The App for an OBDLink MX+ If You Are Not a Mechanic (2026)

The short answer: if you are not a mechanic, the app that fits an OBDLink MX+ is PulsCar. It is the one built so the scanner stays in the car and the app does the work: it records every drive on its own, reads the stored fault codes, and tells you in plain English when something needs attention and when to pull over. FORScan, BimmerCode and Carista are enthusiast tools for coding and tinkering. The free OBDLink app is the right choice if you only want to read a code now and then.

The MX+ does not care which you pick; it talks to one app at a time. PulsCar costs $199.99 for 12 months if you already own the MX+, or from $299.99 with a scanner included, one payment, no auto-renewal and a 30-day return.

Disclosure: PulsCar wrote this page and sells one of the apps on it. Prices, ratings and feature lines for the other apps come from their own store listings and from OBDLink's compatible-apps list, read on 30 September 2026. PulsCar's facts were checked on 15 October 2026. We did not install or test the other apps.

The apps, sorted by who they are for

Prices and ratings are from the App Store and Google Play, as collected in our OBDLink app guide. The PulsCar row comes from our scanner page.

If you only want to read a code: the free OBDLink app

The OBDLink app is made by the scanner's maker and is free for all OBDLink users, with the manufacturer add-ons also free on the MX+, according to OBDLink's FAQ. It reads and clears codes, shows live data and emissions readiness, logs trips and lets you set alerts. For a check engine light it is the right first tool, and our OBDLink app guide covers it, its limits and the connection fixes.

It is an app you open. It is also read and reset only: OBDLink's own page says so, and points elsewhere for coding.

If you tinker: FORScan, BimmerCode, Car Scanner

These are good tools for people who like the work.

• FORScan Lite goes deeper on Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda than the generic reading, and its listing recommends the MX+. FORScan's own site says some functions are missing from Lite. It was $6.99 on the App Store; FORScan says Android license sales are temporarily suspended since December 10, 2025.
• BimmerCode codes BMW and Mini cars and lists the MX+. BimmerCode is a free download with a paid Full Version at $49.99 on iPhone; OBDLink's CX is the adapter it is "made for", and the MX+ is also on BimmerCode's list.
• Car Scanner ELM OBD2 offers gauges, codes and a trip computer. It is free with ads and Pro items from $3.99; check that it connects to your phone before paying.

Coding writes to the car's modules. Save the original settings first, read each app's warnings, and ask the dealer if the car is under warranty. If that sounds like a hobby you do not want, skip this section.

If you want the car looked after: PulsCar

PulsCar is built for the owner who does not want a hobby. The scanner stays in the OBD-II port under the steering wheel. Every drive, the app records the trip on its own, reads the fault codes the car has stored, watches engine temperature and battery voltage, and tells you in plain English when something needs attention and when to pull over. A health score and history give you a report of your own for the mechanic, and there are roadside SOS guides and an AI engine-sound check for noises that set no code.

What it is not: it does not code or modify a car, it does not claim to read manufacturer-specific modules, and the membership app does not estimate repair prices. Its readings are information, not a diagnosis, and for brakes, steering or overheating it tells you to stop and have the car inspected in person.

What PulsCar costs on an MX+

• You already own an OBDLink MX+: Membership only, $199.99 for 12 months. The serial number is emailed within minutes and nothing ships. It works with the MX+ only.
• You need the scanner: One Year $299.99, Two Years $499.99, or Family $549.99 for two scanners and two cars. Each includes the OBDLink MX+ and US shipping within 7 days.
• After the term: nothing renews automatically. Continuing is $179 per year per car, app access only.
• Returns: a full refund before the scanner ships, and 30 days after delivery to request one. After that, membership fees are not refunded and the scanner stays yours.

Without a membership the app opens only its safety core: SOS guides, critical alerts, connection status, and the current fault codes and battery voltage. The plans are at get.pulscar.io, and our scanner page has the full description. For the head-to-head with the free app, see PulsCar vs the OBDLink app.

Why PulsCar is the pick for a non-mechanic

Every other app on this list starts when you open it and ends when you close it. They assume you know what to look at: a PID, a module, a coding option. PulsCar assumes you do not. It does the watching, picks what is worth saying, says it in plain English, and keeps the history. That is the whole difference, and for someone who just wants to know whether the car is fine, it is the one that matches the job.

A simple way to choose

1. Do you want to read a code today and move on? Free OBDLink app.
2. Do you drive a Ford or a BMW and enjoy changing settings? FORScan or BimmerCode, one at a time with the MX+.
3. Do you want the car watched on every drive and explained in plain English? PulsCar.
4. Does the car make a noise but show no light? No scanner app reads that. The free web sound check at pulscar.io needs no card, no account and no hardware.

Sources and documents

OBDLink app facts, compatible-apps list, add-on terms and the one-app-at-a-time rule: OBDLink's pages, read 30 September 2026. App prices and ratings: the App Store and Google Play listings, read 30 September 2026, as collected in our OBDLink app guide. FORScan notes: forscan.org, as quoted there. PulsCar prices, returns and renewal: get.pulscar.io and its Terms of Sale, checked 15 October 2026. Every statement about another app is its maker's description, not our test.

Prices verified: other apps 30 September 2026, PulsCar 15 October 2026. Written by PulsCar.