# TrainDesign vs Årshjul

The clearest difference is price: Årshjul at Free against TrainDesign's $1.99. Årshjul also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and device support (3 vs 1). TrainDesign's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads there is nothing between them.

Årshjul is free to download; TrainDesign costs $1.99 up front. Årshjul sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. TrainDesign asks for nothing beyond the download.

TrainDesign ships an update every 4 months, Årshjul fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TrainDesign | Årshjul |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[2.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/traindesign/id820553356/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **14** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kind of Blue](https://appshunter.io/developer/456377317) | [Jesper Sachmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789713581) |

## What reviewers say

### TrainDesign

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/traindesign/id820553356)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Great value for the price
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use (initially)
- 💡 Customizable track designs
- ✅ Useful for planning layouts
- 🌍 Supports various gauges/scales and manufacturers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- ❌ Unstable and crashes often
- 🚫 Editor not working properly
- 🪲 Track pieces not connecting/aligning
- 🔧 Difficult to rotate/move track pieces

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Årshjul

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arshjul/id6794429674)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Wheel Pro - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual Wheel Pro – Annual | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TrainDesign free?

TrainDesign costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Årshjul free?

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

### Do TrainDesign or Årshjul have ads?

Neither TrainDesign nor Årshjul shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TrainDesign or Årshjul?

TrainDesign ships an update every 4 months, and Årshjul fortnightly. Most recently, TrainDesign was updated on October 4, 2026 and Årshjul on October 2, 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.*