ECoS Cab vs ThrottleCard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Handheld model railroad controller
- Wireless network connection
- Control trains, signals, and accessories
- No need for wired devices
- Compatible with ESU ECoS, CabControl, PIKO SmartBox
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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.
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.
- Multi-throttle support
- Vintage-inspired controls
- Game controller integration
- Automatic command station discovery
- Turnout and route control
- Apple Watch support
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ThrottleCard at weekly against ECoS Cab's every 6 weeks. ThrottleCard also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.0). ECoS Cab's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. ECoS Cab sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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.
ThrottleCard holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of ECoS Cab's written reviews are positive against 50% of ThrottleCard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ECoS Cab ships an update every 6 weeks, ThrottleCard weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ECoS Cab | ThrottleCard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (5 ratings) | 4.3 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 11 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 124 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kostiantyn Kolesnik | Ryan Gant |
Customer experience
ECoS Cab
ThrottleCard
In-app purchases
ECoS Cab
- Cloud Sync, monthly$2.991 Month
- Client, monthly2 variants$12.991 Month
- Web Server, monthly2 variants$17.991 Month
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- Client, annually2 variants$99.991 Year
- Client, life-time2 variants$149.99
ThrottleCard
- ThrottleCard Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- ThrottleCard Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year








