# Model Railways vs Idle Light Bulb

Model Railways and Idle Light Bulb both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of Idle Light Bulb's written reviews are positive against 24% of Model Railways's. Model Railways's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Model Railways sells 15 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Light Bulb sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Model Railways against 4.8 for Idle Light Bulb. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.4K and 3.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 24% of Model Railways's written reviews are positive against 82% of Idle Light Bulb's.

Model Railways ships an update every 2 weeks, Idle Light Bulb every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Model Railways | Idle Light Bulb |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/model-railways/id1660176890/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-light-bulb/id6449452892/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.4K | **3.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 24.3% of reviews | **81.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 444 MB | 221 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Linh Vu Pham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609539693) | [Solid Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625798412) |

## What reviewers say

### Model Railways

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/model-railways/id1660176890)

Build and expand your dream model railway system. Collect and merge trains to level up, earn money, and unlock new track layouts. Experience the joy of creating your own miniature world.

**Highlights:** Build model railway systems, Collect and merge trains, Level up trains, Earn in-game money, Unlock new layouts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engineer of Train | $0.99 | one-time |
| Engineer of Roller Coaster | $0.99 | one-time |
| Accountant of Train | $0.99 | one-time |
| Accountant of Roller Coaster | $0.99 | one-time |
| Money Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| CEO of Train | $1.99 | one-time |
| CEO of Roller Coaster | $1.99 | one-time |
| Super Deal of Train | $2.99 | one-time |
| Epic Deal of Roller Coaster | $2.99 | one-time |
| Super Deal of Roller Coaster | $2.99 | one-time |
| Epic Deal of Train | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Money Pack 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 6 | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game
- 🚀 Lovely game to play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lots of bugs
- 🔒 Ads not removed despite purchase
- 🐛 Unable to unlock third area/track
- 🐛 Rewards not granted after watching ads

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to unlock third area/track
- Rewards not granted after watching ads
- Inconsistent progression and maxed out trains
- Game crashes after unlocking second track

**Requested features**

- More levels/areas
- Fix bugs and issues
- Improve progression and unlock system


### Idle Light Bulb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-light-bulb/id6449452892)

Build and manage a light bulb production empire. Start with a single line, upgrade efficiency, and expand your operations. Hire managers to automate and grow your business into the world's largest.

**Highlights:** Produce light bulbs, Upgrade production lines, Transport and sell bulbs, Hire administrators, Expand company operations, Become a bulbs tycoon

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diamond Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Lite | $3.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Plus | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 4 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 5 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 6 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive game
- 💡 Unique concept with light bulbs
- 🚀 Fast progression for new players
- 🤩 Enjoyable gameplay experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive ads and pop-ups
- 🐛 Offline earnings not always credited
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to scroll up and purchase new lines
- Bulb upgrades not allowing players to sell
- Inconsistent performance and crashes

**Requested features**

- Improve offline earnings tracking
- Reduce frequency of ads
- Add more levels and content
- Implement save/restore progress feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Model Railways free?

Model Railways is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Idle Light Bulb free?

Idle Light Bulb is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Model Railways or Idle Light Bulb?

Idle Light Bulb is rated higher. Model Railways averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Idle Light Bulb averages 4.8 from 3.2K ratings.

### Do Model Railways or Idle Light Bulb have ads?

Both Model Railways and Idle Light Bulb show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Model Railways or Idle Light Bulb?

Model Railways ships an update every 2 weeks, and Idle Light Bulb every 3 months. Most recently, Model Railways was updated on October 20, 2026 and Idle Light Bulb on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*