics vs OBD Pilot
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
OBD Diagnostics
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OBD Diagnostics turns your iPhone into a powerful real-time vehicle data scanner, dashboard, session recorder, and AI analysis tool. Connect to supported Bluetooth OBD-II adapters, including Veepeak and compatible ELM327-style adapters, to read live vehicle data directly from your car. View key engine metrics, track driving sessions, graph sensor data, and send your recorded measurements to AI for personalized analysis based on your vehicleβs make, model, year, and engine. Whether you are troubleshooting a check engine light, monitoring engine performance, reviewing fuel trims, checking battery voltage, or learning how your vehicle behaves over time, OBD Diagnostics helps make your carβs data easier to understand. **Real-Time OBD-II Dashboard** Monitor live data from your vehicle with a clean, easy-to-read dashboard. View supported OBD-II PIDs such as: Engine RPM Vehicle speed Coolant temperature Battery voltage Engine load Short-term fuel trim Long-term fuel trim Oxygen sensor readings Fuel level Additional supported sensor values Large gauges, live value cards, and quick-access charts help you focus on the vehicle data that matters most. CarPlay support with live data. Shortcut actions to automatically connect and start as well as disconnect and stop analysis. **Interactive Graphs** Visualize your vehicleβs live data with real-time graphs. Select up to 10 dashboard PIDs and track changing values over the last 60 seconds. Great for reviewing RPM changes, coolant temperature rise, fuel trim movement, voltage behavior, speed changes, oxygen sensor activity, and engine load patterns. **Session Recording and History** Record OBD-II sessions and review them later. Each session can include duration, sample count, vehicle information, VIN when available, make, model, year, engine, battery voltage, and min/max/average stats for recorded metrics. Use session history to compare drives, spot changing patterns, and better understand intermittent vehicle issues. **AI Vehicle Analysis** Send recorded session logs to AI for a plain-language review of your vehicle data. OBD Diagnostics can analyze readings using your vehicleβs make, model, year, and engine to help explain performance trends and possible areas to watch. AI analysis can help summarize coolant temperature, RPM, speed, battery voltage, oxygen sensor readings, engine load, fuel trims, and other supported metrics. Choose from multiple AI provider options, including Apple on-device AI where available, OpenAI, Gemini, Claude, xAI, or a custom URL. AI Analysis should NOT be considered a replacement to a professional automotive expert. Please use the data as a means to provide a rudimentory analysis of your vehicle. **Demo Mode** Explore the app without an adapter using Demo Mode. Simulate vehicle data, view dashboards, test graphs, record sessions, and preview AI analysis workflows before connecting to a real car. **Built for Drivers and DIY Mechanics** OBD Diagnostics is useful for car owners, DIY mechanics, used car shoppers, fleet users, and anyone who wants better visibility into vehicle health and performance. **Key Features** Real-time OBD-II Bluetooth data Veepeak and ELM327-style adapter support Live RPM and speed gauges Custom dashboard PID selection Interactive vehicle graphs Session recording and history Vehicle info and VIN capture when available Min, max, and average metric summaries AI-powered session analysis On-device AI option where supported Custom AI provider support Demo Mode for offline testing Clean dark-mode iPhone interface OBD Diagnostics combines live OBD-II data, Bluetooth scanner support, real-time charts, session tracking, and AI-powered vehicle analysis into one simple app for understanding your carβs performance and health.
OBD Pilot
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Your car has been trying to tell you something. OBD Pilot reads the codes and explains them in language you actually understand. Plug any ELM327 adapter into your car's OBD2 port (every vehicle made after 1996 has one), connect via Bluetooth or WiFi, and OBD Pilot does the rest: WHAT IT DOES β’ Reads confirmed and pending trouble codes from every control unit β’ Shows you live engine RPM, speed, coolant temperature, fuel level, and more β’ Translates cryptic codes like "P0420" into plain English with real next steps β’ Captures the engine state at the moment a fault was stored (freeze frame) β’ Auto-saves every scan as a shareable PDF report CHAT WITH YOUR CAR Ask anything in everyday language. "Is it safe to drive?" "What does P0420 mean?" "Why is the engine running hot?" OBD Pilot's AI assistant uses your real diagnostic data to give specific, practical answers β and you can send photos of dashboard lights or engine parts for visual analysis. NO HARDWARE? START WITH DEMO MODE Toggle Demo Mode in Settings to explore every feature against a simulated vehicle. Realistic codes, real-feeling live data, the works. COMPATIBLE WITH β’ Any car or truck made after 1996 (US) / 1998 (EU) β’ Standard ELM327 Bluetooth or WiFi OBD2 adapters β’ Generic adapters like "OBDII", "Veepeak", "Vgate iCar" OBD PILOT PRO Free: unlimited diagnostic scans, live data, code lookup, PDF reports Pro ($4.99/mo with a 1-week free trial, or $39.99/year): unlimited AI chat and detailed AI analysis SAFETY FIRST OBD Pilot is an informational tool, not a substitute for a qualified mechanic. Always confirm any finding with a professional before performing a repair. Never read or interact with the app while driving. PRIVACY No accounts, no analytics, no tracking. Your scan history stays on your device. AI requests are sent to OpenAI for processing; we do not log them on our backend. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://obdpilot.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: OBD Pilot at none against OBD Diagnostics's shown. OBD Pilot also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. OBD Diagnostics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and OBD Pilot sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
OBD Diagnostics ships an update monthly, OBD Pilot weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OBD Diagnostics | OBD Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly β better |
| Ads | Yes | No β better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | EJSmith | Shasank Mallela |
In-app purchases
OBD Diagnostics
- Remove Ads$1.99
OBD Pilot
- OBD Pilot Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- OBD Pilot Pro Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year









