Comparison

Train ID vs Open Railroad Guide

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

Head to head
About

Train ID

Features
Read full description

Capture. Identify. Learn. Train ID makes train spotting smarter and easier than ever before. Just snap a photo or upload one from your gallery, and instantly get detailed information about the train in view. Whether you’re a rail enthusiast, hobbyist photographer, or just curious, TrainID brings the world of trains right to your fingertips. Key Features: - Instant Train Identification Use your camera or photo gallery to identify trains in seconds. - Detailed Information Learn about the locomotive type, model, origin, usage, and more – all powered by cutting-edge visual recognition. - Track Your Sightings Access your history to revisit previously identified trains anytime. - Designed for Railfans Identify diesel, electric, and freight locomotives from the UK, Europe, and beyond. - Simple, Sleek Interface Optimized for a smooth and intuitive experience, right on your iPhone. TrainID uses advanced AI to identify trains, giving you rich background info including build details, livery, and operational use cases. Perfect For: - Rail enthusiasts - Trainspotters - Photographers - Curious travelers Don’t forget to review the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service before getting started. Privacy Policy - https://trainid.qoppait.com/privacy-policy Terms of Service - https://trainid.qoppait.com/terms

About

Open Railroad Guide

Explore detailed railroad maps, historical imagery, and live train data. Features include AR track viewing, frequency finding, and community collaboration for rail enthusiasts and historians.

Highlights
  • Live train map
  • AR 3D Track View
  • Frequency Finder
  • Channel Log
  • Transit Map
  • Rail Community
  • Train Watch
  • FRA Records
Features
Read full description

OpenRailroadGuide puts detailed railroad maps and historical aerial imagery in your pocket so you can explore, save, and share the places that matter to railfans, historians, and planners. Enjoy a completely distraction free experience with no ads on any level! -**My Trip:** Manage your Amtrak and VIA Rail trips all in the app -**ORG Postchive:** Post videos and photos to the rail community -**Live train map:** View all Amtrak and VIA Rail trains on a Live Map -**AR 3D Track View:** See tracks in augmented reality to get quick identification. -**Frequency Finder:** Find the exact frequency of any rail line in NA to use on your scanner -**Channel Log:** Use side-by-side with your scanner to tag and organize your channels -**Transit Map:** View all transit lines in your local city, with color coded lines -**Rail Community:** Use the rail community to collaborate with other users to put user-made info on rail lines and train sightings that update in real time -**Train Watch:** Put specific points on the map to get alerts and see upcoming trains to that point - **FRA Records:** Get official records by the FRA on how much trains run through a railroad in the day, night, and weekly. - **Interactive Map:** Fast vector-tile map with smooth zooming and panning built for rail lines and right-of-ways. - **Grade Crossings:** View every railroad crossing in the US with full FRA Inventory records on them. -**Trainspotting Logs & AI Predictions:** Log every train you spot and use AI Overview to predict where & when the next train will be -**Railroad Lookup:** Lookup the selected Railroad directly on the internet within the app to get all the info you need - **Historical Imagery:** Slide through years of aerial imagery to compare past and present alignments. - **Saved Places & Folders:** Save coordinates with notes, organize them into folders, edit details, and quickly fly to any point. - **Local Edits & Annotations:** Draw and persist local edits and annotations right on the map; they render alongside map tiles. - **Seamless Device Sync:** Automatic background sync and backups via iCloud Key-Value Store keep your saved places and edits in sync across your devices. - **Restore & Backup:** One-tap restore and safe merge behavior prevent accidental data loss and detect when data are already up to date. - **Quick Access:** Add bookmarks from the map or the main menu and use a dedicated “View on Map” flow that reliably navigates and centers the map on saved places. - **Power Tools for Enthusiasts:** Street-view toggle, custom map styles and layers, and a compact UI designed for quick field reference. Privacy: Your saved places and edits are stored on-device and synced only via your iCloud account when enabled. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Train ID4 screens
Open Railroad Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Open Railroad Guide at 47 against Train ID's 2. Open Railroad Guide also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Train ID's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18). On price, rating, ads 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. Train ID sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Open Railroad Guide sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Train ID against 4.9 for Open Railroad Guide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Open Railroad Guide has 47 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Train ID ships an update every 2 weeks, Open Railroad Guide every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Train ID versus Open Railroad Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrain IDOpen Railroad Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.9 (47 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings247 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB242 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMilos CubriloIKworks

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Train ID

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Subscription$2.997 Days
  • Yearly Subscription$24.991 Year
4 purchases

Open Railroad Guide

Subscriptions1
  • Insider Club$2.991 Month
One-time3
  • AI Tools for ORG$6.99
  • Open Railroad Guide Premium$14.99
  • Unlock All$20.00

Questions

Is Train ID free?
Train ID is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Open Railroad Guide free?
Open Railroad Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Train ID or Open Railroad Guide?
Train ID is rated higher. Train ID averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Open Railroad Guide averages 4.9 from 47 ratings.
Do Train ID or Open Railroad Guide have ads?
Neither Train ID nor Open Railroad Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Train ID or Open Railroad Guide?
Train ID ships an update every 2 weeks, and Open Railroad Guide every 4 days. Most recently, Train ID was updated on October 24, 2026 and Open Railroad Guide on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons