Comparison

DCC vs ThrottleCard

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Handheld model railroad controller
  • Wireless train operation
  • Control signals and turnouts
  • Accessory control
  • Seamless layout movement
Features
Read full description

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.

About

ThrottleCard

Control your model railroad with this app featuring vintage-inspired controls and realistic animations. It supports multiple trains, game controllers, and offers advanced features like turnout and route control. A free version is available, with a premium subscription for enhanced functionality.

Highlights
  • Multi-throttle support
  • Vintage-inspired controls
  • Game controller integration
  • Automatic command station discovery
  • Turnout and route control
  • Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

All aboard! Take control of your model railroad with this elegantly designed app that brings vintage charm to modern model train control. Whether you're a seasoned engineer or just starting your journey in model railroading, ThrottleCard delivers powerful features wrapped in a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. Hear what the community is saying: "FINALLY! The BEST Model Railroad Mobile App for IPhone?" - DIY and Digital Railroad YouTube Channel KEY FEATURES: * Control multiple trains simultaneously with intuitive multi-throttle support * Beautiful vintage-inspired gauges and controls with realistic animations * Game Controller Support! Easily drive your Trains with a PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or MFi Game Controller with pre-mapped buttons * Landscape mode on iPhone is optimized for excellent compatibility with handheld MFi Game Controllers. * Easily create consists on the fly right from within the app * Automatic command station discovery * Comprehensive locomotive function control * Full turnout (switch) control * Routes Support * Fast Clock Support * Supports WiThrottle and DCC-EX Protocols * Roster with locomotive images * A variety of classic railroad inspired themes * Haptic Feedback for intuitive responsiveness and operation * Mirror-Mode mode for comfortable operation in either hand * Multiple classic railroad-inspired themes * iPad support * Apple Watch Support With many more exciting features in the roadmap! To use ThrottleCard, simply connect to any WiThrottle Protocol enabled command station including JMRI, DCC-EX, and various commercial offerings. ThrottleCard can be used for free without a subscription to control the speed, direction, and functions of a single locomotive at a time, throw turnouts, and change to any of the railroad inspired themes. Subscribe to Premium for $0.99/Month or $9.99/Year - 16% off - to unlock the ability to control multiple trains (cards), multiple locomotives in a consist, game controllers, routes, locomotive programming* and to support the future development of additional, exciting features! We’ll even give you a week free to try it out. ThrottleCard Watch will mirror the throttles you have setup on your phone and will allow for remote control of speed with the Digital Crown as well as light, horn, and bell control right from your wrist. For best results, change the "Return to Clock" settings for ThrottleCard watch to "After 1 Hour" by going to Settings (on watch or watch iOS app) > General > Return To Clock > ThrottleCard > Choose "Custom" > Choose "After 1 Hour" below. This will keep ThrottleCard open on your watch longer while it's in the foreground. We’re committed to making the best tools possible for the model railroad community and would love to hear your feedback on the features you’d like to see next. Get started with the latest in model railroading today! *DCC-EX Command Station is required for locomotive programming. The ‘WiThrottle protocol’ is a communications protocol developed by Brett Hoffman. ‘WiThrottle’ is a trademark owned by Brett Hoffman. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://throttlecard.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

DCC4 screens
ThrottleCard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DCC at 100% against ThrottleCard's 50%. DCC also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). ThrottleCard's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. DCC sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ThrottleCard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ThrottleCard holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of DCC's written reviews are positive against 50% of ThrottleCard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DCC ships an update every 2 weeks, ThrottleCard weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 13, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
DCC versus ThrottleCard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDCCThrottleCard
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (4 ratings)4.3 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings411 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size120 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKostiantyn KolesnikRyan Gant

Customer experience

DCC

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ThrottleCard

All ratings11 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral18.2%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

DCC

Subscriptions4
  • Cloud services, monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium control, monthly$7.991 Month
  • Ultimate, monthly$12.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Premium control, annually$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium control, life-time$119.99
2 purchases

ThrottleCard

Subscriptions2
  • ThrottleCard Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • ThrottleCard Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is DCC free?
DCC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ThrottleCard free?
ThrottleCard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DCC or ThrottleCard?
ThrottleCard is rated higher. DCC averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while ThrottleCard averages 4.3 from 11 ratings.
Do DCC or ThrottleCard have ads?
ThrottleCard shows ads; DCC does not.
Which is updated more often, DCC or ThrottleCard?
DCC ships an update every 2 weeks, and ThrottleCard weekly. Most recently, DCC was updated on August 13, 2026 and ThrottleCard on July 6, 2026.

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