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 mobile devices into wireless controllers for your model railroad. Manage trains, signals, and accessories remotely without wired connections. Ideal for seamless operation around your layout.
- Handheld model railroad controller
- Wireless train operation
- Control signals and turnouts
- Accessory control
- Seamless layout movement
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DCC-EX Cab is an application that turns your devices into handheld controllers for your model railroad. With DCC-EX Cab you can follow your trains around your layout without having to worry about plugging and unplugging a wired device as you move along. Using a wireless network connection and a DCC-EX command station connected to the network, DCC-EX Cab can be used to run trains and for controlling signals, turnouts, and other accessories that are configured in the command station.
Screenshots
Verdict
Model Inventory and DCC both sit at 3.1 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of DCC's written reviews are positive against 24% of Model Inventory's. DCC also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks). Model Inventory's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Model Inventory asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.1 for Model Inventory against 3.0 for DCC. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 24% of Model Inventory's written reviews are positive against 100% of DCC's.
Model Inventory ships an update every 4 weeks, DCC every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Model Inventory | DCC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (9 ratings) — better | 3.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | 4 |
| 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 | 120 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
- Cloud services, monthly$2.991 Month
- Premium control, monthly$7.991 Month
- Ultimate, monthly$12.991 Month
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- Premium control, annually$39.991 Year
- Premium control, life-time$119.99
