# WiThrottle vs Lionel iCab

The clearest difference is review sentiment: WiThrottle at 83% against Lionel iCab's 30%. WiThrottle also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.3) and chart position (#177 vs unranked). Lionel iCab's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 11.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Lionel iCab is free to download; WiThrottle costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

WiThrottle holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 40 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of WiThrottle's written reviews are positive against 30% of Lionel iCab's.

WiThrottle ships an update every 2 months, Lionel iCab every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WiThrottle | Lionel iCab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/withrottle/id344172578/reviews)** | [3.3 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lionel-icab/id920612683/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **40** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | **83.1% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#177** | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | **7.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beth Hoffman](https://appshunter.io/developer/344172581) | [Lionel, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/616773170) |

## What reviewers say

### WiThrottle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/withrottle/id344172578)

**Currently charting:** #177 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Control your model railroad trains wirelessly using your mobile device. This app connects to JMRI software or specific hardware modules for comprehensive throttle, address, and function management.

**Highlights:** Wireless throttle control, JMRI integration, Function controls F0-F68, Control routes & turnouts, Import roster & function labels, Acquire & dispatch addresses

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Works great with JMRI
- 📱 Controls trains wirelessly
- 💡 Excellent value for money
- 🔧 Great customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connection drops when backgrounded
- 🐛 JMRI connection issues
- 🐛 Some features not working
- 🐛 UI could be improved
- 🐛 Limited on iPhone vs iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Power ON/OFF broken
- Horn gets stuck on with DCC-EX
- Minor glitchy unresponsive throttle slider
- App would not connect to JMRI 5.2
- Connection to JMRI server drops when app goes to background

**Requested features**

- Support for DCC-EX
- Night mode and dark mode
- Turnout/Points control in main UI
- Routes support with MRC Wi-Fi module
- Customizable features like Android app


### Lionel iCab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lionel-icab/id920612683)

Control Lionel TMCC and LEGACY engines, accessories, and trains from your iPhone or iPod Touch. Features include extended locomotive control, speed graphs, and accessory management.

**Highlights:** Control TMCC and LEGACY engines, Accessory and train operation, Extended Legacy locomotive controls, Speed graph with target/actual speed, Quilling Whistle feature, Train Builder for unified operation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WiThrottle free?

WiThrottle costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lionel iCab free?

Lionel iCab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, WiThrottle or Lionel iCab?

WiThrottle is rated higher. WiThrottle averages 4.3 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Lionel iCab averages 3.3 from 19 ratings.

### Do WiThrottle or Lionel iCab have ads?

Neither WiThrottle nor Lionel iCab shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WiThrottle or Lionel iCab?

WiThrottle ships an update every 2 months, and Lionel iCab every 4 months. Most recently, WiThrottle was updated on October 23, 2026 and Lionel iCab on October 24, 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.*