Comparison

Locontrol vs ThrottleCard

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

ThrottleCard

Control your model railroad with this app featuring vintage-inspired controls and realistic animations. It supports multiple trains, game controllers, and offers advanced features like turnout and route control. A free version is available, with a premium subscription for enhanced functionality.

Highlights
  • Multi-throttle support
  • Vintage-inspired controls
  • Game controller integration
  • Automatic command station discovery
  • Turnout and route control
  • Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

All aboard! Take control of your model railroad with this elegantly designed app that brings vintage charm to modern model train control. Whether you're a seasoned engineer or just starting your journey in model railroading, ThrottleCard delivers powerful features wrapped in a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. Hear what the community is saying: "FINALLY! The BEST Model Railroad Mobile App for IPhone?" - DIY and Digital Railroad YouTube Channel KEY FEATURES: * Control multiple trains simultaneously with intuitive multi-throttle support * Beautiful vintage-inspired gauges and controls with realistic animations * Game Controller Support! Easily drive your Trains with a PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or MFi Game Controller with pre-mapped buttons * Landscape mode on iPhone is optimized for excellent compatibility with handheld MFi Game Controllers. * Easily create consists on the fly right from within the app * Automatic command station discovery * Comprehensive locomotive function control * Full turnout (switch) control * Routes Support * Fast Clock Support * Supports WiThrottle and DCC-EX Protocols * Roster with locomotive images * A variety of classic railroad inspired themes * Haptic Feedback for intuitive responsiveness and operation * Mirror-Mode mode for comfortable operation in either hand * Multiple classic railroad-inspired themes * iPad support * Apple Watch Support With many more exciting features in the roadmap! To use ThrottleCard, simply connect to any WiThrottle Protocol enabled command station including JMRI, DCC-EX, and various commercial offerings. ThrottleCard can be used for free without a subscription to control the speed, direction, and functions of a single locomotive at a time, throw turnouts, and change to any of the railroad inspired themes. Subscribe to Premium for $0.99/Month or $9.99/Year - 16% off - to unlock the ability to control multiple trains (cards), multiple locomotives in a consist, game controllers, routes, locomotive programming* and to support the future development of additional, exciting features! We’ll even give you a week free to try it out. ThrottleCard Watch will mirror the throttles you have setup on your phone and will allow for remote control of speed with the Digital Crown as well as light, horn, and bell control right from your wrist. For best results, change the "Return to Clock" settings for ThrottleCard watch to "After 1 Hour" by going to Settings (on watch or watch iOS app) > General > Return To Clock > ThrottleCard > Choose "Custom" > Choose "After 1 Hour" below. This will keep ThrottleCard open on your watch longer while it's in the foreground. We’re committed to making the best tools possible for the model railroad community and would love to hear your feedback on the features you’d like to see next. Get started with the latest in model railroading today! *DCC-EX Command Station is required for locomotive programming. The ‘WiThrottle protocol’ is a communications protocol developed by Brett Hoffman. ‘WiThrottle’ is a trademark owned by Brett Hoffman. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://throttlecard.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Locontrol4 screens
ThrottleCard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ThrottleCard at 4.3 against Locontrol's 3.0. ThrottleCard also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Locontrol's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 17.5). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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 ThrottleCard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ThrottleCard holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Locontrol's written reviews are positive against 50% of ThrottleCard's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Locontrol versus ThrottleCard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLocontrolThrottleCard
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (15 ratings)4.3 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.4% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15 — better11
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS11.2 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB117 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperDanny AraujoRyan Gant

Customer experience

Locontrol

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

ThrottleCard

All ratings11 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral18.2%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Locontrol

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

ThrottleCard

Subscriptions2
  • ThrottleCard Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • ThrottleCard Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Locontrol free?
Locontrol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ThrottleCard free?
ThrottleCard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Locontrol or ThrottleCard?
ThrottleCard is rated higher. Locontrol averages 3.0 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while ThrottleCard averages 4.3 from 11 ratings.
Do Locontrol or ThrottleCard have ads?
ThrottleCard shows ads; Locontrol does not.
Which is updated more often, Locontrol or ThrottleCard?
Locontrol ships an update weekly, and ThrottleCard weekly. Most recently, Locontrol was updated on October 7, 2026 and ThrottleCard on October 4, 2026.

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