# Lionel iCab vs ECoS Cab

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lionel iCab | ECoS Cab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lionel-icab/id920612683/reviews) | **[4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecos-cab/id1481627848/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **19** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lionel, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/616773170) | [Kostiantyn Kolesnik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481627847) |

## What reviewers say

### Lionel iCab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lionel-icab/id920612683)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ECoS Cab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecos-cab/id1481627848)

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.

**Highlights:** Handheld model railroad controller, Wireless network connection, Control trains, signals, and accessories, No need for wired devices, Compatible with ESU ECoS, CabControl, PIKO SmartBox

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Sync, monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Client, monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Web Server, monthly | $17.99 | per month |
| Client, annually | $99.99 | per year |
| Client, life-time | $149.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lionel iCab free?

Lionel iCab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ECoS Cab free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lionel iCab or ECoS Cab?

ECoS Cab is rated higher. Lionel iCab averages 3.3 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while ECoS Cab averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Lionel iCab or ECoS Cab have ads?

ECoS Cab shows ads; Lionel iCab does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lionel iCab or ECoS Cab?

Lionel iCab ships an update every 4 months, and ECoS Cab every 6 weeks. Most recently, Lionel iCab was updated on November 1, 2026 and ECoS Cab on November 3, 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.*