Comparison

Central Station vs Link to Windows

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

Head to head
About

Central Station

Connect to a model train control system to view and share track layouts. Control locomotives, monitor signals, and see community-shared designs. No physical device is required to participate.

Highlights
  • View track layouts
  • Upload and share layouts
  • Browse community layouts
  • Control locomotives
  • Monitor signals and switches
  • Real-time updates
Features
Read full description

The definitive wireless controller for your Märklin Central Station 2 or 3. Take full command of your model railway from anywhere on your local network. Marklin CS Controller delivers a fluid, native experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV — no adapter, no laptop, no fuss. LOCOMOTIVE CONTROL • Circular speed gauge with warm-to-hot colour feedback • One-tap Stop, direction toggle, and preset speeds (Slow, Med, Fast, Full) • Live 24-function grid with Märklin-standard icons (light, sound, horn, smoke, pantograph, cab light …) • Real-time state sync with the CS3 — see speeds and functions change from any hand controller LAYOUT AND ACCESSORIES • Direct fetch of your CS3's full track diagram — turntables, three-way switches, signals, feedback modules — rendered in native quality • Tap accessories on the diagram to switch them instantly • Digital turntable control with 48-position dial ROUTES AND AUTOMATION • Build named sequences of switch, signal, speed and delay commands • Trigger routes on feedback contact events • Live view of CS3 automation state (running / stopped / auto-mode) MULTI-USER • Connect up to four PlayStation, Xbox or MFi game controllers • Multi-loco column view — drive 2 or 4 trains side-by-side on iPad or Mac • Full keyboard support: arrow keys for speed, D for direction, 1–9 for functions WEBCAM • Watch your layout live from a connected IP camera • MJPEG stream or JPEG snapshot mode, configurable per interval MORE • Full CS3 backup management — download or create backups directly • Automatic Central Station discovery on your LAN • Import your existing roster from lokomotive.cs2 • Statistics: paths completed, operating hours per locomotive • Split View, Stage Manager, multiple windows on Mac • Dark Mode adapts to your ambient lighting • Deep integration with CS2 and CS3 (v2.6 and above) Requires a Märklin Central Station 2 or 3 on the same network. No subscription. No account. No tracking.

About

Link to Windows

Seamlessly integrate your iPhone with your Windows PC. Access calls, messages, notifications, and contacts directly from your computer. Easily share files between devices for enhanced productivity.

Highlights
  • Make and receive calls
  • Manage phone notifications
  • Read and reply to text messages
  • View phone contacts
  • Share files between phone and PC
Read full description

You love your phone. So does your PC. Get instant access to everything you love on your phone, right from your PC. To get started, connect your iPhone with the Phone Link Feature on your Windows PC. Enjoy these Phone Link features on your PC: • Make and receive calls • Manage your phone's notifications • Read and reply to text messages • View your phone contacts • Share files between your phone and PC Phone Link for iOS requires iPhone running iOS 16 or higher, and a PC with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support running Windows 10 (with the May 2019 Update or later) or Windows 11. Not available for iPad (iPadOS) or MacOS. By installing this app, you agree to the Microsoft Terms of Use https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=246338 and Privacy Statement https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=248686

Screenshots

Central Station4 screens
Link to Windows4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Link to Windows at 56% against Central Station's 0%. Link to Windows also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (4.0 vs 1.0). Central Station's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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

Link to Windows is free to download; Central Station costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Link to Windows holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Link to Windows has 17K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Central Station's written reviews are positive against 56% of Link to Windows's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Central Station ships an update every 3 weeks, Link to Windows fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Central Station versus Link to Windows: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCentral StationLink to Windows
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating1.0 (2 ratings)4.0 (17K ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews56.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings217K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#17 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB103 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPosition Games LimitedMicrosoft Corporation

Customer experience

Central Station

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Link to Windows

All ratings16,577 ratings
Positive72.6%
Neutral9.4%
Negative18.0%
Written reviews4,690 reviews
Positive56.2%
Neutral13.9%
Negative29.9%

Bugs and requests

Central Station

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Link to Windows

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Bluetooth interference with other devices
  • Inability to reconnect after device is out of range

Requested features

4 requests
  • Seamless call handling between phone and PC
  • Full message history sync
  • Support for media sharing
  • Group messaging functionality

In-app purchases

None

Central Station

No in-app purchases

None

Link to Windows

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Central Station free?
Central Station costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Link to Windows free?
Link to Windows is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Central Station or Link to Windows?
Link to Windows is rated higher. Central Station averages 1.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Link to Windows averages 4.0 from 17K ratings.
Do Central Station or Link to Windows have ads?
Neither Central Station nor Link to Windows shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Central Station or Link to Windows?
Central Station ships an update every 3 weeks, and Link to Windows fortnightly. Most recently, Central Station was updated on October 27, 2026 and Link to Windows on October 29, 2026.

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