# Railfan Copilot vs Headway

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Headway at 100% against Railfan Copilot's 25%. Headway also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.3) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Railfan Copilot's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Railfan Copilot sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Headway sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Headway holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Railfan Copilot's written reviews are positive against 100% of Headway's.

Railfan Copilot ships an update every 3 days, Headway every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Railfan Copilot | Headway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railfan-copilot/id6770344908/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headway-live-train-tracker/id6781694344/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ronald Minor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896734954) | [Nick Faughey](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781694346) |

## What reviewers say

### Railfan Copilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railfan-copilot/id6770344908)

Track real-time train positions, listen to live radio feeds, and identify locomotives with AI. Features include a sun angle predictor and community sightings. Unlock all features with a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Live train tracking map, Live railroad radio scanner, AI train symbol decoder, AI locomotive identifier, Community sightings feed, Sun angle predictor, Achievements system

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


### Headway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headway-live-train-tracker/id6781694344)

Track passenger trains from nine U.S. railroads in real-time on a single map. See live positions, delay status, and scheduled times for your commute or travel. Bookmark favorite trains and stations for quick access.

**Highlights:** Live train positions on map, Real-time delay status, Detailed train route information, Station departure boards, Bookmark trains and stations, Filter and sort by route/line, Dark Mode and Dynamic Type

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Headway Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Headway Pro (1 Year) | $19.99 | per year |
| Small tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Railfan Copilot free?

Railfan Copilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Headway free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Railfan Copilot or Headway?

Headway is rated higher. Railfan Copilot averages 2.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Headway averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Railfan Copilot or Headway have ads?

Neither Railfan Copilot nor Headway shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Railfan Copilot or Headway?

Railfan Copilot ships an update every 3 days, and Headway every 2 weeks. Most recently, Railfan Copilot was updated on October 12, 2026 and Headway on October 15, 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.*