3DP Chip vs Piston
3DP Chip
3dpchip.comPiston
piston.appSide by side
| Figure | 3DP Chip | Piston |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Hardware Diagnostic Software | 7.9 (#4) | 7.2 (#19) |
| Purpose | 3DP Chip detects and displays information about a PC’s CPU, motherboard, video card, sound card, and other components. | Piston turns an Android mobile device into a car scanner for reading diagnostic trouble codes and Freeze Frame data. |
| Support | The software links to a Q&A and bug report forum and copies the user's system information when opening it. | Support is available by email at [email protected]. |
Plans
In their own words
Piston
Piston is an Android app that turns a phone into a scanner for vehicle diagnostics. It works with OBD-II and EOBD vehicles through a separate ELM327 adapter connected by Bluetooth or WiFi. The free plan costs nothing and includes reading and clearing diagnostic trouble codes, viewing Freeze Frame data, and reading real-time sensor data. Access is limited to information the vehicle provides through OBD2. Premium adds sensor charts, CSV export, Readiness Monitors, fault history, cloud sync, and VIN reading. Some older vehicles may not support VIN readout. Piston uses Firebase services for crash reporting, monitoring, analytics, authentication, remote configuration, and cloud storage. Settings provide opt-outs for several data services, and account deletion permanently removes associated data.