Comparison

RailControl Pro vs SmartControl wlan App

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

Head to head
About

RailControl Pro

Control your Märklin trains and accessories remotely from your iPhone or iPad. Manage locos, turnouts, signals, and events through a track diagram interface. Offers a free trial before subscription.

Highlights
  • Remote loco control
  • Turnout and signal switching
  • Track diagram interface
  • Accessory overview
  • Event management
  • Multi-window support on iPad
  • Game controller support
Features
Read full description

Drive your Märklin trains from your iPhone and iPad. RailControl Pro connects to your Märklin Central Station 2 or Central Station 3 over your home network, so you can control locos, turnouts, signals and events from anywhere around your layout. Try it free for one week. Connect in Seconds RailControl Pro finds the Central Station on your network automatically. Drive Your Locos Control speed, direction and functions with a touch, click, keystroke or even a game controller. Organize your locs in collections and keep your favorites within reach. Your Track Diagram, in Your Pocket Switch turnouts and signals straight from the track diagram of your CS2 or CS3. Drag to scroll, pinch to zoom. All Your Articles Turnouts, signals, turntables and other accessories in one clear overview. On CS3, filter them by track diagram zone. Start Events Start your events straight from RailControl Pro. Made for iPad Open multiple windows to keep your favorite locs side by side and the track diagram within reach, with full support for Stage Manager and keyboard shortcuts. Play Together Connect up to four game controllers and hand them out, so family and friends can drive along. Designed to Blend In Dark Mode and Liquid Glass make RailControl Pro feel right at home, whether you're in a dark train room or outside in the sun. Free Trial and Subscriptions Try RailControl Pro free for one week. After the trial, a yearly subscription is required: • Hobby: control up to 5 locs • Pro: unlimited locs and collections • Family Pro: Pro, shared with your Family Sharing group RailControl Pro requires a Märklin Central Station 2 or Central Station 3. Märklin and Central Station are trademarks of Gebr. Märklin & Cie GmbH, registered in the U.S. and other countries. RailControl Pro is not affiliated in any way with Gebr. Märklin & Cie GmbH. Privacy Policy: https://www.railcontrol.pro/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.railcontrol.pro/terms-of-use/

About

SmartControl wlan App

This application provides convenient settings for PIKO SmartControl wlan devices. It allows for the input and management of local data, accessories, and routes. The app also facilitates firmware updates and upgrades for the devices.

Highlights
  • Device settings management
  • Local data management
  • Accessory management
  • Route management
  • Firmware updates
  • Version upgrades
Features
Read full description

Die PIKO SmartControl wlan App dient den komfortablen Einstellmöglichkeiten der PIKO SmartControl wlan Geräte. Weiter können über die App alle Lokdatensätze, Zubehörartikel und Fahrstraßen eingegeben und verwaltet werden. Durch die App sind die Firmware Updates der PIKO SmartControl wlan Geräte sowie auch die Erweiterung der StartSet-Version auf die Vollversion bequem aufzuspielen.

Screenshots

RailControl Pro4 screens
SmartControl wlan App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RailControl Pro at 70% against SmartControl wlan App's 33%. RailControl Pro also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). SmartControl wlan App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 17.6). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RailControl Pro sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. SmartControl wlan App asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RailControl Pro ships an update fortnightly, SmartControl wlan App every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RailControl Pro versus SmartControl wlan App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRailControl ProSmartControl wlan App
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.612.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB95 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBoterhamPIKO Spielwaren GmbH

Customer experience

RailControl Pro

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative25.0%

SmartControl wlan App

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

RailControl Pro

Subscriptions3
  • Hobby7 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Pro7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Family Pro7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

SmartControl wlan App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RailControl Pro free?
RailControl Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SmartControl wlan App free?
SmartControl wlan App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RailControl Pro or SmartControl wlan App have ads?
Neither RailControl Pro nor SmartControl wlan App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RailControl Pro or SmartControl wlan App?
RailControl Pro ships an update fortnightly, and SmartControl wlan App every 6 months. Most recently, RailControl Pro was updated on November 3, 2026 and SmartControl wlan App on November 4, 2026.

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