Lionel iCab vs ECoS Cab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lionel iCab
Control Lionel TMCC and LEGACY engines, accessories, and trains from your iPhone or iPod Touch. Features include extended locomotive control, speed graphs, and accessory management.
- Control TMCC and LEGACY engines
- Accessory and train operation
- Extended Legacy locomotive controls
- Speed graph with target/actual speed
- Quilling Whistle feature
- Train Builder for unified operation
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Use your Apple iPhone or iPod Touch device to operate Lionel TMCC and LEGACY engines, accessories and trains. iCab includes the most popular features from Lionel's flagship hardware-based LEGACY CAB2 remote including the Train Builder and Quilling Whistle. NOTE: Additional hardware is required to use iCab. iCab includes the operating features of the basic Lionel cab remote plus: - Extended Legacy locomotive control screens - Speed Graph with target and actual speed - Six preset official railroad speeds - Quilling Whistle - Accessory control screen - Special screen for Legacy StationSounds Diner car control - Automatically loads Engine Roster (LEGACY Command Base required) - Train Builder combines multiple locomotives, rolling stock and accessories for unified operation Also available is the Lionel LCS app for iPad. Use this companion app for easy control of layout switches and accessories. iCab app requirements: Lionel LCS WiFi (6-81325) to connect to your layout (up to 15 users can share a single LCS WiFi module). The iCab App works with the Lionel command base model Base-1L; a Legacy command base (v1.52 required) adds additional features. All available from Lionel LLC.
ECoS Cab
Transform your mobile devices into wireless handheld controllers for your model railroad. Seamlessly manage trains, signals, and accessories across your layout without the hassle of wired connections. Requires a compatible command station connected to your network.
- Handheld model railroad controller
- Wireless network connection
- Control trains, signals, and accessories
- No need for wired devices
- Compatible with ESU ECoS, CabControl, PIKO SmartBox
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ECoS Cab is the number-one application that turns your devices into handheld controllers for your model railroad. With ECoS Cab, you can follow your trains around your layout without worrying about plugging and unplugging a wired device as you move. Using a wireless network connection and an ESU ECoS, ESU CabControl, PIKO SmartBox, or Central Station Reloaded command station connected to the network, ECoS Cab can run trains and control signals, turnouts, and other accessories configured in the command station.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ECoS Cab at 4.0 against Lionel iCab's 3.3. ECoS Cab also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 30%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). Lionel iCab's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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
Both are free to download. ECoS Cab sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Lionel iCab asks for nothing beyond the download.
ECoS Cab holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Lionel iCab's written reviews are positive against 60% of ECoS Cab's.
Lionel iCab ships an update every 4 months, ECoS Cab every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lionel iCab | ECoS Cab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (19 ratings) | 4.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lionel, LLC | Kostiantyn Kolesnik |
Customer experience
Lionel iCab
ECoS Cab
In-app purchases
Lionel iCab
No in-app purchases
ECoS Cab
- Cloud Sync, monthly$2.991 Month
- Client, monthly2 variants$12.991 Month
- Web Server, monthly2 variants$17.991 Month
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- Client, annually2 variants$99.991 Year
- Client, life-time2 variants$149.99
