Model Inventory vs DCC
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.
DCC
Transform your devices into powerful controllers for your DCC-EX command station. Manage locomotives, control track elements, and access diagnostic tools. Supports various input methods for a customized experience.
- Locomotive control (speed, direction, functions)
- Roster and inventory management
- Turnout and output control
- Route and automation activation
- CV reading and writing
- Diagnostics and station display mirror
- Bluetooth, gamepad, and keyboard support
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DCC-EX Cab is the number one application that turns your devices into controllers for your DCC-EX command station. • Drive locomotives: speed, direction, functions, emergency stop • Manage your roster, inventory, and consists • Pick locomotive and rolling stock pictures from the built-in and shared catalogs or use your own • Control turnouts, turntables, outputs, and sensors • Start routes and automations • Set the mode and power of each track • Read and write CVs on the programming track or on the main • Many tools for setting up and testing locomotives and layout hardware • Diagnostics and a mirror of the station's display • Use Bluetooth controllers, gamepads, or a keyboard, with your own button assignments
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Model Inventory at 3.1 against DCC's 2.3. Model Inventory also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). DCC's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 24%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. DCC sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Model Inventory asks for nothing beyond the download.
Model Inventory holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Model Inventory's written reviews are positive against 50% of DCC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Model Inventory ships an update every 4 weeks, DCC every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Model Inventory | DCC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (9 ratings) — better | 2.3 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 125 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Woodland Scenics | Kostiantyn Kolesnik |
Customer experience
Model Inventory
DCC
In-app purchases
Model Inventory
No in-app purchases
DCC
- Images database, monthly$1.991 Month
- Cloud services, monthly$1.991 Month
- Basic control, monthly$2.991 Month
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- Premium control, monthly$6.991 Month
- Basic control, annually$24.991 Year
- Premium control, annually$55.991 Year
- Basic control, life-time$49.99
- Premium control, life-time$119.99
