Best OBD-II scanners under $100

Today you don’t have to spend thousands on OBD-II scanners to get professional tools. I tested a bunch of cheap OBD tools to find the best picks that could even supplement a professional scan tool and a budget of $100-ish.

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Quick recommendations

Kingbolen Ediag
  • Professional tool
  • Great brand coverage
  • Full scan / full live data
  • Service procedures
  • Bi-Directional
Vgate Vlinker FS
  • One of the fastest ELM327
  • Pairing button (secure)
  • Works with hundreds of different apps
Topdon Topscan
  • Professional tool
  • Full access to all modules
  • Customizable PDF health reports
Launch CR629
  • Budget 4-system scanner
  • Engine, transmission, airbag, and ABS
  • Bi-Directional + Service
Ancel AD410
  • 2v1 Tool
  • Code reader + Battery tester
  • Great for beginners

Testing & comparing

Juraj Lukacko

Tester & Author: Juraj Lukacko

I care about giving you guys the best value-for-money tools as I am a DIY mechanic myself and I am sure I don’t want to spend money on crappy tools 🙂

I test new diagnostic tools every week, so I don’t just offer a few random products.

I have personally tested more than 100 car diagnostic tools, so I understand which ones are worth purchasing.

You can read the full review policy HERE, but now check what I found:

Testing OBD-II scanners under $100

Bluetooth OBD2 scanners

Even in this small price range, we can find a lot of tools that can supplement professional scan tools. Everyone has either a laptop or smartphone which we can use to create professional diagnostic devices.

Delphi DS150 for laptop

delphi ds150

Delphi DS150 is an easy way to get professional tools if you have a spare laptop lying around. It does require turning off the antivirus because it is a clone of some professional software, that’s why I am recommending having a separate laptop for this.

I also got feedback from the US that it doesnt work well for US brands, but here in Europe it’s worked for all cars I tried it on (European, and Asian cars).

If you can work around these obstacles, you will get a bi-directional scanner that can access different modules in your car to read/clear codes and data and even perform service procedures like injector coding or DPF reset.

Mucar DriverScan

Mucar Driverscan

If you follow this website or my YouTube channel you know I like to recommend Thinkdiag2 as a professional Bluetooth scanner.

Thinkdiag2 doesn’t fit this list as it is over $100, but I am mentioning it because driverscan is basically the same thing.

Mucar and Thinkcar actually share software so in driverscan you are getting almost everything that is available in Thinkdiag2.

The only thing that seems to be missing is ECU coding.

Topdon Topscan Lite

topdon topscan lite

Topdon topscan lite is a similar scanner to Mucar Driverscan. It also comes with a company that makes professional scan tools (Mucar, Thinkcar, Topdon, etc…).

With Topscan I liked the great-looking PDF reports to summarize the car’s health. I actually work on checking used cars on the side and Topscan is the only one that not only has a professional-looking report but also allows adding my own pictures to PDF.

Other than that it does everything that you would expect from a professional tool.

Access to all modules to read/clear faults, read data, bi-directional testing, and service procedures.

Warning: Driverscan and Topscan require paying for a yearly subscription after the first year of use is over. To discover tools only without a subscription check Best OBD-II scanners with free updates.

Vgate Vlinker MS

vgate vlinker MS scanner

The Vgate Vlinker MS comes without any subscription and you can use it with hundreds of different OBD2 apps in your app store.

These apps are not as advanced as previously mentioned adapters, but it’s enough to get you started in car diagnostics & coding.

Here are some good OBD2 app options.

Conclusion: Best scanners under $100

Here are my favorites after testing:

Mucar Driverscan
  • Professional tool
  • Great brand coverage
  • Full scan / full live data
  • Service procedures
  • AI code analysis
  • Bi-Directional
Vgate Vlinker FS
  • One of the fastest ELM327
  • Pairing button (secure)
  • Works with hundreds of different apps
Topdon Topscan
  • Professional tool
  • Full access to all modules
  • Customizable PDF health reports

OBD-II scanner Buyer’s Guide

  • Scanner features explained
  • Different types of scanners
  • Scanners for coding/odometer/ECU/checks
  • Best picks + discount codes

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