Comparison

Train Drive ATS 3 vs Train Maker

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

Head to head
About

Train Drive ATS 3

Experience realistic Japanese train driving on the Kintetsu Nara Line. This simulator features detailed routes, authentic sounds, and various train scenarios, including the new Limited Express "Hinotori".

Highlights
  • Realistic Kintetsu Nara Line simulation
  • Authentic train operation sounds
  • Detailed station and track reproduction
  • Multiple train scenarios and routes
  • Complex intersection driving
  • New Limited Express "Hinotori" scenario
Features
Read full description

Description: ~The Limited Express "Hinotori" driving scenario was added !~ Welcome to the latest Train Drive ATS world! Train Drive ATS 3 is the 3rd release of the Japanese No.1 railway driving simulator game, Train Drive ATS series earning over 6 million downloads. This work reproduces a more realistic line using the Kintetsu Nara Line as a model by cooperative development with Kintetsu Information System Co., Ltd. and Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd. Of course, for all railway fans the sacred place Yamato-Saidaiji Station with its perfect complex intersection is also covered. Enjoy the real driver's experiences of tunnels, quadruple lines, steep slopes and planar intersections coming from the rich features of the Kintetsu Nara Line! Kintetsu is the private railway company with the largest route distance in Japan. Among its various routes, the Kintetsu Nara Line is the most traditional line opened in 1914. We are proud to release Train Drive ATS 3 reproducing the Kintetsu Nara Line and its Japanese railway technology regarded as the world’s highest level. Supported OS: iOS 9.3 or later Highlights of Train Drive ATS 3: - The great simulation engine reproduces from Osaka Namba Station to Kintetsu Nara Station 32.8 km, 24 stations perfectly! - Have fun with Japanese style train operation services, real motor sounds, signals, points and railroad crossings. Main Features: Drive the designated train scenario. After clearing it, the next one will appear. 1) Local Train bound for Osaka Namba Station from Fuse Station >In-app billing available below 2) Express Train bound for Kintetsu Nara Station from Ikoma Station 3) Local Train bound for Higashi-Hanazono Station from Tsuruhashi Station 4) Forwarding Train from Higashi-Hanazono Garage to Hyoutan-Yama Station 5) Express Train bound for Osaka Namba Station from Ikoma Station 6) Rapid Express Train bound for Kintetsu Nara Station from Osaka Namba Station 7) Forwarding Train from Yamato-Saidaiji Station to Ikoma Station -> Letting into Ikoma line 8) Semi Express Train bound for Yamato-Saidaiji Station from Osaka Namba Station 9) Rapid Express Train bound for Osaka Namba Station from Kintetsu Nara Station(Rush hour) 10) Limited Express Train bound for Kintetsu Nara Station from Osaka Namba Station 11) Forwarding Train from Kintetsu Nara Station to Higashi-Hanazono Garage 12) Forwarding Train from Saidaiji Garage -> Semi-Express Train bound for Osaka Namba Station after Train expanded at Yamato-Saidaiji Station 13) Rapid Express Train bound for Kintetsu Nara Station from Osaka Namba Station (Temporary stop at Ayameike Station) 14) Forwarding Train from Yamato-Saidaiji Station to Higashi-Ikoma Station -> Forwarding Train to Saidaiji Garage 15) Local Train bound for Kintetsu Nara Station from Osaka Namba Station 16) Forwarding Train from Higashi-Hanazono Garage to Ishikiri Station -> Returning Local Train to Osaka Namba Station 17) Forwarding Train from Yamato-Saidaiji Station to Kintetsu Nara Station -> Returning Limited Express to Osaka Namba Station -> Forwarding Train to Kintetsu Nara StationLocal Train bound for Osaka Namba Station from Fuse Station 18) Charter train "Shimakaze" from Osaka-Uehommachi Station to Saidaiji Garage via Yamato-Saidaiji Station, Hyotan-yama Station, Kintetsu Nara Station ,Ikoma Station, and Yamato-Saidaiji Station Bonus: After clearing all the scenarios, you can choose any train and drive it freely. Train Drive ATS 3 is commercialization licensed by Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd. Notes: The Kintetsu Nara Line is the model for vehicles, routes, diagrams, landscapes and railway facilities, but due to the specifications of the game, there are things that are different from real ones. As for the routes other than Kintetsu Nara Line, it is all fiction, and it has nothing to do with actual ones.

About

Train Maker

Design and assemble your own unique trains by combining various carriages. Watch your creations travel through diverse landscapes, tunnels, and crossings, experiencing the journey with vibration feedback. Collect new trains and explore different camera angles for an immersive railway adventure.

