Tuning tools → Kess VS Autotuner VS CMD VS Dimsport VS PCM flash, Which tuning tool should you buy?

Comparison of all the tuning tools

Vehicle compatibility - The most important factor to consider when buying a tuning tool is how compatible the tuning tool is with the vehicles you plan to tune. Some tuning tools are very good with specific vehicles while other tuning tools are better with other vehicles. Most professional tuners will end up buying multiple tuning tools to cover all the vehicles they plan to tune.

• KessV3 - rating 4/5: Excellent range of old and new cars, trucks, bikes, and agricultural vehicles. Can tune some of the Japanese vehicles. On some vehicles newer than 2018 the Autotuner can be better.
• Dimsport rating 4/5: Similar OBD vehicle selection as KessV3 but does not support Boot or Bench mode.
• Autotuner rating 4/5: Best tuning tool for cars newer than 2018. Does not have a good selection of trucks, bikes, and agricultural vehicles.
• CMD  rating 3/5: Best tuning tool for VAG vehicles.
• PCM Flash rating 2/5: Each ECU protocol is purchased separately. Preferred tuning tool for Toyota.

Conclusion: The KessV3 or Autotuner are excellent choices. If you are tuning newer vehicles, consider the Autotuner.  If you are looking for a wide variety of cars, bikes, trucks, and agricultural vehicles consider the KessV3. The PCM flash is a good tool for tuners that plan to focus on a small selection of vehicles.

Protocols Included - The protocols refer to the licenses that are added to tuning tools that allow you to read ECUs. The more protocols a tool has, the more ECU it will be able to read and write files to. Reading and writing files to an ECU it can either be done over the OBD port or by connecting directly to the ECU itself. In some instances, the manufacturers block the OBD port for reading and writing files and the only option is to read the file on the bench.

• KessV3 - rating 4/5: Can add protocols for Cars, Bikes, Tractors, and Trucks. Offers OBD + Bench tuning in one tool
• Dimsport rating 3/5: Similar OBD vehicle selection as KessV3 but does not support Boot or Bench mode. For bench mode, you require a Transdata.
• Autotuner rating 4/5: Excellent selection of protocols for newer German cars. If you are considering tuning cars pre-2014, with some Toyotas, Isuzus, etc then the Autotuner is not the best tuning tool for you. Offers OBD + Bench tuning in one tool
• PCM Flash rating 2/5: Each ECU protocol is purchased separately and only supports OBD tuning. An excellent cheap solution for someone who wants to focus on a very specific range of vehicles.

Pricing - The prices of chip tuning tools normally depend on master or slave versions, yearly fees, protocols added, and the cables required.

The only difference between a master tuning tool and a slave tuning tool is the format of the read files. Master tuning tools offer files in an open unencrypted format. The files can be pulled into a tuning program and changes can be made to the file. For slave tuning tools, the files are encrypted and only the master can unencrypt the file to make the required changes. Once the changes are made, the files are encrypted again for the slave tool to write the file. The slave user will never see the actual changes that the master tuner made to the file.

Some tools have yearly fees for updates and support. Typically these yearly fees are more expensive if the tool is a master tool vs a slave tool.

Cables required refers to the additional cables that you might require to do specific vehicles. This is especially important for vehicles that don't have a standard OBD2 plug such as trucks and agricultural vehicles.

• KessV3 - Offers a master and slave version of the tuning tool. Master units start at about €3600 for the OBD tuning tool. Slave units are about €1600. Depending on what protocols you add on, the prices can change dramatically. For the Master Car Bench reading the price is €2400 whereas the slave unit is €99. Other protocols for trucks and agricultural vehicles can be purchased as needed. The KessV3 master has a yearly fee of €999 whereas the slave tuning tool has a fee of €600. Cable to remap trucks and tractors is extra and typically costs €99 per brand.
• Autotuner - A Master Autotuner is €4500 and the slave version is €2900. Both tools come with all the available protocols for OBD and Bench reading. The protocols are primarily focused on cars. One of the biggest advantages of Autotuner is that there are no yearly fees.
• PCM Flash - The actual tool itself is only €40. Once you have the tool you can buy protocols for the ECU that you plan to tune. Typically the protocols are in the region of €100-200 per ECU.  The PCM flash has no yearly fees and can only do OBD tuning.

Support - Most tuning companies offer support in case something happens during the reading or writing process. If something goes wrong it is always important to have the best support available to recover the ECU.

• KessV3 - 4/5: In our opinion, Alientech support is very good and very reliable. In some cases, it can take a day or 2 to get a reply, but they have a dedicated team to help resolve any issues. In most cases, they are able to assist and recover the ECU.
• Autotuner - 3/5: Autotuner does offer support but in some cases, it's not as good as the support we get from Aleintech. The Autotuner doesn't have any yearly fees and there is a disadvantage to that.
• PCM Flash - We don't often use PCM flash as we mainly use other tuning tools. We mainly use the PCM flash for Toyotas GEN2 ECU so we cannot comment on their support.

Logging - The Autotuner and Blash are the only two tuning tools that currently offer live data reading. Access to vehicle logs is one of the most important aspects to ensure that your vehicle's tune is safe and functions as intended. Reading live data from a vehicle is crucial for monitoring engine performance and ensuring that it is running at its optimal level. Live data provides real-time information about various engine parameters such as fuel consumption, oil pressure, temperature, and emissions. This data can be used to identify any potential issues with the tune. Furthermore, accurate live data can help mechanics diagnose and fix issues more quickly, which can reduce downtime and increase productivity.

Conclusion - The KessV3 and Autotuner are both excellent choices for new tuners, with the KessV3 being a good starting point for those tuning trucks, cars, bikes, and old and new vehicles, while the Autotuner is a better choice for tuning newer German cars. If you are looking to focus on a very specific range of vehicles, the PCM Flash is a cost-effective option. The number of protocols and cables required, as well as yearly fees and support, should also be considered when choosing a tool. Logging is a crucial aspect of tuning, with the Autotuner and Blash being the only tools currently offering live data reading, which is important for monitoring engine performance and ensuring that the tune is safe and functions as intended.

Ultimately, you will likely end up with multiple tuning tools. As some tools are better with some cars and other tools are better with other cars. It is the same as choosing between a Porsche and a Ferrari, it comes down to your needs and your personal preference.