Comparison

Train Maker vs Train Simulator

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

Head to head
About

Train Maker

Design and assemble your own unique trains by combining various carriages. Watch your creations travel through diverse landscapes, tunnels, and crossings, experiencing the journey with vibration feedback. Collect new trains and explore different camera angles for an immersive railway adventure.

Highlights
  • Freely combine train carriages
  • Eight diverse stages to travel through
  • Switchable camera views
  • Adjustable train speed and stopping
  • Earn track miles and use train roulette for new trains
  • Train collection and organization
Features
Read full description

Create your own trains by freely uniting the carriages of bullet trains and regular trains in any way you want! The trains you create will travel through tunnels and railway crossings. You can experience the bumpy experience with the vibration feature once your train gets going. This is the perfect game app for anyone who loves trains. User feedback "It's really cool that so many trains are united with the rail yard!" "It's so fun to unite the white bullet train with the yellow bullet train!" "It's exciting to see the carriages of the united bullet trains moving up slopes!" Features of this app *You are free to unite your own choice of "leading carriages," "middle carriages," and "tail carriages" of bullet trains and trains. *You can choose from eight different stages that your train will travel through: "a mountain and a tunnel", "lots of railway crossings", "a big river and a railway bridge", "highway route","Japanese scenery","Jet coaster","Inbound and outbound" and "Pass through many". *You can switch between camera views and watch your running train from your favorite angle. *You can use the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons to change the speed of your train or stop it. *You can get new trains by accumulating "track miles," which you earn according to the distance you have traveled, and by turning the train roulette. How to play 1. The game begins at the rail yard. First, tap the "Create" button to create your train. 2. After selecting your first train, tap the "+" button to select the next train. 3. You can tap the "-" button to remove carriages. 4. When you are done, tap the "Finish" button in the top right corner to return to the rail yard. The train you have created will be shown at the top. 5. Tap the "GO" button on the right and select your preferred stage in the stage selection screen. 6. On the play screen, you can adjust the speed of your train using the bottom left button, change the camera distance with the bottom right button, focus the camera on your choice of carriage using the top right button, and freely adjust the camera position by dragging the area outside of the train. Give it a go and find the coolest angle! 7. You can tap and hold to stop the camera. It is also exciting to wait for a passing train to come back. 8.Tap the arrow button on the upper left to return to the railroad yard from the play screen. You can then check how many "Track miles" you've earned for the distance you've traveled. 9.100 Track Miles lets you play Train Roulette one time. You can link up the trains you win in Train Roulette to have more fun. 10.Check your Train Collection to see the trains you've collected so far. (You can check your Train Collection from the rail yard screen.) 11. You can tap the "Organizing" button at the rail yard to change the order of trains or delete trains that you do not want. 12. From the Settings button on the title screen, you can also toggle settings such as music, sound effects, image quality, vocal effects, and vibration mode.

About

Train Simulator

Become a train driver in this 2D simulator, delivering cargo and revitalizing regional economies. Upgrade your locomotives, manage infrastructure, and explore diverse landscapes. Experience realistic train gameplay with dynamic weather.

Highlights
  • Cargo delivery and economic management
  • Train upgrades and modifications
  • Diverse game world exploration
  • Realistic train simulation gameplay
  • Dynamic weather conditions
  • Challenging tasks and contracts
Features
Read full description

In-game regional economies are in poor condition, transport systems are suffering losses, enterprises and factories are idle, and the transport network is not properly maintained. Are you ready to change the situation? Download the 2D train simulator game and put on the shoes of a real train driver! Play Train Simulator and deliver various cargoes from agricultural products and building materials to goods for light and heavy industry. In this train sim, you should meet the heads of railroads, improve relations between the train stations and develop the economic potential of entire regions! You have an impressive list of trains at your disposal. All trains have been recreated from the real drawings. Start with an inconspicuous diesel locomotive, take orders & earn money to get new spare parts and equipment. Upgrade and modify train compositions to handle difficult orders and earn more money. Eventually, unlock the entire fleet of equipment up to the heaviest and most powerful locomotives of the 20th century! On your way, you’ll solve infrastructure problems in a wide variety of places such as deserts, cities, forests, swamps, mountains, and many other game locations. Why you’ll spend hours playing the railroad sim game: - Advanced train management - Deliberate upgrade system - Many challenging tasks - Expansive game world - Real train simulator gameplay - Beautiful 2D graphics & sound effects - Dynamic weather conditions Download Train Simulator for free and enjoy the realistic gameplay! Sign contracts, load wagons, choose a destination, start the engine, and go along the rails of luck!

