# Rail Roster vs Poor Man's Throttle

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Poor Man's Throttle at none against Rail Roster's 5. Poor Man's Throttle also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 8 days) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rail Roster sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Poor Man's Throttle asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Rail Roster against 5.0 for Poor Man's Throttle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

Rail Roster ships an update every 8 days, Poor Man's Throttle every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rail Roster | Poor Man's Throttle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rail-roster-tracker/id6758860130/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poor-mans-throttle/id6760155416/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 205 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Robotic Snail Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1232381880) | [James Theimer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1003785136) |

## What reviewers say

### Rail Roster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rail-roster-tracker/id6758860130)

Manage and catalog your model train collection with detailed records for trains, accessories, and consists. Track specifications, purchase history, and operational details, with powerful search and filtering tools. Visualize your collection's growth and value with insightful dashboards and charts.

**Highlights:** Catalog trains, accessories, and consists, Detailed model and prototype specifications, Track electronics, operation, and maintenance, Purchase history and value tracking, Photo support with galleries, Consist building and analysis tools, Collection insights and charts

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Yearly | $4.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium - Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


### Poor Man's Throttle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poor-mans-throttle/id6760155416)

Transform your smartphone into a wireless throttle for model trains. This app enables smooth, responsive control of locomotives using inexpensive DIY electronics, offering a cost-effective alternative to commercial systems. Ideal for hobbyists and makers looking to upgrade their DC or dead-rail layouts.

**Highlights:** Wireless smartphone throttle, PWM motor control for smooth operation, Control speed, direction, and stop, Ideal for DC and dead-rail layouts, Low-cost DIY hardware integration, Walk-around layout control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rail Roster free?

Rail Roster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Poor Man's Throttle free?

Poor Man's Throttle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Rail Roster or Poor Man's Throttle?

Rail Roster and Poor Man's Throttle are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do Rail Roster or Poor Man's Throttle have ads?

Neither Rail Roster nor Poor Man's Throttle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rail Roster or Poor Man's Throttle?

Rail Roster ships an update every 8 days, and Poor Man's Throttle every 2 days. Most recently, Rail Roster was updated on October 25, 2026 and Poor Man's Throttle on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*