Comparison

Metrolink vs TAP LA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Metrolink

Purchase and manage Metrolink train tickets directly from your smartphone. Buy various ticket types, activate them before boarding, and store them in a digital wallet. Easily transfer tickets to a new device if needed.

Highlights
  • Mobile ticket purchasing
  • Digital ticket wallet
  • Ticket transfer to new device
  • Secure payment processing
  • Various ticket types available
Features
Read full description

The official Metrolink App is like having a ticket machine in your pocket. Your device is your ticket! