# e vs Railstream

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: e at none against Railstream's 10. e also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). Railstream's advantage is ratings volume (128 vs 1). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Railstream sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. e asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for e against 4.1 for Railstream. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Railstream has 128 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

e ships an update weekly, Railstream every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | e | Railstream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e-train-controller/id1133365438/reviews) | **[4.1 (128 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railstream/id1520484749/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **128** |
| Positive reviews | — | 58.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 64 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [toytec](https://appshunter.io/developer/1556354133) | [Railstream, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1520484751) |

## What reviewers say

### e

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e-train-controller/id1133365438)

Control your model railroad with your smartphone or tablet. This app supports various scales and both DC and DCC cars, featuring built-in sound capabilities for a more immersive experience. Simple and intuitive operation makes managing your trains effortless.

**Highlights:** Smartphone/tablet operation, Supports Z, N, and HO scales, Operates DC and DCC cars, Built-in sound function, Simple and easy to use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Railstream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railstream/id1520484749)

Experience live railcams from across the United States and Canada. Watch over two dozen cameras in real time, with a selection available for all viewers and premium content for members. Keep your devices entertained with continuous railway action.

**Highlights:** Live railcams, United States and Canada coverage, Real-time streaming, Multiple camera views, Membership-exclusive content

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $149.99 | per year |
| Railstream Feed 95 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Railstream Feed 96 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Railstream Feed 93 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Railstream Feed 94 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Railstream Feed 97 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Railstream Feed 98 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Railstream Feed 99 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Railstream Feed 100 | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app for entertainment
- 👍 Crisp picture quality
- 👍 Excellent audio quality
- 👍 App is improving
- 👍 Great for railfans

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Ads are too frequent
- 👎 App is not worth the membership cost
- 👎 Difficult to log in
- 👎 App crashes or freezes
- 👎 Slow app performance

**Reported bugs**

- Boyce Cam stuck at night
- Sound bugs on Fostoria Ohio free cams
- App crashes or freezes
- App gets slow
- Login issues, doesn't recall membership

**Requested features**

- Add Thomasville NC railcam for free
- Lower membership price
- Add Metra camera
- Add multi-view cams back
- Add more multi-view cams


## Frequently asked questions

### Is e free?

e is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Railstream free?

Railstream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, e or Railstream?

Railstream is rated higher. e averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Railstream averages 4.1 from 128 ratings.

### Do e or Railstream have ads?

Railstream shows ads; e does not.

### Which is updated more often, e or Railstream?

e ships an update weekly, and Railstream every 4 months. Most recently, e was updated on October 2, 2026 and Railstream on September 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*