Train Layouts vs Rail Guide
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Train Layouts
Explore and download model train layouts created by enthusiasts. Find inspiration for your own railway, sort layouts by scale or popularity, and connect with other hobbyists. Create shopping lists and favorite track plans.
- Explore and download model train layouts
- Create and export shopping lists
- Like and favorite track plans
- Connect with fellow model railroaders
- Open local RailModeller Pro layouts
Read full descriptionHide full description
Hundreds of model railway track plans to browse, enjoy, and rebuild - made by model railroaders and shared with each other. Browse by scale - H0, N, O, and other common gauges - to find plans in the scale you run. Filter by vendor and track system, so you only see plans built with the track you already own. Explore the layout itself, not just a picture of it. Pinch to zoom, pan freely, and tap any track piece for its details. Open the part list for any plan and export it as text. Use it to price a build or order the pieces. Like the plans you find worth keeping. You can sort the whole catalog by popularity, so the ones people like most are easy to find. Own RailModeller Pro on the Mac? Open your own layouts on your iPhone or iPad through iCloud Drive and take them with you.
Rail Guide
Explore detailed maps of active, historic, and abandoned rail lines across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Includes milepost data for most routes and points of interest. Stay updated on map changes via the official Facebook page.
- North American rail line maps
- Current, historic, and abandoned lines
- Milepost data
- Points of interest
- Map update notifications
Read full descriptionHide full description
Maps of current, historic, and abandoned rail lines plus points of interest in the US, Canada, and Mexico with mileposts for most lines. Follow facebook.com/railguide for map updates.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rail Guide at 100% against Train Layouts's 11%. Rail Guide also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.1). Train Layouts's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (86 vs 21). On in-app purchases 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
Rail Guide is free to download; Train Layouts costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Rail Guide holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 86 and 21 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 11% of Train Layouts's written reviews are positive against 100% of Rail Guide's.
| Parameter | Train Layouts | Rail Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.1 (86 ratings) | 5.0 (21 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 86 — better | 21 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Jan P. Barnholt | Rail Guide LLC |
Customer experience
Train Layouts
Rail Guide
In-app purchases
Train Layouts
No in-app purchases
Rail Guide
No in-app purchases
