TrainDesign vs Circuit Planner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TrainDesign
Design and plan your model railroad tracks with ease. This app allows you to create custom layouts, modify track segments, and adjust curves to your specifications. Unleash your creativity and build intricate routes with intuitive touch controls.
- Plan model railroad tracks
- Create custom track lines
- Modify track segments (orient, stretch, shrink)
- Adjust curve width, angle, and radius
- Determine track altitude
- Intuitive touch controls
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TrainDesign is born with the purpose to plan your model railroad track. In a few minutes you can create lines of any kind. Using a set of tracks you can choose the type of binary-to-use, orient, stretch or shrink it. The curves can be modified to width angle and radius of curvature. TrainDesign stands out for its ease of use and the versatility, giving space for creativity. You will learn that it is very easy to edit lines, determine the altitude, change every single piece in an intuitive and simple manner. With only the use of your fingers, you can create small or large tracks, focus on building a single part using the touch or see the route as a whole.
Circuit Planner
Design professional IEC circuit diagrams with a user-friendly interface. Access a vast library of symbols, utilize automatic connection features, and export your plans in PDF format. Ideal for electrical engineering projects.
- User-friendly interface for circuit diagram creation
- 1056 integrated IEC circuit diagram symbols
- Automatic connection system for precise wiring
- Export diagrams in PDF format
- Supports A4, A3, A2 formats with up to 20 drawing sheets
- Automatic backup of project data
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Circuit Planner is the intuitive and creative App to design IEC circuit diagrams for electrical engineering: • Uncomplicated handling and fast results close the gap between conventional drawing programs and complex CAD applications. • Numerous circuit diagram symbols, divided into categories, cover a wide range of applications in absolutely high-quality visualization. • All planning results can be exported in pdf format and printed out if required. The features in detail: • User-friendly, uncomplicated application for creating circuit diagrams for electrical engineering • 1070 integrated objects such as IEC circuit diagram symbols, text fields and geometries • Detailed IEC circuit diagram symbols, stored in categories, such as batteries, brakes, capacitors, conductors/cables, connections/terminals, control technology, converters, cross-references, devices, digital technology, fuses, generators, inductors, installation plans, integrated circuits / ICs, light sources, measuring instruments, motors, optical fibre cables, overvoltage protection, photovoltaic, plugs/sockets, protective devices, relays/contactors, reporting/signal devices, resistors, semiconductors, starters, switches/contacts, terminal strips, transformers and voltage sources • Reliable snap function for precise arrangement of objects on the drawing sheet • The automatic connection system ensures the correct electrical connection to immediately adjacent circuit diagram symbols at the starting point and end point of conductors • Automatically updated cross-references • Circuit diagrams in A4, A3 and A2 formats, each in landscape or portrait format with up to 20 drawing sheets • Drawing sheets with title block in two sizes for project details, date and name • Drawing sheets with column and row labelling and optional drawing grid • Print and export function for the circuit diagram in pdf format • Export and import options for scpData - project files • Clear and understandable explanations on how to use • Demo projects from the fields of energy technology, control technology and electronics • Save, load and sort function for project files • Automatic backup of project data when closing the application • App language: English and German Circuit Planner - A professional tool without annoying adverts, requires no internet connection and no in-app purchases.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Circuit Planner at every 2 weeks against TrainDesign's every 4 months. Circuit Planner also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 33%) and device support (3 vs 1). TrainDesign's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On 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
TrainDesign costs $1.99 and Circuit Planner $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TrainDesign ships an update every 4 months, Circuit Planner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TrainDesign | Circuit Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 2.4 (14 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kind of Blue | Axel Hauschild |
Customer experience
TrainDesign
Circuit Planner
Bugs and requests
TrainDesign
Reported bugs
18 issues- App locks up after selecting first track
- Saving changes to existing layouts results in original disappearing
- Cannot move selected track
- Rotate icon greys out after one rotation
- App crashes on load
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- Editor does not work, cannot rotate pieces
- Cannot place track where desired
- Small graphics on black background make components hard to see
- Zooming is sketchy, losing track
- Cannot switch red dot to continue with different track
- Pinch gesture sends track work out of view, becomes unselectable
- Turntable not available as shown in demo
- App keeps freezing
- Switches are not calibrated correctly
- Layout limited to about 5’ X 5’ for movement
- Zooming in/out is problematic outside the 5x5 zone
- Flex track shaping is difficult
- Simple oval has misaligned track pieces
Requested features
11 requests- Add more track libraries (e.g., Rokuhan Z, Hornby, Lionel Fastrack, Realtrax, Fleishmann profi ho)
- Improve track connection and alignment
- Fix rotation and movement issues for track pieces
- Add a 'save as' function for layouts
- Include inch/feet measurement options
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- Add a tutorial or help screens
- Allow using track from multiple manufacturers in one plan
- Add models of coaches to visualize train appearance on curves
- Improve zooming and panning functionality
- Add print function for plans and parts lists
- Support for Mac
Circuit Planner
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
TrainDesign
No in-app purchases
Circuit Planner
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is TrainDesign free?
Is Circuit Planner free?
Do TrainDesign or Circuit Planner have ads?
Which is updated more often, TrainDesign or Circuit Planner?
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