HM | DCC vs Chirp Parent
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Chirp Parent
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NOTE: To avail of the full functionality of this app, you must have purchased a Chirp-enabled smartphone. This app alone does not provide protection for your child online. This is a control centre for the protective functions on a Chirp-enabled smartphone. When activated on a child's device, Chirp helps detect and block harmful online risks such as cyberbullying, grooming, and self-harm content in social media comments, messaging apps and browser searches. Parents are alerted in real-time through this app, if threats are identified.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Chirp Parent at none against HM | DCC's shown. Chirp Parent also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). HM | DCC's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HM | DCC ships an update every 4 months, Chirp Parent every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HM | DCC | Chirp Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.3 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hornby Hobbies Ltd | ChirpFamily |
In-app purchases
HM | DCC
No in-app purchases
Chirp Parent
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HM | DCC free?
Is Chirp Parent free?
Do HM | DCC or Chirp Parent have ads?
Which is updated more often, HM | DCC or Chirp Parent?
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