Dock Watch vs Train Throttle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dock Watch
This app notifies drivers when a loading dock light turns green, allowing them to rest. It pairs with a portable device clipped to the light and tracks dock times for future planning.
- Instant green light notifications
- Tracks time to red and back to green
- Calculates total dock time
- Records dock times across the US
- Facilitates trip planning and bidding
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The Dock Watch app provides notification to the driver when the loading dock light has turned green, allowing the driver to get good rest while waiting to be loaded/unloaded. By harnessing the power of a smartphone or tablet, Dock Watch is the only system that gives the driver the peace of mind of knowing that they will be instantly notified as soon as the loading dock light turns green. Simply download the free app and pair it to the portable Dock Watch device that the driver will clip on to the loading dock light. This device is available for purchase on dockwatch.io. Clip the device on the loading dock light, activate/arm it and wait for notification that the light has turned green. The app also keeps track of how long it took for the light to turn red, how long it took for the light to turn back to green from red and the total time the driver is in the dock from activation to green light. The Dock Watch system keeps track of dock times all over the US where the device has been used and this information will be used in the future to allow drivers/companies to look up average wait times at facilities and in turn enable them to better plan their trips or bid the lane.
Train Throttle
Control your DCC model trains wirelessly from your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Manage multiple engines, set turnouts, and toggle routes. A free trial offers core functionality, with a subscription unlocking advanced features.
- Wireless DCC train control
- Control multiple engines/consists
- Set turnouts and toggle routes
- Free trial with core features
- Full feature subscription
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Train Throttle is a fully featured client for the JMRI WiThrottle server, which allows you to control your DCC equipped model trains using your mac (and a compatible WiThrottle server). You can control multiple engines or consists, set turnouts, toggle routes, and more. The free trial is unlimited! However, certain features are disabled, including: * Turnout control * Route control * Roster lists * Functions 13-68 * Some Customization features The use of this app is covered by Apple's EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ This app respects your privacy: https://drewhoffman.net/trainthrottle/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dock Watch at none against Train Throttle's 3. Dock Watch also leads on iOS requirement (14.1 vs 16.1). Train Throttle's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 27 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Train Throttle sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Dock Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Dock Watch against 5.0 for Train Throttle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.
Dock Watch ships an update every 27 months, Train Throttle every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 6, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dock Watch | Train Throttle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 27 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.1 — better | 16.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chad Herzog | Drew Hoffman |
Customer experience
Dock Watch
Train Throttle
In-app purchases
Dock Watch
No in-app purchases
Train Throttle
- Subscribe$1.991 Year
- Tip a Coffee$3.99
- Purchase$12.99









