Buyer's guide
The best Garmin Catalyst alternatives in 2026
The Garmin Catalyst 2 is a superb in-ear driving coach — and at $1,199.99, a serious investment in a single-driver box. If you want track analysis without the price tag, or you want to share and stream what you capture, here are the best Catalyst alternatives.
We make Pace, so we ranked ourselves #1 — but the prices, pros, and cons below are honest, including where rivals win (Garmin’s in-ear coaching). Hit the head-to-heads for the receipts.
Our pick — the whole platform
Pace — telemetry, live streaming & analysis, free on your phone
Pace captures pro-grade telemetry and HD video from the phone you already own, syncs them frame-for-frame for replay, streams the session live so family and fans can follow from anywhere, and lets that audience become sponsors. A couple of apps here now add a feed or live timing; Pace goes furthest — live video, community, and sponsorship in one place — and it starts at $0.
Be one of the first on the track.
Telemetry, live streaming, and a front-row seat for everyone who follows you — free, on the phone you already own. Join the waitlist and invite friends to move up the grid.
No hardware to buy · iOS & Android · Free to start
RaceBox Mini S
deviceRaceBox's popular consumer box — 25 Hz GNSS plus IMU, with on-board storage so it records without a phone tethered, all driven by the polished RaceBox app for lap timing, drag runs, and predictive timing. A great solo data box with no camera or video of its own; it stops at your own screen.
Best for: Solo drivers who want accurate, affordable lap & drag data.
Pros
- +Accurate 25 Hz GNSS + IMU
- +Standalone — records without a tethered phone
- +Polished app with predictive & drag timing
- +Affordable for the data quality
Cons
- −Solo — no live stream or audience
- −No camera or synced video of its own
- −Another device to buy and mount
- −No sponsorship or social layer
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow · Video synced to data · Runs on the phone you own
Bottom line
RaceBox nails accurate, affordable data — but the session never leaves your screen. Pace captures the same kind of 25 Hz GNSS and motion from the phone you already own, then streams it live, builds you a following, and opens sponsorship a box can't — no second device, $0 to start.
AiM MyChron
deviceThe gold-standard kart dash and logger (MyChron 5S, 6, and 6 2T), with the free Race Studio 3 desktop suite, optional SmartyCam video, and heart-rate input on the 6. Rich and accurate — but a dedicated device bolted to one kart, with a manual per-car setup, data locked in AiM's proprietary format, and review on a laptop. Single-driver, no live audience.
Best for: Competitive karters who want the proven paddock dash.
Pros
- +Paddock-proven accuracy
- +Excellent Race Studio 3 analysis
- +Dash display + engine sensors (RPM, temp)
- +SmartyCam video option
Cons
- −+~$1,500 SmartyCam for any video
- −Data locked in AiM's proprietary format
- −Manual per-car setup; single driver
- −Laptop review; no live or social
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow · Runs on the phone you own
Bottom line
MyChron is paddock-proven and accurate, but it's a single-kart box with a manual setup, a ~$1,500 camera add-on, and data locked in AiM's format. Pace delivers comparable session telemetry from your phone — then streams it live, builds an audience, and adds sponsorship — for $0.
RaceChrono
appA capable lap-timing and video-overlay app that records telemetry and video on the phone (and pairs with external GPS or OBD-II if you want). Great for solo post-session analysis — but nothing is live, with no broadcast, no social graph, and no path from fans to sponsors.
Best for: Tinkerers who want a flexible analysis app on a budget.
Pros
- +Flexible, affordable analysis app
- +Wide external-sensor / OBD support
- +Video overlay export
Cons
- −Records & analyzes only — nothing live
- −Solo post-session workflow
- −No audience or sponsorship
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow
Bottom line
RaceChrono is a flexible, affordable analysis app, but it stops at analysis — nothing live, no audience. Pace covers the capture and analysis and adds the platform: go live, build a following, and turn the people watching into sponsors.
Harry's LapTimer
appA deep, long-running lap-timing app sold in tiers — Rookie ($9) records data out of the box on the phone, Petrolhead ($20) adds video recording and overlay, GrandPrix ($28) adds pro sensors and multi-cam. Powerful but solo and technical — built for the driver and a laptop, not for everyone who wants to watch.
Best for: Power users who want maximum configurability.
Pros
- +Extremely deep and configurable
- +Broad sensor + import support
- +Strong video overlay tools
Cons
- −Video only from the $20 Petrolhead tier up
- −Steep learning curve
- −Built for the driver, not an audience; no broadcast
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow
Bottom line
Harry's is deep and configurable, but video starts at the $20 tier and it's built for a driver and a laptop, not an audience. Pace trades configuration depth for one tap to capture and broadcast, synced telemetry everyone can see, and monetization built in.
Racelogic VBOX
deviceProfessional-grade GNSS logging and synced in-car video with real-time overlay, paired with the excellent Circuit Tools desktop suite — a reference for serious data and coaching. The full video systems run $3,500 to $7,000+ (the compact VBOX Sport logger is ~$580, but records no video). Powerful and accurate, with no live streaming, social, or sponsorship layer.
Best for: Serious teams who want broadcast-grade in-car video + data.
Pros
- +Pro-grade GNSS accuracy
- +Synced video + real-time overlay
- +Excellent Circuit Tools analysis
Cons
- −$3,500–$7,000+ for the video system
- −Hardware install; desktop workflow
- −No live streaming, social, or sponsorship
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow · Runs on the phone you own
Bottom line
VBOX Video is broadcast-grade — and it runs $3,500 to $7,000+, bolted into the car and reviewed on a desktop. Pace delivers synced video and data from the phone in your pocket, streams it live, and builds an audience at a fraction of the cost — and ingests VBOX .vbo exports if you already have one.
At a glance
Everything above, side by side — including what it costs to start.
| Capability | Pace$0 | RaceBox$199 | AiM$599+ | RaceChrono$19.99+ | Harry's$9–$28 | Racelogic$3,500–$7,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only on Pace | ||||||
Live video streamingone tap, live video + telemetry | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
Dual front + rear videoroad + driver, one session | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
Barometric elevation & slopetrue gradient, not GPS altitude | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
AI pace insightstelemetry + laps + setup, where to find time | ◌ | — | — | — | — | — |
Setup ↔ performance trackingsetup changes linked to lap data | ◌ | — | — | — | — | — |
Sponsor placement & payoutsPIP logos; payouts rolling out | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Where Pace leads | ||||||
Family & fans can followsocial feed, following, reactions | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| The basics everyone has | ||||||
GPS + motion telemetryphone IMU + GNSS, no extra box | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Lap & session analysisline, speed, g, elevation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Video synced to datareplay + frame-aligned telemetry | ✓ | — | ＋ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Real-time on-track coachingaudio cues while you drive | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Runs on the phone you ownno extra hardware to start | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — |
Catalyst's real-time coaching is genuinely excellent. But for a fraction of the cost, Pace captures your sessions, syncs video to data, streams it live, and builds you an audience — on the phone you already own.
Be one of the first on the track.
Telemetry, live streaming, and a front-row seat for everyone who follows you — free, on the phone you already own. Join the waitlist and invite friends to move up the grid.
No hardware to buy · iOS & Android · Free to start
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