Garage 61 vs SIM Dashboard
Quick summary
Verified pricing differs — Garage 61: Free (alpha) · SIM Dashboard: Free + one-time Pro.
Verdict
Which one should you pick?
Choose Garage 61 when you want free iRacing reference laps — it has a verified free tier.
Worth knowing: iRacing-only, and top drivers can set their data private, shrinking the reference-lap pool; official site states paid tiers are coming (FAQ: 'Will it stay free? Not all of it')
Choose SIM Dashboard when you want phone widgets + virtual button box — it has a verified free tier.
Worth knowing: Free version is capped at 3 widgets per page, Windows games require a companion PC server app, and many games expose only partial telemetry so some widgets don't work per title
No universal winner — both entries are human-verified (dates in the Verification row below); weigh the limitations against your own setup.
Field by field
The verified fields
What it is
Garage 61
SIM Dashboard
Pricing
Garage 61
Free (alpha)
- Everything free during alpha (official docs: 'Is it free? Yes, all of it')
- Optional Pro supporter plan via Patreon (price not shown on site) — unlocks extras like Pro lap-search filters and custom display units
SIM Dashboard
Free + one-time Pro
- Free (max 3 widgets per page)
- Pro one-time in-app purchase (unlimited widgets, extra pages, wheel-button page switching)
Free access
Garage 61
SIM Dashboard
Platforms
Garage 61
SIM Dashboard
Standout feature
Garage 61
Compare against community-shared telemetry/reference laps from other drivers across most car/track combos, all free right now
SIM Dashboard
Button Box feature that sends virtual keyboard inputs to any PC application, plus community design sharing across 200+ widgets
Limitations
Garage 61
iRacing-only, and top drivers can set their data private, shrinking the reference-lap pool; official site states paid tiers are coming (FAQ: 'Will it stay free? Not all of it')
SIM Dashboard
Free version is capped at 3 widgets per page, Windows games require a companion PC server app, and many games expose only partial telemetry so some widgets don't work per title
Verification
Garage 61
SIM Dashboard
“—” means the official site does not state it — we leave it blank instead of guessing.
Straight answers
Common questions
Do Garage 61 or SIM Dashboard have a free tier?
Garage 61 does, and SIM Dashboard does. A free tier can mean the whole product or a heavily capped version, so check the pricing detail on each card rather than the yes or no alone.
How much does Garage 61 cost?
Garage 61 has a free tier, and its paid pricing starts at Free (alpha) as listed on its own pricing page. Tiers change — the card above shows every tier we verified, with the date we checked.
How much does SIM Dashboard cost?
SIM Dashboard has a free tier, and its paid pricing starts at Free + one-time Pro as listed on its own pricing page. Tiers change — the card above shows every tier we verified, with the date we checked.
What does Garage 61 support?
Garage 61's own site lists iRacing. We only record platforms a site names explicitly — a generic "100+ games" claim is not counted as support for any particular title.
What does SIM Dashboard support?
SIM Dashboard's own site lists Android, iOS, games on Windows PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series. We only record platforms a site names explicitly — a generic "100+ games" claim is not counted as support for any particular title.
What are the drawbacks of Garage 61 and SIM Dashboard?
Garage 61 — iRacing-only, and top drivers can set their data private, shrinking the reference-lap pool; official site states paid tiers are coming (FAQ: 'Will it stay free? Not all of it'). SIM Dashboard — Free version is capped at 3 widgets per page, Windows games require a companion PC server app, and many games expose only partial telemetry so some widgets don't work per title. These are the limitations each product's own materials made plain, not a verdict on quality.
Is Garage 61 or SIM Dashboard better?
Neither is better in the abstract, and this page does not name a winner. They differ on the verified fields above — price, free tier, platform support and stated limitations — and which of those matters is a question about your setup, not about the products.
