OBD2 Logger vs OpenOBD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OBD2 Logger
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OBD2 Logger turns your iPhone into a precision data logger for any modern car. Plug a Bluetooth ELM327 adapter into your vehicle's OBD2 port, pair it once, and stream live engine, hybrid, battery, and emissions data straight into per-session CSV files on your phone. No accounts. No cloud. No analytics. Your driving data never leaves your device. LIVE READOUT • 40+ standard SAE J1979 PIDs, automatically discovered from your car: RPM, vehicle speed, coolant temp, throttle, MAF, intake MAP, fuel trims, catalyst temperatures, and more. • Manufacturer-specific Mode 21 PIDs on profiled vehicles — including HV pack voltage, MG1/MG2 motor torque, and battery cell-block temperatures on Toyota/Lexus hybrids. • Values grouped by category (Engine, Hybrid, Battery, Emissions, Diagnostics) and updated every second. • One CSV per logging session, written into the app's Files container — open it in Numbers, Excel, pandas, DuckDB, or any other tool with no preprocessing. • Wide-table format: ISO-8601 timestamps, one column per active PID, blank cells where the ECU returned no data (no spurious forward-fill). • Smart-stop after extended idle so you don't end up with a tail of empty rows when you forget to tap Stop. WORKS IN THE BACKGROUND • Keeps logging while you drive with Maps in the foreground or the screen off, using Apple's standard background location mode for trip-tracking apps. The system location indicator is shown the entire time. We don't store your location. VEHICLE PROFILES • Ships with three profiles: a generic Mode-01 fallback, a Toyota hybrid family profile, and a 2020 Lexus RX 450h/450hL profile validated against a real vehicle. • VIN auto-read on connect; year, make, model, and trim pre-filled from NHTSA's free public vPIC API. • Import any third-party profile JSON to add coverage for your car. The format is documented and human-readable. DON'T HAVE AN ADAPTER YET? • Tap "Try demo mode" on the second onboarding step to explore the app end-to-end with synthetic data — no hardware required. WHAT YOU NEED • Any Bluetooth Low Energy ELM327 adapter (Veepeak OBDCheck BLE+, vLinker MC+, OBDLink, etc. — most BLE clones work). USB-only and Wi-Fi-only adapters are NOT supported. • A car with an OBD2 port (1996+ in the US, 2001+ in the EU). PRIVACY • Nothing is collected, transmitted, or stored on our servers — we don't have servers. The only outbound call the app ever makes is one VIN decode per vehicle to NHTSA's vPIC API. • Your CSVs and vehicle records live in the app's Files container, accessible to you in the iOS Files app under On My iPhone → OBD2 Logger. • Open source: github.com/NathanNam/obd2-logger
OpenOBD
Transform your iPhone into a real-time car dashboard. Connect an OBD2 adapter to monitor live engine data, track your trips with GPS, and diagnose fault codes with clear explanations. Explore all features in demo mode without hardware.
- Live engine data monitoring
- Real-time speed, RPM, temperature gauges
- Trip logging with GPS mapping
- Read and clear diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs)
- Vehicle information display
- Demo mode for exploration
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OpenOBD turns your iPhone into a real-time car dashboard. Connect any ELM327 OBD2 adapter (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) and see what your car is really doing — live. LIVE ENGINE DATA • Speed, RPM, coolant temperature, intake, throttle, engine load, battery voltage and more • 50+ sensors with gauges you pick and reorder yourself • Instant and average fuel consumption • Tap any gauge for a live 60-second chart CARPLAY • A live 8-tile dashboard on your car's built-in screen • Start and stop trip recording without touching your phone DIAGNOSTICS • Read and clear fault codes (DTCs) with plain-language explanations • For common codes: what it means, how urgent it is, what to do next • Emissions readiness monitors before an inspection • Freeze frame — the sensor values from the moment the fault occurred • Vehicle info: VIN, fuel type, supported sensors TRIP LOGGING • Automatically record your drives with the GPS route on a map • Keeps recording in the background, even with the screen locked • Distance, duration, speed and fuel for every trip • Export any trip as CSV or GPX CAR HEALTH TOOLS • Battery and charging test: state of charge, alternator and cranking check • Diesel and DPF pre-check from standard, read-only OBD evidence • Used car check before you buy • Measure 0-100 km/h acceleration and 100-0 km/h braking • Live alerts for overheating and low voltage, in plain language BUILT FOR DRIVERS • Beautiful dark interface designed for the car • Over 40 languages, metric and imperial units • Works with affordable ELM327 adapters — no subscription, no account, no ads • Your data stays on your phone TRY IT WITHOUT HARDWARE • Tap Connect, then Demo Mode, to explore every feature with simulated live data OpenOBD is not affiliated with any car manufacturer. An OBD2 adapter (sold separately) is required to read data from your vehicle. Most petrol cars built after 2001 and diesels after 2004 are supported. The battery, diesel and used-car results are read-only pre-checks and do not replace a professional inspection.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: OpenOBD at every 5 days against OBD2 Logger's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
OBD2 Logger ships an update every 6 weeks, OpenOBD every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OBD2 Logger | OpenOBD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daehyun Nam | Osman Cengeri |
In-app purchases
OBD2 Logger
No in-app purchases
OpenOBD
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is OBD2 Logger free?
Is OpenOBD free?
Do OBD2 Logger or OpenOBD have ads?
Which is updated more often, OBD2 Logger or OpenOBD?
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