A check engine light costs nothing to read. Finding out what it means is the bit workshops charge for, and on a lot of cars the answer is a loose fuel cap or a tired oxygen sensor that a $143 code reader would have named in thirty seconds.
The real question is how much scanner you need. Every tool here plugs into the same port, but one reads the engine and nothing else, while another can command an ABS pump and code a Volkswagen. Five tools are ranked below on prices checked on 5 October 2026.
Which OBD2 scanner should you buy?
For most home mechanics, the iCarsoft CR Pro+ at $479 is the one to buy. It reads every system, runs 48 service functions, does bidirectional tests and never asks for a subscription. If you only want to know why the engine light is on, the $142.99 ToolPRO will tell you. Buy the $829 ArtiDiag Pro only if you will keep paying $429 a year to update it.
| Scanner | Price | Systems | Service functions | Bidirectional | Updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ToolPRO OBD2 and CANHandheld, 2.4in screen | $142.99 | Engine only | None listed | No | No update policy published |
| TOPDON TopScan LiteBluetooth dongle + phone app | $131.99 | All systems | 8 | Yes | 1 year free, then paid renewal |
| iCarsoft CR ProHandheld, 4in screen | $422 | All systems | 9 | No | Lifetime free |
| iCarsoft CR Pro+Handheld, 4.3in screen | $479 | All systems | 48 | Yes | Lifetime free |
| TOPDON ArtiDiag ProTablet, 7in screen | $829 | All systems | 35 | Yes | $429 a year after free period |
Prices checked 5 October 2026: Supercheap Auto (ToolPRO), TOPDON Australia (TopScan, ArtiDiag Pro), JB Hi-Fi (iCarsoft). Capabilities as claimed by each maker or retailer listing. TopScan Pro ($218.90) and Master ($350) add 13 and 30 service functions.
Will a cheap scanner work on your car?
Almost certainly, if it was built after 2006. Under ADR 79/01, onboard diagnostics became mandatory on all new petrol light vehicles from 1 January 2006 (new models from 2005) and on all new diesels from 1 January 2007 (new models from 2006). LPG and natural gas vehicles were exempt. Older cars may use earlier protocols that generic tools can’t read.
The port sits under the dash on the driver’s side on most cars. What a scanner can change on the other end is a different story. Volkswagen Group cars with SFD protection lock many tools out of coding entirely, which is covered in the VCDS vs OBDeleven comparison. This is general information, not legal or compliance advice.
ToolPRO OBD2 and CAN: the glovebox code reader
The ToolPRO Auto Diagnostic Scanner is the simplest way to find out why the engine light is on. Supercheap Auto sells it for $142.99, and it reads and clears engine fault codes, shows live data such as O2 sensors, RPM and coolant temperature, and captures freeze frame data from the moment the fault set. It has a 2.4-inch colour screen and needs no phone.
What it won’t do is just as clear. The listing covers engine fault codes and live engine data only, with no ABS, airbag or service reset functions. If the light on the dash is a yellow ABS or SRS lamp, this tool will tell you nothing useful.
Buy it for a first car, a farm ute or the glovebox of a car you’re about to sell. Walk past it if you do your own servicing, because you’ll outgrow it at the first brake job.
TOPDON TopScan Lite: the cheapest way into full-system scanning
The TopScan Lite is a Bluetooth dongle that turns an iPhone or Android phone into a full-system scanner. TOPDON Australia sells it for $131.99, the cheapest tool here, and claims bidirectional active tests plus eight service functions. The Pro ($218.90) lifts that to 13 and the Master ($350) to 30, with DoIP support on the Master only.
The catch is the update model. TOPDON includes one year of free updates, then asks you to renew monthly, quarterly or annually. Skip the renewal and you keep full-system code reading, engine OBD modes and I/M readiness. The Australian store doesn’t publish an AUD renewal price.
It suits the owner who already lives on their phone and wants more than a code reader for less than a handheld. If you hate apps, or share the car with someone who won’t install one, buy a screen instead. The OBD2 Bluetooth dongle guide covers cheaper read-only options.
iCarsoft CR Pro or CR Pro+: is the Plus worth $57 more?
Yes. JB Hi-Fi lists the CR Pro+ at $479 against $422 for the CR Pro. Both read every system across 58 makes, according to iCarsoft, and both get lifetime free updates with no subscription. The Plus adds bidirectional control, 48 service functions against the CR Pro’s nine, and a sharper 4.3-inch, 800×480 screen.
iCarsoft splits the CR Pro+ functions into nine everyday resets and 39 advanced ones. On a home-serviced car, those are the jobs that used to mean a workshop visit, such as service light resets and battery registration on cars that need it. Check iCarsoft’s coverage list for your exact model before you buy.
Battery registration matters more than people think. Many late-model European cars need a new battery registered to the car, and the battery replacement cost breakdown explains why skipping it costs money. If your car needs it, a scanner that can do the job pays for itself quickly.
The weaknesses are shared. Neither has Wi-Fi, so the CR Pro+ updates by TF card or USB, and both screens feel small next to a tablet on a long live-data session. Buy the plain CR Pro only on a deep sale; AZscanners had it at $390 (was $450) on 5 October.
TOPDON ArtiDiag Pro: a workshop tablet with a workshop bill
The ArtiDiag Pro is the most capable tool here: a 7-inch, 1024×600 Android tablet covering 100-plus makes, with 35 service functions, bidirectional control and ECU coding, according to TOPDON. TOPDON Australia sells it for $829. It also sells the one-year software update for $429, which is the cost that decides whether it’s good value.
That makes it a tool for someone who works on other people’s cars, or a household with three or four different badges in the driveway. On one car, a $479 handheld with free updates does nearly everything this does, for a fraction of the long-term cost.
What does each scanner cost over five years?
Keep the ArtiDiag Pro current for five years and it costs about $2,116, more than four times the CR Pro+. That’s the $829 purchase plus three $429 renewals once the free period ends. The iCarsoft tools cost what you paid on day one, and the TopScan Lite keeps its core functions even if you never renew.
Assumptions: AUD prices as at 5 October 2026. ArtiDiag Pro renewal is TOPDON Australia’s $429 one-year update, applied for years three to five on the two-year free period listed by resellers (TOPDON Australia does not state the period on its product page). TopScan Lite keeps core functions without renewal; TOPDON Australia publishes no AUD renewal price, so only the purchase is shown. Excludes any price changes or sales.
Which scanners should you avoid?
Avoid any tool that won’t tell you which systems it reads. Repco’s $69 Toledo OBD2 Scanner, for example, listed no specifications on its product page as of 5 October 2026, so there’s no way to know what it covers before the box is open. A cheap tool is fine. A mystery tool isn’t.
And never clear a code just to make a light go away before an inspection or a sale. Clearing codes resets the readiness monitors, which any decent scanner shows as incomplete. The used-car inspection guide explains how buyers spot exactly that trick.
The verdict is simple. Buy the CR Pro+, keep it in the garage drawer and forget about subscriptions. Buy the ArtiDiag Pro only if you’ve already budgeted for the renewal and have more than one car to look after.
