Comparison

Rail Tycoon vs Train Studio

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Rail Tycoon

Build and manage your own railroad empire by laying track, constructing stations, and scheduling trains. This simulation game offers a realistic railroad experience with strategic decision-making.

Highlights
  • Build rail lines and stations
  • Buy and manage trains
  • Schedule train operations
  • Simulate railroad management
  • Economic strategy gameplay
Features
Read full description

Rail Tycoon lets you take control of your own rail network. You decide where to build stations and rail lines, to server the community best. Then buy stations, add cars, and and start making money. This is a simulation of a railroad, with all the fun and problems that entails. The objective of the game is to build and manage a railroad company by laying track, building stations, and buying and scheduling trains. Based on the PC game, this game is fully playable on your iPad or iPhone, and features no ads or in-app purchases.

About

Train Studio

Create and share custom train route maps, then play with maps made by others. Manage train schedules, transport passengers, and aim for maximum operating profits. Enjoy simple controls and a user-friendly interface.

Highlights
  • Create custom train route maps
  • Share route maps with others
  • Play user-created route maps
  • Manage train departures and schedules
  • Transport passengers for profit
  • Compete with others via rankings
  • Timetable function for trip analysis
Features
Read full description

You can now create your own train Route maps! route maps and let others play with them! At the " Train Dispatcher! Studio," you can create your own route maps or play with route maps created by others. The rules are the same as "Tokyo Train! 4." - For Railway Commanders As a train commander, you can send out a variety of trains, including local trains and express trains, to transport passengers. 1. Create a route map and share it with everyone! - Up to 30 stations. You can freely decide which stations trains stop at and which stations they pass through. - You can also create branch lines. - Trains can also run on rival lines. - You can freely decide station names, the number of passengers, and whether or not to include passing stations. - You can also set up express trains and Shinkansen trains. - You can freely decide the name of the train type, such as "Semi-Express," "Express," or "Rapid Express." - You can also make detailed adjustments to departure costs, departure intervals, and running sections. - Decide on a route name, announce it, and have fun! 2. Play with other people's route maps! - Game Goal Transport passengers, collect fares, and aim for maximum operating profits! Profit Calculation Formula ① Variable Fare - ② Boarding Time x ③ Number of Passengers - ④ Departure Cost = ⑤ Operating Profit ① Variable Fare: You receive a fare when the train transports passengers to their destination station. The fare decreases over time. The farther to the right a station is, the higher the fare. ② Boarding Time: The boarding time is displayed above the moving train. The boarding time is deducted from the fare received when the train transports passengers to their destination station. The faster you transport passengers, the shorter the boarding time will be. ③ Number of Passengers Each station displays the number of passengers serving that destination. ④ Departure Cost: When a train departs, a departure cost is deducted. The departure cost is displayed below the departure button. ⑤ Operating Profit: This is the goal of the game. Aim for great results! ・Controls Controls are very simple. Just depart your train at the perfect time. You can operate up to five types of trains. ・Plenty of Content You can browse route maps created by yourself or others, sorted by newest or best. You can also compete with others using the ranking feature. ・Timetable Function You can view the results of your passengers' trips on the timetable. In addition to pursuing operating profits, you can also enjoy browsing the amazing timetable. 3. Easy and Comfortable Play ・The game's file size is approximately 180MB. Storage requirements are minimal. It doesn't require heavy processing, so it's compatible with even older devices. Each game takes just three minutes, so you can enjoy it at your leisure. - No ads, no in-app purchases There are no in-app purchases. No ads. There are no elements that will interfere with train operations. Please focus on the game. Children can also enjoy it safely. Share your operation results and timetables with other train fans.

Screenshots

Rail Tycoon3 screens
Train Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Train Studio at 100% against Rail Tycoon's 0%. Rail Tycoon's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Rail Tycoon costs $1.99 and Train Studio $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rail Tycoon ships an update every 10 days, Train Studio fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Rail Tycoon versus Train Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRail TycoonTrain Studio
Price$1.99 — better$9.99
Rating1.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB162 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperJOhn Lyonsmasahiro goto

Customer experience

Rail Tycoon

All ratings3 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral33.3%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative83.3%

Train Studio

Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Rail Tycoon

No in-app purchases

None

Train Studio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Rail Tycoon free?
Rail Tycoon costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Train Studio free?
Train Studio costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Rail Tycoon or Train Studio have ads?
Neither Rail Tycoon nor Train Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Rail Tycoon or Train Studio?
Rail Tycoon ships an update every 10 days, and Train Studio fortnightly. Most recently, Rail Tycoon was updated on October 5, 2026 and Train Studio on October 8, 2026.

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