# WiThrottle Lite vs Lionel iCab

The clearest difference is review sentiment: WiThrottle Lite at 78% against Lionel iCab's 30%. WiThrottle Lite also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.3). Lionel iCab's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 11.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

WiThrottle Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of WiThrottle Lite's written reviews are positive against 30% of Lionel iCab's.

WiThrottle Lite ships an update every 3 months, Lionel iCab every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WiThrottle Lite | Lionel iCab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/withrottle-lite/id344190130/reviews)** | [3.3 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lionel-icab/id920612683/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| 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 Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/withrottle-lite/id344190130)

Control your model railroad trains wirelessly from your mobile device. This app acts as a throttle, connecting to JMRI software or specific hardware modules for seamless operation. Enjoy basic DCC throttle functions, speed and direction control, and function access.

**Highlights:** Wireless DCC throttle, Speed and direction control, F0 - F68 function control, Acquire addresses wirelessly, Adjust throttle slider sensitivity, Automatic networking, Flashlight feature

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Lite free?

WiThrottle Lite is free to download, 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 Lite or Lionel iCab?

WiThrottle Lite is rated higher. WiThrottle Lite averages 4.4 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Lionel iCab averages 3.3 from 18 ratings.

### Do WiThrottle Lite or Lionel iCab have ads?

Neither WiThrottle Lite nor Lionel iCab shows ads.

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

WiThrottle Lite ships an update every 3 months, and Lionel iCab every 4 months. Most recently, WiThrottle Lite was updated on October 21, 2026 and Lionel iCab on October 16, 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.*