# Carista OBD2 vs ShieldGPS

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShieldGPS at none against Carista OBD2's 14. ShieldGPS also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Carista OBD2's advantage is ratings volume (4.3K vs 20) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Carista OBD2 sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. ShieldGPS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ShieldGPS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carista OBD2 has 4.3K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Carista OBD2 ships an update every 3 weeks, ShieldGPS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Carista OBD2 | ShieldGPS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carista-obd2/id954363569/reviews) | **[5.0 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shieldgps/id1568008150/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.3K** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | 34.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#184** | — |
| Size | 142 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Prizmos](https://appshunter.io/developer/954363568) | [OG Systems, LLC (CA)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1325401938) |

## What reviewers say

### Carista OBD2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carista-obd2/id954363569)

**Currently charting:** #184 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

This app acts as a DIY car mechanic, allowing you to customize features, diagnose warning lights, monitor live data, and perform maintenance. Save time and money by handling common car tasks yourself.

**Highlights:** Customize car behavior and unlock hidden features, Diagnose and reset dashboard warning lights, Monitor real-time vehicle parameters, Perform simple DIY car maintenance procedures, Access advanced electronic diagnostics

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic | $19.99 | per month |
| Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| 1 month Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| 3 month Pro | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro | $59.99 | per year |
| One-Time Diagnostic & Reset | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Customization options
- 🚀 Efficient diagnostics
- 💡 Helpful for maintenance
- 👍 Great customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Requires account login
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🐛 Unreliable functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Subscription issues and billing problems
- Incompatibility with certain OBD2 adapters
- Customization features not working as expected
- Inaccurate fault code detection

**Requested features**

- Support for more vehicle makes and models
- Offline diagnostics and customization
- Ability to save customization settings
- More detailed error code information
- Improved user interface and navigation


### ShieldGPS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shieldgps/id1568008150)

Monitor the real-time location and history of your GPS trackers. Receive alerts for movement, speed, and status changes, and set up geofences for important area notifications. Some devices also offer mileage and driving behavior tracking.

**Highlights:** Real-time GPS tracker location, Location history with playback, Map and satellite views, Movement and speed alerts, Geofence creation and alerts, Mileage and driving behavior tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Carista OBD2 free?

Carista OBD2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ShieldGPS free?

ShieldGPS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Carista OBD2 or ShieldGPS?

ShieldGPS is rated higher. Carista OBD2 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while ShieldGPS averages 5.0 from 20 ratings.

### Do Carista OBD2 or ShieldGPS have ads?

Carista OBD2 shows ads; ShieldGPS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Carista OBD2 or ShieldGPS?

Carista OBD2 ships an update every 3 weeks, and ShieldGPS every 2 months. Most recently, Carista OBD2 was updated on October 29, 2026 and ShieldGPS on October 24, 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.*