XTOOL A30M vs. D7 Comparison Review, What’s Different?

What’s different between XTOOL A30M & D7 Diagnostic Tool? Today I’m gonna do a detailed but quick comparison review of these 2 devices side by side. Hope this can help you to make an informed decision.

The first obvious difference is that the XTOOL D7 is a standalone tablet-style tool while the A30M needs you to pair it by Bluetooth on a phone.

Despite this difference, these 2 scanners have a lot in common. They’re both all system diagnostic scanners, meaning that you have access to every single ECU that’s installed in the car.

They’re also fully bi-directional tools and the A30M has kept up with every single bi-directional or actuation test that I’ve been able to do with the D7 on my 2017 Honda Accord. So I haven’t been able to put a knife between these two when it comes to directional tests in terms of OBD2 protocols. I haven’t really seen any difference between the two as well.

By the way, if you’re wondering what the difference is between the 3 versions of XTOOL D7, D7S, and D7W. The D7S simply boosts improved hardware and supports the diagnosis over Internet protocol when compared to the traditional D7. The D7W does everything that the D7S does but in addition, it makes a wireless connection to the car via Wi-Fi. So if diagnosis over Internet protocol is a must for you, then you should be looking at either the D7S or the D7W.

These tools really begin to differ when it comes to special functions. The A30M supports 21 kinds while the D7 supports 36 kinds for my Accord. For example, the A30M doesn’t support key programming. So if key programming is an absolute requirement for you, the D7 should be more suitable.

Another major difference between these tools is that the D7 supports ECU coding while the A30M doesn’t. So if you’re looking to customize those hidden functions or settings in your car, for example turning off those annoying beeps or doing other coding stuff again, the D7 will be the obvious choice here.

However, just to state that not all cars support ECU coding, you can’t just simply buy a D7 or any other scanners that support ECU coding and say you want to code any cars. This is by no means exhaustive. But generally, Mercedes, VW, Audi, and Lexus are examples of cars that support ECU coding.

For me, the real break difference between these scanners is with support for vehicle updates and the cost. The 30M comes with lifetime free updates and I’ve been amazed at how frequently these updates get pushed to it. Despite being a lifetime free update tool, you’ll also get it usually retailing for £138 on our web. For the D7, it comes with 3 years of free updates, and after that, it costs $99 per year. For a new license retail cost is typically around £294.