Central Station vs Link to Windows
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- View track layouts
- Upload and share layouts
- Browse community layouts
- Control locomotives
- Monitor signals and switches
- Real-time updates
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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.
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.
- Make and receive calls
- Manage phone notifications
- Read and reply to text messages
- View phone contacts
- Share files between phone and PC
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Central Station | Link to Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 1.0 (2 ratings) | 4.0 (17K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 56.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 17K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #17 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 103 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Position Games Limited | Microsoft Corporation |
Customer experience
Central Station
Link to Windows
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
Central Station
No in-app purchases
Link to Windows
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Central Station free?
Is Link to Windows free?
Which has better reviews, Central Station or Link to Windows?
Do Central Station or Link to Windows have ads?
Which is updated more often, Central Station or Link to Windows?
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