Every scan tool gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Tools are grouped by form, tablets and handhelds in one group and phone dongles in the other, and price is scored on a separate scale for each.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | price of the tool with its included software | 25% |
| Service functions | number of service and reset functions | 15% |
| Advanced | ECU coding, CAN FD and DoIP, and a topology map | 20% |
| Updates | free software update period | 25% |
| Warranty | hardware warranty length | 15% |
Where the numbers come from
Service functions, coding, protocols, update terms and warranty come from the maker’s product page, store page or manual, and from the maker’s own copy on its Amazon listing when its site leaves them out. Prices are checked at Amazon and the maker’s own store, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used.
The factors
Price is the current price on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same. For tablets and handhelds, $900 scores zero and $200 full marks; for phone dongles, $300 scores zero and $80 full marks.
Service functions is the number of service and reset functions the maker advertises, such as oil reset, electronic parking brake, steering angle, battery registration, DPF regeneration and injector coding. 10 scores zero and 40 full marks. When the maker lists the functions, the list is counted.
Advanced adds up three features: 40% for ECU coding, 40% for both CAN FD and DoIP, and 20% for a topology map of the car’s modules. A tool that supports only one of CAN FD and DoIP gets nothing for that part.
Updates is the free software update period. Free updates for life score full marks; otherwise 0 years scores zero and 3 years full marks.
Warranty is the maker’s hardware warranty: 1 year scores zero and 3 years full marks. A longer warranty promised only by a reseller isn’t counted.
What isn’t scored
Screen size, operating system, the number of vehicle makes, a wireless VCI, battery capacity, the yearly renewal price and the release date are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If the price or the number of service functions isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated, and so does advanced when none of its three features is published. The exceptions are updates and warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish its update terms gets no free updates counted, and one that doesn’t publish a warranty gets no warranty counted, so those factors score zero and are marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.