Comparison

ECoS Cab vs RocControl

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

Head to head
About

ECoS Cab

Transform your mobile devices into wireless handheld controllers for your model railroad. Seamlessly manage trains, signals, and accessories across your layout without the hassle of wired connections. Requires a compatible command station connected to your network.

Highlights
  • Handheld model railroad controller
  • Wireless network connection
  • Control trains, signals, and accessories
  • No need for wired devices
  • Compatible with ESU ECoS, CabControl, PIKO SmartBox
Read full description

ECoS Cab is the number-one application that turns your devices into handheld controllers for your model railroad. With ECoS Cab, you can follow your trains around your layout without worrying about plugging and unplugging a wired device as you move. Using a wireless network connection and an ESU ECoS, ESU CabControl, PIKO SmartBox, or Central Station Reloaded command station connected to the network, ECoS Cab can run trains and control signals, turnouts, and other accessories configured in the command station.

About

RocControl

Control your digital model railroad layouts remotely. Manage locomotives, switches, and signals, and set trains to run automatically. Connect to a Rocrail server to operate your entire layout from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Control locomotives, switches, and signals
  • Automatic train operation
  • Dialogs for blocks, turntables, and staging yards
  • Dedicated locomotive throttle
  • Layout, driving, and system control tabs
  • Automatic connection to local Rocrail servers
Features
Read full description

The app controls digital model railroad layouts by driving locomotives, set switches, set signal, and let run trains automatically. This app is a mobile client for the model railroad program Rocrail. See https://wiki.rocrail.net for more information on Rocrail. The app offers dialogs for blocks, turntables, traversers, staging and fiddleyards; All you need to control your model railroad layout with a mobile device. A special dialog is the throttle for controlling locomotives speed and functions. The app has 3 main tabs: One for the layout, one for driving and one for the system controls and tracing. In order to control a model railroad layout the app must be connected to a Rocrail server. If one is found on the local network, mDNS/Bonjour, it will automatically connect to it. The Rocrail Demo server can be connected if no local server has been found. This option is available in the Settings menu, the gear symbol right on top, if no local server has been found.

Screenshots

ECoS Cab4 screens
RocControl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RocControl at none against ECoS Cab's 9. RocControl also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). ECoS Cab's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 50%). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. ECoS Cab sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. RocControl asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ECoS Cab ships an update every 6 weeks, RocControl weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ECoS Cab versus RocControl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterECoS CabRocControl
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size120 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKostiantyn KolesnikRocrail

Customer experience

ECoS Cab

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

RocControl

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

ECoS Cab

Subscriptions4
  • Cloud Sync, monthly$2.991 Month
  • Client, monthly2 variants$12.991 Month
  • Web Server, monthly2 variants$17.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Client, annually2 variants$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Client, life-time2 variants$149.99
None

RocControl

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ECoS Cab free?
ECoS Cab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RocControl free?
RocControl is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ECoS Cab or RocControl have ads?
ECoS Cab shows ads; RocControl does not.
Which is updated more often, ECoS Cab or RocControl?
ECoS Cab ships an update every 6 weeks, and RocControl weekly. Most recently, ECoS Cab was updated on September 15, 2026 and RocControl on August 30, 2026.

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