Comparison

HM | DCC vs Elite Services Driver App

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

Head to head
About

HM | DCC

Control your model railway system wirelessly with this app. Build your locomotive library, customize their settings, and design your dream layout with untethered control over points, signals, and turntables. Enjoy free sound profiles and upgrade existing systems.

Highlights
  • Wireless model railway control
  • Locomotive customization
  • On-the-fly setting adjustments
  • Layout design tool
  • Controllable points, signals, turntables
  • Free locomotive sound profiles
  • Bluetooth® device linking
Read full description

The official app for setting up and controlling your HM7000 range of products. HM | DCC is the new model railway control system that makes it simple to build your library of locomotives and have ultimate control over them in the palm of your hand. Customise your locomotives with images, tinker, tailor & test settings on the fly to perfect your locomotive’s running style. Design your dream layout and manoeuvre locomotives through controllable points, signals, and turntables with untethered control. Easily set up your system. Log in*, link up your Bluetooth® HM devices, power-cycle and away you go. Control your system free of wires. Complete wireless & untethered control of your layout. Upgrade previous systems without ripping out installed controllers and components. Personalise your locomotives. Fill your engine shed with your fleet of locomotives, choose the perfect photo, and programme their settings to see locomotive running styles change instantaneously. Enjoy completely FREE locomotive sound profiles. Connect your HM7000-TXS decoders to HM | DCC and relish a plethora of class locomotive sounds for download. Keep up to date with the latest releases and get more locomotive sound profiles to play with on the day of release. Design your dream layout. Use the in-built Track Builder to draw up and design the perfect layout. Then, export a list easily to know what you need to build it. Everyone’s included. Functions with OO, TT and N scale gauges. Upgrade your previous DCC products to work with HM | DCC. Upgrade “DCC ready” locomotives to HM | DCC app control with HM7000 decoders. Control locomotives fitted with non-Bluetooth® and HM7000 Bluetooth® decoders in parallel. Explore the different ways you can upgrade via the Hornby.com website. *Please note: A Hornby.com account is required for HM | DCC app use. This can be easily created from the Hornby.com website. Internet access is required for device reset, profile download, hardware updates, app updates and app login. Disclaimer: Please ensure that your device is fully compatible with both the HM | DCC app and the HM7000 range of products prior to any purchase. Devices older than 5 years may work but cannot be recommended for control. If unsure, please visit the Hornby.com website or contact Hornby Hobbies customer care.

About

Elite Services Driver App

Features
Read full description

Elite Services Driver App is an application to be able to do routes and to be able to track the bus so that parents can check the location of the bus in their apps. With this app the drivers can: - start route - Track the bus - Load/unload players from the bus - Upload dormant bus students users with ACAR - Register students with NFC, QR or manually - Report incidents or emergencies - And much more!

Screenshots

HM | DCC4 screens
Elite Services Driver App3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Elite Services Driver App at none against HM | DCC's shown. HM | DCC's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HM | DCC ships an update every 4 months, Elite Services Driver App every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HM | DCC versus Elite Services Driver App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHM | DCCElite Services Driver App
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews56.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 10 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB97 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHornby Hobbies LtdElitAd Internet Limited

In-app purchases

None

HM | DCC

No in-app purchases

None

Elite Services Driver App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HM | DCC free?
HM | DCC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Elite Services Driver App free?
Elite Services Driver App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HM | DCC or Elite Services Driver App have ads?
HM | DCC shows ads; Elite Services Driver App does not.
Which is updated more often, HM | DCC or Elite Services Driver App?
HM | DCC ships an update every 4 months, and Elite Services Driver App every 10 months. Most recently, HM | DCC was updated on June 10, 2026 and Elite Services Driver App on September 12, 2026.

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