In light of my recent experience https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/534350-epc-light-no-stored-codes/ I am going to buy a VAG compatible code reader. My main purpose will be reading codes / live data to make me an informed purchaser of garage services, fixes on the road and a bit of home maintenance though my classics come further up the pecking order for that.

I like ODBEleven's mobile compatibility but is there a must have feature in VCDS that I will come to miss? Or are there any other systems I should be considering.

Thanks in anticpation of your responses.

Jeremy

The must have feature of vcds is that you pay once, not even that much more, and can use it or set it aside for years and it's still the same when you come back. It has a tad higher learning curve with plenty of supporting material on forums and on the official ross-tech site. The only things obd11 has going for it is the mobile app and the unlock authorisation codes from vw mothership for newer cars. Those are needed mainly for engine ecu coding changes, immobiliser key coding and such, but is slowly expanding

So, I think the idea that OBD11 can modify the immobilizer is just a rumor. I use many systems, including VCDs and OBD11 with a free lifetime VAG Pro account. I don't see any advantage in VCDs. Yes, for newer users, the Pro account costs €80 annually. But let's be honest, this shouldn't hurt anyone financially...

23 hours ago, Cairus said:

.... I don't see any advantage in VCDs. ....

Only having used VCDS I can attest to the support that the manufactures provide via their excellent website.

The help for "noobs" is always there and some of the technical questions posed dive right into the nitty gritty of the ECU's and the diagnostic capabilities of their product.

Perhaps OBD11 also offer a similar service in which case it's an even race. 🙂

This is the blurb from the website so it seems they don't offer any additional features but OBD11 is able to request the official security codes to be able to continue to use coding features on newer cars:

Vehicle Diagnostic Protection (also known as SFD – Schutz Fahrzeug Diagnose) is an additional security layer that requires authorization between the vehicle and manufacturer.

It's been introduced by Volkswagen AG to help protect vehicle owners from fraud by providing information on who and when has made modifications to their vehicles. SFD restricts functions like adaptations, coding, and parametrizations.

This protection applies to the models manufactured from 2020 with the MQB Evo (e.g., VW Golf 8, Škoda Octavia IV, Seat Leon IV, Audi A3 8Y, Q4) and MEB (e.g., VW ID.3, ID.4, Škoda Enyaq) platforms.

The control units protected by SFD include Engine Electronics, Central Electrics, Instrument Cluster, Gateway Electrics, Multimedia Unit, and more.

About OBDeleven's SFD unlock

We've created an SFD auto-unlock feature to simplify the use of SFD protection, or, in other words – make SFD protection nearly invisible. If SFD auto-unlock is turned on and you try to change long coding, adaptation, or use One-Click Apps in a locked control unit, the OBDeleven VAG app will automatically request the SFD token from Volkswagen servers, unlock the control unit, and apply the changes you want.

obd 11 can partially edit the EEProm.. vcds not

On 22/08/2025 at 14:41, Athrx said:

and can use it or set it aside for years and it's still the same when you come back.

That is unless you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and then you are stuffed it seems...........

My vcds works with win 11

OBDEleven can’t unlock SFD2 (used on new VAG cars in the last 12+ months).

I own both and ALWAYS use VCDS, support is brilliant (compared to almost non existent support with OBDEleven … and their one click apps aren’t healthy to use.)

If you REALLY need to use on a mobile then the HEX-NET will do that, but at a cost.

Edited 24 August, 202524 Aug by Gizmo

On 22/08/2025 at 22:27, Cairus said:

So, I think the idea that OBD11 can modify the immobilizer is just a rumor. I use many systems, including VCDs and OBD11 with a free lifetime VAG Pro account. I don't see any advantage in VCDs. Yes, for newer users, the Pro account costs €80 annually. But let's be honest, this shouldn't hurt anyone financially...

No, hurt no, but is bothersome to pay to buy something and then to keep paying for using it.

I pay a good sum to get OBD11 thinking it would make things that VCDS can't do, or do them easier, and I've found out not only it does not do them, but also requires you pay yearly for it ... so what is the advantage?

We are not talking like a subscription to a service, or a memebership like FREEDOM, where you (gladly!) pay a sum to receive a benefit, we are talking just to use it to do more than any cellphone app can do with a Chinese OBD BT port, worth a few quid ... mah.

The oher 4/5 times I've tried in other vehicles, only once succeded to connect, so it proved also unreliable.

My experience is thus negative, compared with others - see Martini how many adaptations he has made in the years - but is just me ... I see it soon in the marketplace .... when I get the time for it.

Not that VCDS is all roses! For around 15 years now, I have always been a supporter, but the move to a "selectable user category" business model leaves me quite bitter, and I believe is a setback for non-professional users but that still deal with more than one vehicle. The limitation to three vehicles is too restrictive, other diagnostics - say Nanocom for example - work with up to 5 vehicles, which in my view is it way more than reasonable to still deter "car repairers wanabees" from over-doing it.

But whatever, is Ross-Tech's business decision and they must have calculated wins and losses .... two of my mates have gone elsewhere ... the pity is that they spent similar money, so it is not the price per se, but the way....

Whatever - end rant.

This reminds me I still need to post my old VCDS as well, time for it so serve a new master 🙂

I used to have VCDS at first. Used it for a couple of years, but sold it as I only had 3 car user license and wanted to help others with coding, but couldn't.

5 yrs ago I switched to OBDEleven Pro, with lifetime warranty. No yearly subscription.

Being using it since then. I only do long coding or adaptations, no one touch apps.

I can do the same things using OBDEleven that I could with VCDS.

Very happy with it and no regrets.

The one thing I miss from VCDS is that the CSV extracts of the admaps and blockmaps are much much better and easier to deal with.

The OBDEleven extracts r hard to work with.

I think good software that's being developed further costs money. But that kind of software isn't usually needed by the average user... I consider myself an advanced beginner, and the initial cost and update fees are around €4,000. They're different systems, of course. But I don't make any money from it; it's just my hobby.

JR, obviously I went off with a bad start by not reading properly what I was getting into. This said, after my initial - negative - impression I left it aside in a limbo. Later on I will pick it up again as see what to do with it and how to continue, if 😉