Highlights
  • Freely combine train carriages
  • Eight diverse stages to travel through
  • Switchable camera views
  • Adjustable train speed and stopping
  • Earn track miles and use train roulette for new trains
  • Train collection and organization
Features
Read full description

Create your own trains by freely uniting the carriages of bullet trains and regular trains in any way you want! The trains you create will travel through tunnels and railway crossings. You can experience the bumpy experience with the vibration feature once your train gets going. This is the perfect game app for anyone who loves trains. User feedback "It's really cool that so many trains are united with the rail yard!" "It's so fun to unite the white bullet train with the yellow bullet train!" "It's exciting to see the carriages of the united bullet trains moving up slopes!" Features of this app *You are free to unite your own choice of "leading carriages," "middle carriages," and "tail carriages" of bullet trains and trains. *You can choose from eight different stages that your train will travel through: "a mountain and a tunnel", "lots of railway crossings", "a big river and a railway bridge", "highway route","Japanese scenery","Jet coaster","Inbound and outbound" and "Pass through many". *You can switch between camera views and watch your running train from your favorite angle. *You can use the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons to change the speed of your train or stop it. *You can get new trains by accumulating "track miles," which you earn according to the distance you have traveled, and by turning the train roulette. How to play 1. The game begins at the rail yard. First, tap the "Create" button to create your train. 2. After selecting your first train, tap the "+" button to select the next train. 3. You can tap the "-" button to remove carriages. 4. When you are done, tap the "Finish" button in the top right corner to return to the rail yard. The train you have created will be shown at the top. 5. Tap the "GO" button on the right and select your preferred stage in the stage selection screen. 6. On the play screen, you can adjust the speed of your train using the bottom left button, change the camera distance with the bottom right button, focus the camera on your choice of carriage using the top right button, and freely adjust the camera position by dragging the area outside of the train. Give it a go and find the coolest angle! 7. You can tap and hold to stop the camera. It is also exciting to wait for a passing train to come back. 8.Tap the arrow button on the upper left to return to the railroad yard from the play screen. You can then check how many "Track miles" you've earned for the distance you've traveled. 9.100 Track Miles lets you play Train Roulette one time. You can link up the trains you win in Train Roulette to have more fun. 10.Check your Train Collection to see the trains you've collected so far. (You can check your Train Collection from the rail yard screen.) 11. You can tap the "Organizing" button at the rail yard to change the order of trains or delete trains that you do not want. 12. From the Settings button on the title screen, you can also toggle settings such as music, sound effects, image quality, vocal effects, and vibration mode.

Screenshots

Train Drive ATS 33 screens
Train Maker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Train Maker at 4.7 against Train Drive ATS 3's 4.1. Train Maker also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (76% vs 53%). Train Drive ATS 3's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.4 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, monetization model and device support 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

Both are free to download. Train Drive ATS 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Train Maker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Train Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Train Maker has 865 ratings behind it against 109, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Train Drive ATS 3's written reviews are positive against 76% of Train Maker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Train Drive ATS 3 versus Train Maker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrain Drive ATS 3Train Maker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (109 ratings)4.7 (865 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.7% of reviews76.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings109865 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB127 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTakahiro Itomonois Inc.

Customer experience

Train Drive ATS 3

All ratings109 ratings
Positive75.2%
Neutral7.3%
Negative17.4%
Written reviews207 reviews
Positive52.7%
Neutral18.8%
Negative28.5%

Train Maker

All ratings865 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive76.1%
Neutral11.4%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

Train Drive ATS 3

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Train Maker

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Trains switching order at the end of the line
  • Limited to 16 carriages per train
  • Restricted to 180-degree turns instead of 360 degrees

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more trains (Hikari RailStar, Avlo, Amtrak Acela, etc.)
  • Ability to create custom tracks and layouts
  • Add more camera views and driving modes
  • Implement sound effects and animations (horn, lights, doors, etc.)
  • Allow multiple trains on a single line

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Train Drive ATS 3

One-time1
  • Full Mode$10.99
None

Train Maker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Train Drive ATS 3 free?
Train Drive ATS 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Train Maker free?
Train Maker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Train Drive ATS 3 or Train Maker?
Train Maker is rated higher. Train Drive ATS 3 averages 4.1 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while Train Maker averages 4.7 from 865 ratings.
Do Train Drive ATS 3 or Train Maker have ads?
Train Maker shows ads; Train Drive ATS 3 does not.
Which is updated more often, Train Drive ATS 3 or Train Maker?
Train Drive ATS 3 ships an update every 3 months, and Train Maker every 3 months. Most recently, Train Drive ATS 3 was updated on October 18, 2026 and Train Maker on October 19, 2026.

Other comparisons