Model Inventory vs ECoS Cab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Model Inventory
This app helps model railroad enthusiasts organize their collections. Track locomotives, rolling stock, structures, and accessories with custom categories, purchase details, photos, and notes. It's ideal for managing your collection and for use at train shows.
- Track locomotives, rolling stock, structures, scenery, accessories
- Create custom categories
- Log purchase date and cost
- Store photos
- Add notes
- Useful for train shows and swap meets
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Easy-to-use inventory system for tracking your model railroad locomotives, rolling stock, structures, scenery and accessories. Create custom categories, log item purchase date and cost, store photos, and make notes. Perfect to take to train shows and swap meets.
ECoS Cab
Transform your mobile devices into wireless handheld controllers for your model railroad. Seamlessly manage trains, signals, and accessories across your layout without the hassle of wired connections. Requires a compatible command station connected to your network.
- Handheld model railroad controller
- Wireless network connection
- Control trains, signals, and accessories
- No need for wired devices
- Compatible with ESU ECoS, CabControl, PIKO SmartBox
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ECoS Cab is the number-one application that turns your devices into handheld controllers for your model railroad. With ECoS Cab, you can follow your trains around your layout without worrying about plugging and unplugging a wired device as you move. Using a wireless network connection and an ESU ECoS, ESU CabControl, PIKO SmartBox, or Central Station Reloaded command station connected to the network, ECoS Cab can run trains and control signals, turnouts, and other accessories configured in the command station.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ECoS Cab at 4.0 against Model Inventory's 3.1. ECoS Cab also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 24%). Model Inventory's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. ECoS Cab sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Model Inventory asks for nothing beyond the download.
ECoS Cab holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Model Inventory's written reviews are positive against 60% of ECoS Cab's.
Model Inventory ships an update every 4 weeks, ECoS Cab every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Model Inventory | ECoS Cab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (9 ratings) | 4.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Woodland Scenics | Kostiantyn Kolesnik |
Customer experience
Model Inventory
ECoS Cab
In-app purchases
Model Inventory
No in-app purchases
ECoS Cab
- Cloud Sync, monthly$2.991 Month
- Client, monthly2 variants$12.991 Month
- Web Server, monthly2 variants$17.991 Month
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- Client, annually2 variants$99.991 Year
- Client, life-time2 variants$149.99
Questions
Is Model Inventory free?
Is ECoS Cab free?
Which has better reviews, Model Inventory or ECoS Cab?
Do Model Inventory or ECoS Cab have ads?
Which is updated more often, Model Inventory or ECoS Cab?
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