Comparison

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor vs ActiveOBD

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

Head to head
About

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor

Diagnose your car's engine light issues and monitor real-time performance data. This app allows you to read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, track fuel consumption, and view sensor data. It's a comprehensive tool for understanding your vehicle's health.

Highlights
  • Read and clear OBD2 diagnostic trouble codes (DTC)
  • Reset Check Engine Light
  • Monitor real-time vehicle data and sensor readings
  • Track fuel consumption
  • Read readiness monitor status for emissions testing
  • Initiate service routines
  • Send diagnostic data via email
Read full description

Turn your iPhone into a powerful OBD2 car scanner and diagnose your vehicle yourself. Check why your Check Engine Light is on, read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, monitor live engine data, and check emissions readiness — all from your iPhone or iPad with a compatible OBD2 dongle. CHECK YOUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT Don't guess what's wrong with your car. OBD Auto Doctor reads diagnostic trouble codes from your vehicle and provides detailed information to help you understand what they mean. • Read diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) • Clear Check Engine Light codes • View detailed code descriptions • Read freeze-frame data MONITOR YOUR CAR IN REAL TIME See what's happening while your engine is running with live OBD2 data. • Engine RPM and vehicle speed • Coolant temperature • Fuel system and fuel trim data • Throttle position • Intake air and engine load • Oxygen sensor data • And many other vehicle parameters Create your own dashboard and choose exactly which sensors you want to monitor. CHECK EMISSIONS READINESS Preparing for an emissions or vehicle inspection? Check your vehicle's readiness monitors and see whether your car's emissions systems have completed their tests. WORKS WITH OBD2 DONGLES Connect OBD Auto Doctor to your vehicle using a compatible Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) OBD2 dongle. Compatible dongles include many ELM327-based adapters, OBDLink, Vgate, Linker, Veepeak and other compatible OBD2 interfaces. Please note: An OBD2 dongle is required to connect the app to your vehicle. Dongle compatibility and available features depend on your vehicle. MORE THAN JUST A CODE READER OBD Auto Doctor gives you access to the information your car's onboard diagnostic system makes available. • Read vehicle information • Monitor fuel consumption • View and record live sensor data • Read diagnostic trouble codes • Clear diagnostic trouble codes • Check emissions readiness • View freeze-frame data • Monitor vehicle performance Whether you're trying to understand a Check Engine Light, preparing your car for inspection, monitoring your engine, or simply want to know more about your vehicle, OBD Auto Doctor puts professional-style OBD2 diagnostics in your pocket. Download OBD Auto Doctor and start diagnosing your car today. SUBSCRIPTION OBD Auto Doctor offers optional subscriptions that unlock additional features. Terms of Use: https://www.obdautodoctor.com/terms

About

ActiveOBD

This app functions as an OBDII scanner, offering specialized support for Subaru vehicles (MY2012+). It provides basic parameter readings for free, with a subscription unlocking advanced features like trouble code reading and data logging.

Highlights
  • OBDII scanning
  • Subaru-specific support (MY2012+)
  • CVT Oil Temperature reading
  • AWD duty (%) parameter reading
  • Trouble code reading (full version)
  • Data logging (full version)
  • Graphs building (full version)
Features
Read full description

The OBDII scanner app with a special support of Subaru (MY2012+) make. It's the next-generation product based on our well-known "ActiveOBD for Subaru" app bringing its best features to iOS users. A compatible OBD adapter is required. Premium-level adapters supported (best speed and stability): - OBDLink MX+; - OBDLink CX; - vLinker MC+. Entry-level adapters supported (moderate speed, good stability): - Vgate iCar Pro Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE). Other adapters supported: - Viecar Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE), Vgate iCar Pro WiFi, Veepeak OBDCheck BLE+, KONNWEI. We do NOT support the majority of cheap ELM327 v2.1 clones. The basic free version already includes CVT Oil Temperature, CVT ratio and AWD duty (%) parameter readings and nice gauge screen ! Note: some of these parameters are inaccessible on some model ranges. The full version (subscription) includes extra parameters reading and features, such as graphs building, logging ("premium-level adapter" required), trouble codes reading. Note: for resource consumption optimization reason the data collection for graphs/logging activates upon accessing these functions and terminates with the current app session. Terms of Use (standard Apple Terms of Use / EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor4 screens
ActiveOBD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor at 4.4 against ActiveOBD's 3.6. OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor also leads on ratings volume (6.2K vs 39) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). ActiveOBD's advantage is review sentiment (45% vs 30%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and ActiveOBD sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor has 6.2K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor's written reviews are positive against 45% of ActiveOBD's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor ships an update every 3 weeks, ActiveOBD every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor versus ActiveOBD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto DoctorActiveOBD
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (6.2K ratings) — better3.6 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews30.3% of reviews45.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.2K — better39
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCreosysMykhailo Zolotarov

Customer experience

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor

All ratings6,206 ratings
Positive84.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews577 reviews
Positive30.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative61.4%

ActiveOBD

All ratings39 ratings
Positive61.5%
Neutral10.3%
Negative28.2%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral13.6%
Negative40.9%

Bugs and requests

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Fails to detect existing fault codes
  • Subscription issues and inability to cancel
  • Incompatible with certain OBD2 adapters

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add support for more vehicle makes and models
  • Improve Bluetooth/WiFi connectivity
  • Provide more detailed diagnostic information
  • Allow clearing of error codes without subscription
  • Add live data dashboards and graphs
Show 1 more
  • Integrate with vehicle maintenance scheduling

ActiveOBD

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor

Subscriptions8
  • Monthly (legacy)$4.991 Month
  • Personal, monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium, monthly$5.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Professional, monthly$6.991 Month
  • Yearly (legacy)$23.991 Year
  • Personal, yearly$23.991 Year
  • Professional, yearly$29.991 Year
  • Premium, annual3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • OBD Auto Doctor Pro (legacy)$29.99
1 purchases

ActiveOBD

Subscriptions1
  • Full Version Subscription1 Month trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor free?
OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ActiveOBD free?
ActiveOBD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor or ActiveOBD?
OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor is rated higher. OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.2K ratings, while ActiveOBD averages 3.6 from 39 ratings.
Do OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor or ActiveOBD have ads?
Neither OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor nor ActiveOBD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor or ActiveOBD?
OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor ships an update every 3 weeks, and ActiveOBD every 3 months. Most recently, OBD2 Scanner | OBD Auto Doctor was updated on October 26, 2026 and ActiveOBD on October 24, 2026.

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