Which one should I buy: DiCE, VXdiag (VCXNano), Mongoose, or VOE?

I have VXDIAG, DiCE, Mongoose, and VOE – I've used all of them and tested them on vehicles. Honestly, I don't care which one you pick, as long as you're happy with your choice.

When the global price of DiCE started skyrocketing, many people began looking for alternatives and saw ads on eBay claiming that VXDIAG is better than DiCE and comes with a better VIDA version. I don’t believe those ads. I think there's no real comparison that can prove VXDIAG or Mongoose is better than DiCE (though VXDIAG is definitely more affordable).

After browsing multiple sources, I eventually bought a VXDIAG Nano for Volvo from the official VXDIAG website (www.vxdiag.com). The device comes with a license that expires every three months (I usually renew it every 60 days), and you need to renew it through VXManager software. Once the license expires, it stops working until you renew it, but the renewal process is pretty simple – just click on the firmware update.

I can honestly say VXDIAG is a bit more complicated to install because it’s recognized as a J2534 passthrough device and requires VIDA or Vdash to work for diagnostics. VXDIAG has four different models, and the ones that support Volvo are the Nano, SE, and Plus versions. I wouldn’t recommend the Plus version though, because it’s not the best value for money. I got the Nano for Volvo, but later I realized it doesn’t support adding other vehicle models like GM or Mercedes – I didn't pay attention to the product description. When I asked the official customer service, I found out that only the SE model allows for adding vehicle licenses. So, a bit of a disappointment!

Next, let’s talk about Mongoose.

Mongoose Pro pretty much has no downsides. It's reliable, sturdy, easy to install, and supports all versions of VIDA and Vdash. It works really well for things like Boot Mode module recovery in both Genuine VIDA and Vdash.

But does that really matter? It depends on what you're trying to achieve.

If you're only doing basic code reading and programming, using VIDA 2014d or Vdash, then VXDIAG will do the job just fine. However, for newer models, especially those from 2015 and later, VXDIAG starts to show some weaknesses, especially in terms of speed.

I also did some testing with VXDIAG on a customer's car for module programming, and I was surprised at how smoothly it worked. But I’ve seen some users on forums complain that VXDIAG doesn't work, claiming it failed when they tried using it with Genuine VIDA. For me, I’ve had no issues at all. I’m guessing maybe they got their VXDIAG units from unreliable sources, which I don’t understand. Because, honestly, price shouldn't always be the only factor to consider.

As for VOE cables, they’re only for newer SPA and CMA platform models, and they don't support VIDA 2014D or 2015A. They're only supported by Genuine VIDA and Vdash.

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