Bucephalas vs TrainLCD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bucephalas
This navigation app offers unique destination suggestions and acts as a cycle computer. It parrots your actions verbally and provides voice-guided navigation with 3D sound. It also includes features for managing multiple bikes and their parts, and a photography assistant.
- Action-based verbal feedback
- Cycle computer functions
- Multiple bicycle management
- Voice-guided navigation
- 3D sound navigation
- Unique destination suggestion modes
- Magic Hour estimator
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【The full version of the Bucephalas series】 This is the full version of the Bucephalas series with the functionality restrictions removed. A FREE version of this app, Bucephalas Tabula rasa , is also available. You can experience the features of the full version in a real ride using Tabula rasa. 【Dialogue by parroting actions】 Bucephalas recognizes your actions and attempts to interact with you by verbally parroting them back to you. With a navigation app, you would turn right after the app indicates “right turn”. Bucephalus, on the other hand, will say “right turn" after you turn right. In addition, Bucephalus will also parrot back actions such as "stopped," "resume movement," "retreat," and "turned in the direction of the full moon. 【Functions as a cycle computer】 In designing Bucephalas, it is assumed that the bicycle would be the primary means of transportation. Therefore, it also has basic functions as a cycle computer. • Multiple bicycle management: Bucephalas can register multiple bicycles and record distance traveled and average speed by body. • Management of bicycle parts by distance traveled: To manage bicycle parts based on the distance traveled, the user can set up a dedicated total distance meter for specific bicycle parts such as tires and brake shoes. • Elevation and air pressure of the current location • Altitude gained, maximum altitude gained, and cumulative altitude gained starting from the coordinates of the app's startup • Voice-guided navigation to the destination • 3D sound (stereophonic sound) provides direction to the destination. 【Suggestion of destinations on two spatial scales】 (1) Global Journey = Unknotting Mode The intersection of a grid of latitude and longitude lines drawn every 1/60th of a degree is called a knot. There are 233,258,402 knots on the entire globe. The objective of Unknotting mode is to reach a circle with a radius of 50 meters centered on the knot. (2) City-Scale Travel = Dispelling Mode Scaling down the grid of Unknotting to 1/60, the objective is to explore a city from corner to corner. For those who wish to explore the city in even more detail, a movement logging function called Rectangular footprint is provided. 【Destination suggestion method that does not assume a spatial scale】 Mirages are a series of randomly generated coordinates. A Mirage initially appears at a distance of about 1 km from your location, but disappear when you attempt to approach within 25 meters, and then move to another location about 1 km away. The Mirage's coordinates are randomly generated, so there is no way to predict where it will lead you. You can switch between two mirages (Fata Morgana and Ignis fatuus) (e.g., use one as main and the other as sub). 【As a photography assistant】 Bucephalas is equipped with a Magic Hour estimator to assist with photography while traveling. Magic Hour is the time of day when the sun is at an altitude close to the horizon and is known to produce impressive lighting conditions. • The start time of the magic hour (blue hour and golden hour) at the current location • Moon and sun direction from the current location • Start time of nautical and astronomical twilight • Calculation of the direction of the sun and moon at a specific coordinate, date, and time 【Warning】 Many of the destinations suggested by the application include those that are difficult or dangerous to approach. Please do not approach those knots by force. This app uses GPS even in the background; continuous use of GPS will rapidly drain the iPhone battery. 【Integration with the Health App】 This app will attempt to obtain your body mass data from Health app. The data obtained are used to convert the amount of your physical activity represented in METs•Hour into calories burned. Also, physical activity recorded in this app can be exported to Health app.
TrainLCD
This navigation app brings the experience of in-train displays to your smartphone. It shows your current location and the next upcoming station, enhancing your train journeys. Make your daily commute more engaging and enjoyable with this unique travel companion.
- In-train display simulation
- Current location display
- Next station information
- Enhanced train travel experience
- Commute enjoyment
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“Make your train rides a little more enjoyable.” TrainLCD lets you experience in-train displays right on your phone. It shows your current location and the next station, making it a perfect travel companion. Even your everyday commute can feel a bit more fun.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TrainLCD at Free against Bucephalas's $5.99. TrainLCD also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Bucephalas's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 70%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
TrainLCD is free to download; Bucephalas costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bucephalas ships an update every 3 weeks, TrainLCD weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bucephalas | TrainLCD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 70.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Junichiro Seyama | Tsubasa SEKIGUCHI |
Customer experience
Bucephalas
TrainLCD
In-app purchases
Bucephalas
No in-app purchases
TrainLCD
No in-app purchases









