Comparison

18XXc vs BoardGameRef

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

Head to head
About

18XXc

This app assists players of 18XX board games by providing specialized calculators for fundraising, routes, and game results. It supports a vast number of 18XX games and includes a game editor for unsupported titles.

Highlights
  • Fundraising calculator
  • Route calculator
  • Result calculator
  • Game editor
  • Supports numerous 18XX games
  • Upload results to BoardGameGeek
Features
Read full description

An 18XX calculator to help with playing 18XX board games. The app is 100% free (no functionality locked behind IAP). Currently it comes with build in support for the following games: - 1817 - 1822: The Railways of Great Britain - 1822CA - 1822MX - 1822PNW - 1824: Austrian-Hungarian Railway - 1830: Railways & Robber Barons - 1832: The South - 1835 - 1840: Vienna Tramways - 1844: Schweiz - 1846: The Race for the Midwest - 1848: Australia - 1849: The Game of Sicilian Railways - 1854 - 1860: Railways of Isle of Wight - 1861: The Railways of the Russian Empire - 1862: Railway Mania in the Eastern Counties - 1867: The Railways of Canada - 1880: China - 1882: Assiniboia - 1888 - N - 1889: History of Shikoku Railways - 1899 DAIHAN - 18Chesapeake - 19Cuba - 18CZ - 18DO: Dortmund - 18EU - 18Espania - 18FL - 18GA - 18GB: The Railways of Great Britain - 18 Hiawatha - 18IN: Railways Across Indiana - 18Ireland - 18Korea - 18MEX - 18 Milwaukee - 18MS: The Railroads Come to Mississippi - 18NewEngland - 18NY - 18RoyalGorge - 18SJ: Railways of the Frozen North - 18Texas - 18USA - 18West: Rails to the Pacific - 21Moon - Harzbahn 1873 - The Hiawathas - Railways of the Lost Atlas It comes with the following calculators: - Fund raising calculator for floating companies and funding emergency train purchases (including loans). - Route calculator that supports multiple routes, route bonuses, stock jumps, and partial payout calculations. - Result calculator that includes uploading result to BoardGameGeek.com and sharing it over other media. It also supports managing OR payouts for players between stock rounds. Comes with a game editor if the game you are playing is not supported by default. If you have any questions the best place to contact me is on Bluesky (see the About screen in the app).

About

BoardGameRef

Quickly find reliable rule clarifications for board games. Get clear answers for setup, turns, actions, and edge cases to keep your game night flowing smoothly. Features include instant Q&A, conversation history, and feedback tools.

Highlights
  • Instant rule Q&A
  • Clear edge case explanations
  • Conversation history
  • Feedback tools for answer improvement
  • Focus on real gameplay scenarios
Read full description

BoardGameRef gives you fast, reliable rule clarifications for your favorite board games. Ask about setup, turns, actions, timing windows, edge cases, and scoring, and get clear answers designed for real gameplay. Whether you’re teaching a new game, resolving a mid-game dispute, or double-checking a tricky interaction, BoardGameRef helps your table move forward quickly and confidently. Key features: 1. Instant rule Q&A in a clean chat interface 2. Clear explanations for edge cases and ambiguous situations 3. Conversation history to revisit prior rulings 4. Built-in feedback tools to improve answer quality over time Stop flipping through rulebooks and keep game night flowing.

Screenshots

18XXc4 screens
BoardGameRef3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BoardGameRef at none against 18XXc's 4. BoardGameRef also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). 18XXc's advantage is ratings volume (17 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and monetization model 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. 18XXc sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. BoardGameRef asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for 18XXc against 5.0 for BoardGameRef. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18XXc has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

18XXc ships an update monthly, BoardGameRef every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
18XXc versus BoardGameRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter18XXcBoardGameRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (17 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings17 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMagnus Orn GylfasonHaocheng Bai

In-app purchases

4 purchases

18XXc

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription$4.991 Year
  • Monthly subscription$9.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Yearly subscription$9.991 Year
None

BoardGameRef

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 18XXc free?
18XXc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BoardGameRef free?
BoardGameRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 18XXc or BoardGameRef?
BoardGameRef is rated higher. 18XXc averages 4.9 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while BoardGameRef averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do 18XXc or BoardGameRef have ads?
Neither 18XXc nor BoardGameRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 18XXc or BoardGameRef?
18XXc ships an update monthly, and BoardGameRef every 3 days. Most recently, 18XXc was updated on November 3, 2026 and BoardGameRef on October 31, 2026.

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