# Ventra vs Metra Times

The clearest difference is rating: Metra Times at 4.1 against Ventra's 1.9. Metra Times also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). Ventra's advantage is ratings volume (3.5K vs 7) and chart position (#99 vs unranked). 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.

Metra Times holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ventra has 3.5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Ventra ships an update every 3 months, Metra Times every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ventra | Metra Times |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ventra/id1005645256/reviews) | **[4.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metra-times/id6780073287/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 8.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#99** | — |
| Size | 61 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chicago Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1005645255) | [Sean McCauley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887110634) |

## What reviewers say

### Ventra

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

**Currently charting:** #99 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


### Metra Times

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metra-times/id6780073287)

This app provides live departure times for all Metra train lines in the Chicago region. Users can favorite routes for quick access, track trains with live updates on their lock screen, and receive notifications before their stop.

**Highlights:** Live departure board for all Metra lines, Lock screen train tracking with Live Activity, Favorite routes for personalized boards, Full schedule browser, Real-time service alerts, Get-off notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ventra free?

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

### Is Metra Times free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ventra or Metra Times?

Metra Times is rated higher. Ventra averages 1.9 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Metra Times averages 4.1 from 7 ratings.

### Do Ventra or Metra Times have ads?

Neither Ventra nor Metra Times shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ventra or Metra Times?

Ventra ships an update every 3 months, and Metra Times every 4 days. Most recently, Ventra was updated on October 29, 2026 and Metra Times on October 25, 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.*