Comparison

Locontrol vs DCC

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

Head to head
About

Locontrol

Control your model railroad locomotives with an elegant DCC controller. Capture videos and photos of your trains in action. Compatible with DCC systems featuring Wi-Fi modules and JMRI.

Highlights
  • DCC locomotive control
  • In-app camera for videos and photos
  • Wi-Fi module compatibility
  • JMRI integration
  • Elegant and easy-to-use interface
  • Locomotive list management
Features
Read full description

Control your locomotives in a model railroad layout with the most elegant DCC controller for iOS! And with the Locontrol camera, make videos and take photos while commanding the trains! Locontrol is compatible with any DCC system with a Wi-Fi module, as MRC (with a Prodigy Wi-Fi Module) or Digitrax (with a LNWI module). Locontrol can also control your trains via JMRI. - Make videos and take pictures while controlling your locos; - Easy to use through your locomotive list; - Elegant interface with easy access to all main functions; - Compatible with any DCC system with a Wi-Fi server; - Use with JMRI: just set the Wi-Fi server available on Decoder Pro; Terms & Conditions: https://locontrol.flycricket.io/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://locontrol.flycricket.io/privacy.html

About

DCC

Transform your mobile devices into wireless controllers for your model railroad. Manage trains, signals, and accessories remotely without wired connections. Ideal for seamless operation around your layout.

Highlights
  • Handheld model railroad controller
  • Wireless train operation
  • Control signals and turnouts
  • Accessory control
  • Seamless layout movement
Features
Read full description

DCC-EX Cab is an application that turns your devices into handheld controllers for your model railroad. With DCC-EX Cab you can follow your trains around your layout without having to worry about plugging and unplugging a wired device as you move along. Using a wireless network connection and a DCC-EX command station connected to the network, DCC-EX Cab can be used to run trains and for controlling signals, turnouts, and other accessories that are configured in the command station.

Screenshots

Locontrol4 screens
DCC4 screens

Verdict

The call

Locontrol and DCC both sit at 3.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of DCC's written reviews are positive against 47% of Locontrol's. Locontrol's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Locontrol sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and DCC sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.0 for Locontrol against 3.0 for DCC. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 4 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of Locontrol's written reviews are positive against 100% of DCC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Locontrol ships an update weekly, DCC every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Locontrol versus DCC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLocontrolDCC
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (15 ratings)3.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews47.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15 — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.2 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB120 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperDanny AraujoKostiantyn Kolesnik

Customer experience

Locontrol

All ratings15 ratings
Positive46.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative46.7%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive47.4%
Neutral5.3%
Negative47.4%

DCC

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Locontrol

Subscriptions2
  • Full Access1 Month trial$0.991 Month
  • Full Access$9.991 Year
5 purchases

DCC

Subscriptions4
  • Cloud services, monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium control, monthly$7.991 Month
  • Ultimate, monthly$12.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Premium control, annually$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium control, life-time$119.99

Questions

Is Locontrol free?
Locontrol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DCC free?
DCC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Locontrol or DCC?
Locontrol and DCC are both rated 3.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 15 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Locontrol or DCC have ads?
Neither Locontrol nor DCC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Locontrol or DCC?
Locontrol ships an update weekly, and DCC every 2 weeks. Most recently, Locontrol was updated on October 7, 2026 and DCC on September 18, 2026.

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