Comparison

Model Boats vs Model Engineer

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

Head to head
About

Model Boats

Connect with a global community of model boat enthusiasts. Share your projects, learn new techniques, and discover local clubs and events. Access a wealth of tips and tricks through articles and community discussions.

Highlights
  • Global community forum
  • Photo and video sharing
  • Boat building blogs
  • Find local clubs and lakes
  • Event listings
  • Wiki with tips and tricks
  • Virtual boat harbor
Features
Read full description

Welcome all Model Boaters! Here you'll find thousands of members from all over the world. Become part of the international community, learning new tips and tricks, or sharing your own knowledge and know-how. Features: - Community: Thousands of members from around the world! - Forum: Ask & answer questions - Photo & Video Gallery: Upload photos and video clips to share with others - Boat Building Blogs: Share your build story or browse step by step builds from our community - Model Boat Clubs & Lakes: Find a lake or a club near you! - Events: What's going on and where? - Wiki: Free articles of top tips and tricks - Boat Harbour: Add your boats to the worldwide harbour - Featured & Hot Topics: Never miss anything! App brought to you by www.model-boats.com * We are not affiliated with the model boats magazine or marine modelling international. This app runs in parallel with the model boats website found @ www.model-boats.com It is provided free of charge around the world and does not require an account to view content. There are no in-app purchases. Found an error? Kindly let us know! modelboatswebsite@gmail.com Apps are not free. This app is privately funded and developed. Would you like to show your support? https://model-boats.com/membership

About

Model Engineer

Explore the world of mechanical models, from vintage steam locomotives to modern engineering marvels. Access constructional articles, technique guides, and prototype profiles. Published 26 times a year, this app offers current and back issues for purchase.

Highlights
  • Constructional articles
  • Technique and tool guides
  • Prototype profiles
  • Current and back issue purchases
  • Digital subscription options
  • Cross-platform access via pocketmags account
Features
Read full description

Model Engineer is a great way to stay informed of everything to do with working mechanical models. With over 100 years of experience to draw on, Model Engineer covers everything from classic steam locomotives to cutting-edge modern developments in scale engineering. Regular content includes constructional articles, features on the best techniques and tools available and profiles of full-size modelling subject prototypes. Model Engineer magazine publishes 26 great issues a year. ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest regular issue at the time of purchase. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

Screenshots

Model Boats4 screens
Model Engineer1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Model Boats at 5.0 against Model Engineer's 4.4. Model Boats also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 15) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 16 months). Model Engineer's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 16.2). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Model Engineer sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $22.99 per 3 months. Model Boats asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Model Boats holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Model Engineer has 12 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Model Boats's written reviews are positive against 50% of Model Engineer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Model Boats ships an update every 4 months, Model Engineer every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Model Boats versus Model Engineer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterModel BoatsModel Engineer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.4 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews44.4% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings112 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 16 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.211.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStephen EllisMortons Media Group Ltd

Customer experience

Model Boats

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral22.2%
Negative33.3%

Model Engineer

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Model Boats

No in-app purchases

15 purchases

Model Engineer

Subscriptions3
  • Model Engineer Auto-Renewable Subscriptions1 Month trial$22.993 Months
  • Model Engineer Auto-Renewable Subscriptions1 Month trial$44.996 Months
  • Model Engineer Auto-Renewable Subscriptions1 Month trial$51.991 Year
One-time12
  • Vol. 209 No. 4438 (id:377458)$3.99
  • 4528 (id:413119)$3.99
  • 4529 (id:413121)$3.99
Show 9 more
  • 4536 (id:413135)$3.99
  • 4540 (id:413143)$3.99
  • 4670 (id:493511)$3.99
  • 4527 (id:370106)$3.99
  • 4525 (id:379801)$3.99
  • No. 214 Vol. 4506 (id:403682)$3.99
  • 4582 (id:450649)$3.99
  • 25 Years of Mod... (id:799136)$6.99
  • The Best of Mod... (id:807404)$7.99

Questions

Is Model Boats free?
Model Boats is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Model Engineer free?
Model Engineer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Model Boats or Model Engineer?
Model Boats is rated higher. Model Boats averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Model Engineer averages 4.4 from 12 ratings.
Do Model Boats or Model Engineer have ads?
Neither Model Boats nor Model Engineer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Model Boats or Model Engineer?
Model Boats ships an update every 4 months, and Model Engineer every 16 months. Most recently, Model Boats was updated on September 14, 2026 and Model Engineer on September 4, 2026.

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