# Ventra vs UI Ride

The clearest difference is rating: UI Ride at 3.2 against Ventra's 1.9. Ventra's advantage is ratings volume (3.5K vs 5) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UI Ride holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ventra has 3.5K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 8% of Ventra's written reviews are positive against 0% of UI Ride's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Ventra ships an update every 3 months, UI Ride every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ventra | UI Ride |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ventra/id1005645256/reviews) | **[3.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ui-ride/id1479096812/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **8.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#81** | — |
| Size | 61 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chicago Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1005645255) | [University of Illinois](https://appshunter.io/developer/422670617) |

## What reviewers say

### Ventra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ventra/id1005645256)

**Currently charting:** #81 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your public transit fares and tickets for Chicago's CTA, Metra, and Pace services. Load value, buy Metra mobile tickets, and access real-time arrival information all in one place. Add your Ventra Card to your iPhone for seamless travel.

**Highlights:** Manage Ventra Card balance and passes, Load value and passes to Ventra Card, Buy Metra mobile tickets, Real-time CTA, Metra, Pace arrivals, Add Ventra Card to Apple Wallet

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for transit
- 🚀 Helpful for visitors
- 🚀 Reliable payment processing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Inaccurate arrival/departure times
- 🐛 Confusing user interface
- 🐛 Unreliable login and account management
- 🐛 Payment issues and declined transactions

**Reported bugs**

- Purchase button not working on iPhones
- Favorites list glitches and resets
- Inconsistent and unreliable ticket display
- Frequent app crashes and login issues
- Payment processing failures and lost funds

**Requested features**

- Add ability to manage Ventra cards and balances
- Improve real-time transit tracking and notifications
- Allow saving of favorite routes and stations
- Integrate with Apple Wallet for easier access
- Provide more transparent and user-friendly payment options


### UI Ride

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ui-ride/id1479096812)

This app provides an affordable and efficient shuttle service connecting Urbana-Champaign and Chicago. It's designed for University of Illinois System faculty, staff, and students to facilitate official business and research collaborations.

**Highlights:** Intercampus shuttle service, Connects Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, Affordable transportation, Efficient and convenient, For University of Illinois System members

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ventra free?

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

### Is UI Ride free?

UI Ride is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ventra or UI Ride?

UI Ride is rated higher. Ventra averages 1.9 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while UI Ride averages 3.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do Ventra or UI Ride have ads?

Neither Ventra nor UI Ride shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ventra or UI Ride?

Ventra ships an update every 3 months, and UI Ride every 8 months. Most recently, Ventra was updated on October 29, 2026 and UI Ride on October 10, 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.*