Here's my personal take on the various tuning software options available for the Subaru platform. Currently there are various options available to tuners: Cobb, Ecutek, EcuEdit, Enginuity/RomRaider, EcuFlash and various piggy backs.

First, piggy backs are only a good option if there is no good reflashing option available. Reflashing gives the tuner much more control and allows for better results with more safety built in. So considering there are many reflash options available, I'll toss out the piggy backs right away.

Now as far as the various reflashing options. In the end they all provide access to many of the same maps and parameters within the OEM ecu. This means that if a tuner is comfortable using any one of these options, they will eventually get the same results as they would with any of the other software. That being said, some of the software has definite advantages in terms of the tuning process.

Cobb, for example, offers real time tuning on many of the maps. This makes it easier and quicker to dial in a good tune than with the other options. Cobb also offers the best support for its tuners I've ever seen in this industry. It also offers some great advantages for people looking for multiple maps since the AP can quickly and easily change between custom tuned maps. Many people don't NEED the AP, however, and end up keeping it in their closets unless they need it for a new tune. At that point it just becomes a very expensive dongle they must own in order to get tuned. This is the biggest disadvantage to the Cobb platform IMO.

Ecutek has been around the longest and arguably gives access to the most maps and parameters within the ECU. Their software is also built fairly well and there is some level of support associated with it. With Ecutek, the customer must purchase a license that is non-transferable to any other ECU. They are also a foreign company and somewhat difficult to deal with. Considering the pricing of their licenses and business structure, Ecutek is largely obsolete at this point IMO. The only real positive is their experience in the field.

EcuEdit is another commercial software package that is very similar to Ecutek in terms of user interface and work flow. There is no license structure, however, and the software is much cheaper. This means that the customer doesn't have to purchase anything, he just pays for the tuning time. As a tuner, you do have to make some sacrifices, however. The level of support for this software is nowhere near that of Ecutek or Cobb. The tuner must spend more time messing with map definitions, doing more research, and discovering new maps and parameters on his own. There is also no level of protection for the tuner's final work with this software. The map can be pulled by anyone else with the right tools. In this sense, this software is much more similar to the free open source options.

Now we get to EcuFlash and RomRaider/Enginuity. This software is truly free and available for download by anyone brave enough to play with it. It was developed by DIY type of people who are passionate about engine management and software in general. This software has evolved greatly from its meager beginnings and is really starting to catch up to other software like Ecutek and EcuEdit in terms of functionality. Again, there is no real support for this software outside of the various online communities. That being said, there is a wealth of information out there and the community is fairly large and active enough to allow most tuners to figure things out for themselves. The disadvantages are again, no real support structure and no protection for the tuner's work. It also takes a good deal more time to set things up and get everything working properly to allow the tuner to be efficient with his time.

Different communities have adopted different options as a standard. The Subaru community has had commercial tuning support for a very long time and has gotten used to it. The tuners are comfortable with the tools and the level of support is awesome. From this perspective its very difficult for a tuner to justify offering services with any other tools that may be more difficult to use and take more time to get comfortable with. Other communities, like the Evo community for example, adopted the cheaper, open source tools very early on before other options were easily available. Evo tuners have learned to use these tools efficiently and continue to do so with great success. Its all a matter of perspective in the end.

I personally enjoy playing around with the various options available and decide what's worth using and what isn't. I used to use Ecutek before anything else was available. Then Cobb came out with ProTuner and offered some key advantages that made using Ecutek somewhat pointless, so I ended up switching most of my tuning to ProTuner. As the open source and other tuning software has been evolving, I've been playing around with it as well. Until recently, most of this software was not at a point where I would feel comfortable using it professionally. More recently, however, these options have been making great advances and I've even started offering OpenEcu tuning services for Evo applications. The more experience I gain using these options with Evos, the closer I come to possibly offering services with them to the Subaru community. Again, with the cheaper or free options, there is much more time investment in the initial setup of the software and you have to do much more independent research and work to gain the same level of control as you would with the more commercial options, so I wouldn't blame any tuner for not jumping on the open source bandwagon.

In the end, its up to the tuner to get the car running well. He will choose the tools he's the most comfortable with to do the job right. All of these options provide a slightly different means to the same end. Some take more initial time investment, and others take more initial monetary investment. In the end we have to try to offer what is best for the customer and allows us to stay in business at the same time.

The main point is that the tune itself is what will determine how well the car runs, not necessarily the tuning tools. If you run ANY base maps (Cobb, XPT, or otherwise), you should make sure that your specific car is running safely and as expected. Base maps are a bit of a gamble no matter whose base map you run, some more than others of course. A custom tune by a good tuner will be better than any base map, no matter what reflashing tools are used.

Thanks