# CarPulse vs Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner

CarPulse and Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. CarPulse sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CarPulse ships an update every 2 weeks, Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CarPulse | Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Size | 29 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MOBILE ALCHEMY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1577973502) | [Ismail Imamoglu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887634465) |

## What reviewers say

### CarPulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carpulse-obd2-car-scan-tool/id6761851372)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium+ Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $69.99 | per year |
| Premium+ Annual | $99.99 | per year |


### Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-obd2-diagnostic-scanner/id6764052240)

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MotoCortex PRO Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| MotoCortex PRO - Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| MotoCortex PRO - Annual | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CarPulse free?

CarPulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner free?

Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do CarPulse or Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner have ads?

Neither CarPulse nor Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CarPulse or Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner?

CarPulse ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner every 10 days. Most recently, CarPulse was updated on October 12, 2026 and Cortex OBD2 Diagnostic Scanner on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*