Dragy vs DashCAN Apex
A Dragy alternative that reads your ECU
A Dragy is a battery-powered 25 Hz GPS performance meter for the quarter mile and lap times. The DashCAN Apex measures the same runs at the same 25 Hz with a 6-axis IMU, and it is a CAN bus interface as well, so RPM, boost, lambda and every other channel your ECU broadcasts are recorded on the same timeline as the run.
Dragy and DashCAN Apex, spec by spec
The Dragy figures come from the dragy DRG70, dragy Pro and dragy OBD II pages on godragy.com, checked in November 2026. "Not listed" means those pages do not mention it.
Swipe the table sideways for the two Dragy columns.
| Feature | DashCAN Apex | dragy DRG70 | dragy Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS update rate | 25 Hz | Up to 25 Hz | Up to 25 Hz |
| Satellite systems | Multi-constellation GNSS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou |
| Motion sensor | 6-axis IMU | 6-axis IMU | 6-axis IMU |
| Logging without the phone | Over 2 h of GPS, IMU and CAN per session | Built-in storage | 128 MB, up to 12 h at 25 Hz |
| Power | The car's switched 12 V, nothing to charge | Battery, 20+ h, USB-C | Battery, 20+ h, USB-C |
| Engine data | Built in: your standalone ECU's CAN broadcast, plus OBD2 over CAN on stock cars | Separate dragy OBD II adapter (open beta): OBD-II data | Separate dragy OBD II adapter (open beta): OBD-II data |
| 1 Mbit/s ECUs (Haltech, Emtron, Syvecs, MoTeC) | Yes, adjustable CAN bit rate | Not listed | Not listed |
| CAN switches that control the car | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Ground speed sent to the ECU | 25 Hz over the CAN bus (GPS to CAN) | Not listed | Not listed |
| Apps | DashCAN app (iOS, Android) and DashCAN Cloud in the browser | dragy apps, RaceChrono, Lap Legend, PB Buddy, VRacer, TrackLink, MX Buddy | dragy apps, RaceChrono, Lap Legend, PB Buddy, VRacer, TrackLink, MX Buddy |
| Mount | Hook-and-loop mount included | Magnets, mount sold separately | Magnets, mount included |
| List price | €199 | USD 199 | USD 249 |
List prices without shipping; both makers run sales. Dragy is a trademark of its owner, and DashCAN is not affiliated with Dragy.
Is the Apex as accurate as a Dragy?
Both measure at 25 Hz with a 6-axis IMU, so on sample rate it is a draw. What we can show is one run timed by a real drag strip and by the Apex at the same time: Drag Elite Europe, Arad, 3 October 2026. The strip's Portatree timing gave the dragster 6.788 s over the quarter mile; the Apex in the car measured 6.787 s on its own.
Official timing against the Apex
| Split | Official | Apex | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 ft | 1.013 s | 1.013 s | 0.000 s |
| 1/8 mile | 4.375 s | 4.373 s | 0.002 s |
| 1/4 mile | 6.788 s | 6.787 s | 0.001 s |
The strip times the run with light beams across the track. The Apex worked it out from its own 25 Hz GPS and IMU data, using the 1 ft rollout that drag strip timing uses. It was not connected to the timing system in any way.
Trap speed is not compared: the strip averages it over the last stretch before the line (325.81 km/h), the Apex reports the speed at the line itself (326.8 km/h).
Where the Apex goes further than a Dragy
The Apex is the full DashCAN CAN interface with the GPS and IMU built in: one device, one timeline for the run and the engine.
- Your ECU on the same timeline
- A standalone ECU such as a MaxxECU, Haltech, ECU Master or Emtron broadcasts its channels as CAN messages. The Apex is wired to that bus and decodes them, so RPM, boost, lambda, gear and throttle line up with every split of the run. With a Dragy, engine data takes the separate dragy OBD II adapter, which reads OBD-II data next to the Dragy GPS.
