Comparison

Train Empire vs Sid Meier’s Railroads!

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

Head to head
About

Train Empire

Build and manage a sprawling train empire across different historical eras. Pick up and drop off passengers and cargo to earn credits, unlock new engines and cars, and progress through challenging levels. Experience unique soundtracks and detailed map scenes as you master the rails.

Highlights
  • Manage train empire across four historical eras
  • Pick up and drop off passengers and cargo
  • Unlock new engines and train cars
  • 21 engines, 25 freight cars, 20 passenger cars
  • Unique soundtracks for each era
  • 20 illustrated map scenes
  • Game Center integration with leaderboards
Features
Read full description

From the makers of Build A Train (downloaded by millions of train lovers worldwide) comes an epic adventure: Train Empire! Master the rails and grow your train empire across time periods: 1850-1900, 1900-1950, 1950-2000 and 2000-2050. Your mission is to pick up and drop off passengers and cargo. Complete your mission on each level and you'll earn credits to unlock faster, stronger engines or new train cars with added capacity for cargo or passengers. But be quick! You'll have to guide your train wisely to deliver everything you need to unlock new levels. Features include: • 21 engines, 25 freight cars and 20 passenger cars • Four eras of train fun, each with unique soundtracks • 20 illustrated map scenes • zoom mode that moves the scene with your train • night mode at the end of each level • tutorial mode on the first level of the game to assist beginners • Game Center integration with leaderboards and achievements All aboard!

About

Sid Meier’s Railroads!

Become a railroad tycoon by building and managing intricate railway networks. Optimize routes, transport goods and passengers, and grow your profits through shrewd business decisions and innovation. Compete with historical figures to become the greatest rail baron.

Highlights
  • Lay tracks and design routes
  • Transport freight and passengers
  • Acquire patents and trade stocks
  • Build or buy industries
  • Compete with historical figures
  • Collect 40 famous trains
  • Train Table Mode for creative building
Read full description

Become history’s greatest rail baron in Sid Meier’s Railroads!, a classic of the tycoon genre now available for iPhone and iPad. In this captivating mix of model train set and railway management simulator, lay tracks and optimise routes to establish lucrative networks of cities and industries, transporting passengers, raw materials and goods across continents. Grow profits through efficiency, innovation, and shrewd business decisions as you acquire valuable patents, trade stocks, and build or buy industries. Compete with world leaders and industrial titans to achieve the ultimate goal — becoming the greatest railroad tycoon of the age! === TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Lay the foundations of your railroad empire during the Gold Rush, then unlock the full game for more maps, trains, and 16 charming scenarios spanning the golden age of rail. CREATE AN EMPIRE OF THE RAILS Carefully lay tracks and design routes to transport freight and passengers, refining and improving operations until your railroad runs like clockwork. STEAM ACROSS 16 CHALLENGING SCENARIOS Test your entrepreneurial mettle in a mix of historical and fictional scenarios, each with a distinctive map and unique objectives. Establish the first passenger line in 1830s Great Britain, stitch together the American West during the Gold Rush, or help Santa with the Christmas rush at the North Pole! COMPETE WITH HISTORY’S BEST Take on world leaders and captains of industry. Grow your business by acquiring industries and railroad-revolutionising patents, or play the stock market and buy out the competition. BRING 40 FAMOUS TRAINS TO LIFE Play with historically important engines from early steam locomotives like Stephenson’s Planet, to the high-speed French TGV, and many iterations and innovations in between. BUILD THE MODEL RAILROAD OF YOUR DREAMS Take the pressure off in Train Table Mode. No competition, time limits, or financial constraints — just all you need to create a railroad that’s as fun to watch as it is satisfying to build. === We recommend playing Sid Meier's Railroads! on iOS 15.5 or later. You need 1.7GB of free space on your device, though we recommend at least double this to avoid initial installation issues. Supported iPhones: • iPhone 6S / 6S Plus and later • Any iPhone SE • iPod Touch (7th generation, 2019) Supported iPads: • iPad mini (5th generation, 2019) and later • iPad Air (3rd generation, 2019) and later • iPad (5th generation, 2017) and later • Any iPad Pro • If you require assistance, please contact our support team at support@feralinteractive.com © 2006-2024 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Originally developed by Firaxis Games. Sid Meier’s Railroads!, Firaxis Games, 2K, Take-Two Interactive Software and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Developed for and published on iOS by Feral Interactive. iOS and the iOS logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Feral and the Feral logo are trademarks of Feral Interactive Ltd. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Train Empire4 screens
Sid Meier’s Railroads!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sid Meier’s Railroads! at Free against Train Empire's $1.99. Sid Meier’s Railroads! also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 60 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Train Empire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.5). On 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

Sid Meier’s Railroads! is free to download; Train Empire costs $1.99 up front. Sid Meier’s Railroads! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Train Empire asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sid Meier’s Railroads! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sid Meier’s Railroads! has 1.3K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Train Empire's written reviews are positive against 59% of Sid Meier’s Railroads!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Train Empire ships an update every 60 months, Sid Meier’s Railroads! every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Train Empire versus Sid Meier’s Railroads!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrain EmpireSid Meier’s Railroads!
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (59 ratings)4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews59.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings591.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 60 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB1.6 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPlaytend Apps LLPFeral Interactive Ltd

Customer experience

Train Empire

All ratings59 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral10.2%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%

Sid Meier’s Railroads!

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews187 reviews
Positive59.4%
Neutral16.0%
Negative24.6%

Bugs and requests

Train Empire

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Sid Meier’s Railroads!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Disappearing tracks
  • Routing issues and inability to connect stations
  • Map freezing and becoming unresponsive

Requested features

5 requests
  • Larger maps
  • More scenarios and campaigns
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Ability to buy/sell shares
  • More train and engine variety

In-app purchases

None

Train Empire

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Sid Meier’s Railroads!

One-time1
  • Full Game Unlock$12.99

Questions

Is Train Empire free?
Train Empire costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sid Meier’s Railroads! free?
Sid Meier’s Railroads! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Train Empire or Sid Meier’s Railroads!?
Sid Meier’s Railroads! is rated higher. Train Empire averages 4.3 out of 5 from 59 ratings, while Sid Meier’s Railroads! averages 4.7 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Train Empire or Sid Meier’s Railroads! have ads?
Neither Train Empire nor Sid Meier’s Railroads! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Train Empire or Sid Meier’s Railroads!?
Train Empire ships an update every 60 months, and Sid Meier’s Railroads! every 5 months. Most recently, Train Empire was updated on October 10, 2026 and Sid Meier’s Railroads! on October 18, 2026.

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