Train Beacon vs RailChecker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Train Beacon
Visualize train locations and real-time schedules in augmented reality or on a map. Get instant updates on train times, platform information, and service status for Great Britain and London Underground. Pro features include widgets, incident reports, and advanced train tracking.
- Augmented reality train visualization
- Map-based train tracking
- Real-time train times
- Platform information
- Service incident reports
- Home screen widgets
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* NEW: Brand new train allocations and carriage count information is now available in Train Beacon Pro (subscription required) * Train Beacon shows estimated, interpolated GB* train positions in augmented reality and on a map. Point your phone in the approximate direction that the track is running and see the estimated, interpolated position and distance of trains from your nearest station as beacons overlaid on-screen in augmented reality. See Great Britain and London Underground real-time train times almost instantly from your nearest stations. Displays platform information where available. Automatically loads train times from your nearest station or loads train times from a station that you select from the stations screen. Filter train times by destination station. Features Widgets (Pro subscription required) Easily see train times, cancellations, London Underground service indicators, rail incidents and service status on your homescreen. Incidents (Pro subscription required) Easily see information about the service status and news about rail incidents and current / future maintenance. The incidents screen includes information such as the incident details, routes affected, date/s of incident and direct links to the relevent National Rail Enquiries page and map, where available. Includes London Underground service status and incidents. Augmented Reality mode (Pro subscription required) Picture real-time train information in an interactive real-world environment. See nearby trains*, railway stations and London Underground stations in an immersive augmented reality experience. The app will locate trains that are departing from your nearest station and display them. Tapping on a train reveals more information about its calling points and last reported location. AR mode is available with a Pro subscription. *National Rail trains only, and some trains are not displayed. Train Tracker (Pro subscription required) Using it’s advanced geo-location capabilities, combined with real-time train data and it’s UK rail network map, the app predicts the estimated, interpolated location of National Rail trains at any given time. The estimated train location is displayed on a map, with information about whether the service is currently running early, on-time or late. High precision information The app can report times from intermediary passing points such as junctions, providing you with a high level of precision and accuracy about the current status of a given train’s journey. Packed with detailed train information like number of carriages, train category, power type (eg EMU), timing load (eg Class 323), planned maximum speed (eg 90mph max), seating classes, reservations, catering, and operating characteristics (eg DOO). This information is only available if data has been supplied by the TOC. Some TOCs don't supply carriage data. The app can also show the calling point times and route map for London Undergound trains, if this data has been supplied by TfL. Safety Info Not for use in safety critical applications, level crossings, etc. Train position is estimated from latest available timing point data and may be incorrect. Care must be taken during use. Other trains may be present that are not indicated in the AR or train tracker mode of the app such as trains not stopping at the nearest station and also freight trains. Freight and non passenger trains are not displayed in the app. For your safety do not use your phone while you walk and take extreme care using the app near trains and railways. App powered by National Rail Enquiries & TfL Open Data, it contains public sector information from Network Rail licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 and contains information of Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
RailChecker
Get real-time train information including times, lengths, and crowding. Plan your journeys easily and receive instant updates on delays and disruptions. Pin your frequent stations and services for quick access to departure boards and service details.
- Live train times
- Train crowding information
- Journey planning
- Delay and disruption alerts
- Pinning favorite stations/trains
- Real-time service updates
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RailChecker is an app that can tell you everything you need to know about your rail journey. Train times, train lengths and formations*, train crowding* - it's all here. Everything in your hands All the data is made available to you through RailChecker. The data comes from National Rail Enquiries, so it will be the same as the information shown on platform displays. Pin your regular stations and trains You can pin the stations and services you use the most so that you can access departure boards and service information respectively with just one press of a button. Plan your journey Planning journeys has been made very easy in the app. Enter your origin and destination stations and the app will return to you the fastest possible route. Stay in the know when things go wrong Standing on a cold platform not knowing what is going on is a thing of the past. RailChecker can tell you the reason for the delay of your service, and also show you service disruption for your regular train operators. Powered by National Rail Enquiries. * Select operators and services only. Terms of Service: https://railchecker.app/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Train Beacon at 50% against RailChecker's 0%. Train Beacon also leads on ads (none vs shown). RailChecker's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Train Beacon sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month and RailChecker sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Train Beacon ships an update monthly, RailChecker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Train Beacon | RailChecker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christopher Riches | Robert Topolowski |
Customer experience
Train Beacon
RailChecker
In-app purchases
Train Beacon
- Train Beacon Pro (Monthly)1 Month trial$4.991 Month
RailChecker
- Monthly subscription$1.991 Month
Questions
Is Train Beacon free?
Is RailChecker free?
Do Train Beacon or RailChecker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Train Beacon or RailChecker?
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