- ECUs that talk at 1 Mbit/s
- Haltech, Emtron, Syvecs and MoTeC broadcast at 1 Mbit/s. The Apex has an adjustable CAN bit rate and reads them directly, with the same box that times the run.
- Stock cars as well
- On a factory ECU the Apex reads OBD2 over CAN (ISO 15765-4): RPM, coolant temperature, throttle, MAP, lambda and more, whatever the car reports as supported.
- Gauges and switches
- The DashCAN app turns the phone into a dash with up to 20 live gauges at 50 updates a second, and CAN switches control the car from the screen.
- Ground speed for the ECU
- As a GPS to CAN module, the Apex sends 25 Hz ground speed and heading to an ECU or dash with user-defined CAN inputs: a ground-speed reference for slip targets and launch control by speed.
- Analysis in the browser
- Every session syncs to DashCAN Cloud, free: runs and laps on the track map, every ECU channel overlaid, the G-G diagram, corner analysis and comparison across sessions.
When a Dragy is the simpler choice
The Apex is built for a car you keep coming back to. A Dragy is the easier box when:
- You move one box between several cars. A Dragy runs on its own battery for over 20 hours and holds on with magnets; the Apex is wired to the car's switched 12 V and CAN bus.
- You want your times on the Dragy leaderboard, or you already use RaceChrono, Lap Legend or another app the Dragy works with.
- You only ever need the times, never the engine data.
- You log very long days without the phone: the Dragy Pro stores up to 12 hours at 25 Hz, the Apex over two hours per session.
Dragy, Apex or the phone in your pocket
A phone's GPS fixes about once a second and smooths its speed for navigation. A five-second 0-100 km/h run is about five samples, and the 60 ft time is a guess between two fixes a second apart. That is the reason a Dragy and the Apex both exist. The DashCAN app can still time a run on the phone's own GPS when no Apex is connected, but it labels the result PHONE GPS and never marks it verified.
Dragy vs DashCAN Apex: questions
- Is the DashCAN Apex a good Dragy alternative?
- Yes, if your car has an ECU you want to log. The Apex times the same runs as a Dragy (0-100 km/h, 100-200 km/h, the quarter mile, your own custom runs and lap times) at 25 Hz with a 6-axis IMU, and it records the ECU's CAN data on the same timeline. If you only want times from a box you move between cars, a Dragy is simpler.
- Is the Apex as accurate as a Dragy?
- Both use 25 Hz multi-constellation GNSS and a 6-axis IMU. The Apex was checked against an official drag strip clock at Drag Elite Europe in Arad on 3 October 2026: 6.787 s against the official 6.788 s over the quarter mile, and the same 1.013 s over 60 ft.
- Can a Dragy read my ECU?
- Dragy sells a separate OBD II adapter, in open beta in November 2026, that pairs with a Dragy GPS and reads OBD-II data; custom PIDs are listed as a future update. A standalone ECU usually broadcasts its channels as CAN messages, and the Apex decodes that broadcast directly, at up to 1 Mbit/s.
- Does the Apex need charging like a Dragy?
- No. The Apex has no battery and runs from the car's switched 12 V. It logs GPS, IMU and CAN to its own memory for over two hours per session without the phone, and the app downloads the session over Bluetooth afterwards.
- What does the Apex cost compared with a Dragy?
- The DashCAN Apex is €199 with the cable and a hook-and-loop mount. On godragy.com (November 2026) the dragy DRG70 lists at USD 199, the dragy Pro at USD 249 and the dragy OBD II adapter at USD 119.
- Is there a subscription?
- No. The DashCAN app is free on iOS and Android, and so is a DashCAN Cloud account.
Keep the 25 Hz, add the engine.
Closed-course use only. DashCAN products are intended solely for closed-course competition and motorsport use and are not type-approved or certified for use on public roads. Use them lawfully and safely, and do not operate the app while driving. See our Terms & Conditions for full details.