# e vs Virtual Railfan

The clearest difference is rating: e at 4.0 against Virtual Railfan's 3.5. e also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Virtual Railfan's advantage is ratings volume (52 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Virtual Railfan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. e asks for nothing beyond the download.

e holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Virtual Railfan has 52 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

e ships an update weekly, Virtual Railfan every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | e | Virtual Railfan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e-train-controller/id1133365438/reviews)** | [3.5 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-railfan/id6743782085/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **52** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 64 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [toytec](https://appshunter.io/developer/1556354133) | [Virtual Railfan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804526463) |

## 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


### Virtual Railfan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-railfan/id6743782085)

Stream live video feeds of real trains from numerous cameras across North America. Experience the thrill of watching trains in real-time, with a wide selection of locations available.

**Highlights:** Watch real trains live, Live camera feeds, Multiple North American locations, Real-time train viewing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First Class- Monthly Billing | $8.99 | per month |
| First Class- Annual Billing | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is e free?

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

### Is Virtual Railfan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, e or Virtual Railfan?

e is rated higher. e averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Virtual Railfan averages 3.5 from 52 ratings.

### Do e or Virtual Railfan have ads?

Neither e nor Virtual Railfan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, e or Virtual Railfan?

e ships an update weekly, and Virtual Railfan every 5 days. Most recently, e was updated on October 2, 2026 and Virtual Railfan on October 22, 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.*