Screenshots

Train Maker4 screens
Train Simulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Train Maker at none against Train Simulator's 14. Train Maker also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 66%). Train Simulator's advantage is ratings volume (5.2K vs 849). 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. Train Simulator sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Train Maker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Train Maker against 4.7 for Train Simulator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Train Simulator has 5.2K ratings behind it against 849, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Train Maker's written reviews are positive against 66% of Train Simulator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Train Maker ships an update every 3 months, Train Simulator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Train Maker versus Train Simulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrain MakerTrain Simulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (849 ratings)4.7 (5.2K ratings)
Positive reviews75.9% of reviews — better66.3% of reviews
Number of ratings8495.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size127 MB820 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermonois Inc.Azur Interactive Games Limited

Customer experience

Train Maker

All ratings849 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral11.5%
Negative12.6%

Train Simulator

All ratings5,201 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.5%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews175 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral10.9%
Negative22.9%

User reviews

Train Maker

From 849 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and enjoyable game
  • 🚀 Great gameplay experience
  • 💡 Lots of trains to play with

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 💡 Requests for more features and trains
  • 🔧 Need for improvements and updates

Train Simulator

From 5.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐️ Enjoyable and fun game
  • 🚂 Realistic train simulation
  • 👍 Good graphics and gameplay
  • 💯 Great for train enthusiasts

Room to improve

  • 🙄 Annoying ads
  • 🚧 Difficult hills and terrain
  • 🔧 Frequent need for repairs
  • 🤔 Limited train selection

Bugs and requests

Train Maker

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Trains switching order at the end of the line
  • Limited to 16 carriages per train
  • Restricted to 180-degree turns instead of 360 degrees

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more trains (Hikari RailStar, Avlo, Amtrak Acela, etc.)
  • Ability to create custom tracks and layouts
  • Add more camera views and driving modes
  • Implement sound effects and animations (horn, lights, doors, etc.)
  • Allow multiple trains on a single line

Train Simulator

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes on startup for some users
  • Inability to save progress or sync across devices
  • Glitches with train performance and handling

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more train types (steam, electric, etc.)
  • Implement passenger service
  • Improve hill climbing and traction
  • Reduce reliance on ads or provide ad-free option

In-app purchases

None

Train Maker

No in-app purchases

14 purchases

Train Simulator

One-time14
  • Engine Boost$0.99
  • Crew 4$1.99
  • Starter pack sale$2.99
Show 11 more
  • Starter Pack$3.99
  • ChME3 Sale$3.99
  • WDM2 Sale$5.99
  • ChME3 Locomotive$5.99
  • More gold boxes$7.99
  • WDM2 Locomotive$7.99
  • EMD SD70 Sale$7.99
  • More silver boxes$7.99
  • FD20 Sale$7.99
  • EMD SD70 Locomotive$9.99
  • FD20 Locomotive$10.99

Questions

Is Train Maker free?
Train Maker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Train Simulator free?
Train Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Train Maker or Train Simulator?
Train Maker and Train Simulator are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 849 and 5.2K ratings respectively.
Do Train Maker or Train Simulator have ads?
Both Train Maker and Train Simulator show ads.
Which is updated more often, Train Maker or Train Simulator?
Train Maker ships an update every 3 months, and Train Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, Train Maker was updated on September 21, 2026 and Train Simulator on September 24, 2026.

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