Verv vs Train Throttle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Verv
This app helps you reduce energy bills and carbon footprint by making your home smart. It works with smart plug hardware to analyze electricity usage from your meter, providing real-time costs and insights into appliance consumption.
- Appliance energy usage analysis
- Real-time electricity costs
- Usage breakdown by day, week, month
- Quick appliance recognition
- Smart plug hardware integration
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Verv is dedicated to reducing your energy bills, minimizing your carbon footprint, and looking after your home by making it truly smart. The free Verv app is designed to work alongside Verv’s smart plug hardware that analyses the energy data from your electricity meter. App features include: • Quick appliance recognition for instant updates on your electricity usage when you open the app • Real-time electricity costs for your individual appliances • Insights into your appliance usage broken down by day, week, and month
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 iPhone or iPad 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 review sentiment: Train Throttle at 100% against Verv's 50%. Train Throttle also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Verv's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ratings volume, 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. Train Throttle sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Verv asks for nothing beyond the download.
Train Throttle holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Verv's written reviews are positive against 100% of Train Throttle's.
Verv ships an update every 6 months, Train Throttle every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Verv | Train Throttle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Verv | Drew Hoffman |
Customer experience
Verv
Train Throttle
In-app purchases
Verv
No in-app purchases
Train Throttle
- Subscribe$1.991 Year
- Tip a Coffee$3.99
- Purchase$12.99
