SrcpClient vs RailShelf
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SrcpClient
Control your model trains remotely with this mobile application. It supports multiple locomotives simultaneously and offers intuitive speed and function control. Connects to various control center protocols.
- Control up to 3 locomotives simultaneously
- Intuitive speed slider
- Access all locomotive functions via buttons
- Supports SRCP, Z21, and WiThrottle protocols
- iPad landscape view displays all 3 controllers
- iPhone view allows switching between controllers
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The SRCP Client is a mobile controller for model railways Features: - 3 locomotive controllers can be used in parallel - All 3 controllers visible on iPad landscape format - Speed controller via slider - Access to all functions via buttons Protocols: - SRCP including MFX extension - Z21 from Fleischmann / Roco - WiThrottle as used e.g. in JMRI or DCC++EX - DCC++EX The SRCP client for iOS can primarily connect to control centrals supporting the SCRP protocol. As a special feature, the SRCP client also supports the Z21 protocol and the WiThrottle protocol as used e.g. DCC++EX, even if these two protocols are not SRCP protocols. Up to 3 locomotives are currently supported at the same time. The app is primarily designed as a mobile locomotive controller. Speed and the functions of locomotives can be used. Only one controller at the dame time can be displayed on an iPhone, but it can be switched back and forth between the three controllers. All three controllers are displayed simultaneously on an iPad in landscape. More information at https://io-expert.com/srcpclientios
RailShelf
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Your whole fleet, one roster in your pocket. RailShelf catalogs a model train collection the way a railroader thinks: what runs, in which scale, wearing whose paint, wired for DCC or not, and what it is worth to you. Add an item in seconds, snap a photo, and the roster does the counting. What you get: - A catalog built for rolling stock: scale (with the real ratio and track gauge attached), road name and number, type from steam locomotive to caboose, manufacturer, era, and a condition grade from new in box to project piece. - DCC at a glance: mark each locomotive DC only, DCC ready, DCC fitted, or DCC sound, and watch the fleet's decoder share on the roster and in Stats. - Locomotive service notes: log wheel cleanings, lube, decoder installs, coupler swaps, repairs, and tune-ups per item. The workbench queue flags locomotives with no note in 180 days. - Layout project checklists that start real: four built-in build plans (4x8 starter layout, switching shelf, DCC conversion, club module) with phased tasks from planning to operations, plus your own tasks. - Wiring and scenery notes: a categorized notebook per project, so which wire went where and what the ground cover recipe was never fades. - A want list filed by manufacturer, with grail-to-someday priorities and your target prices totalled. Found one? One tap moves it onto the roster. - Paid vs value notes: log what you paid and what each piece is worth to you. RailShelf shows per-item deltas and fleet totals. Your own numbers, never scraped market prices. - Collection stats (Lifetime): fleet value, items by scale, top road names, fleet mix, DCC readiness, growth over time, and the workbench queue. - A shareable Roster Report PDF and a spreadsheet-ready CSV of every item (Lifetime). - A built-in scale and gauge guide: nine standard scales from G to Z plus common narrow gauge combinations, with real ratios and track gauges. - Syncs across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud. - Private by design: no account, no ads, no tracking, and a Delete All My Data control. Free and Lifetime: RailShelf is free for up to 20 roster items and 3 layout projects, with everything on the item itself: photos, DCC status, condition, money notes, service log, and the want list. A single one-time purchase, the Lifetime unlock ($14.99 USD), opens unlimited items and projects, the Stats room, and the report exports, for good. It is a one-time purchase, not a subscription, and it never renews. RailShelf is an independent app for cataloging a collection you already own. It fetches no market data and is not affiliated with any railroad or manufacturer.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SrcpClient at none against RailShelf's 1. SrcpClient also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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. RailShelf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SrcpClient asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | SrcpClient | RailShelf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Manuel Schreiner | InnovaLabWorks |
In-app purchases
SrcpClient
No in-app purchases
RailShelf
- RailShelf Lifetime$49.99
Questions
Is SrcpClient free?
Is RailShelf free?
Do SrcpClient or RailShelf have ads?
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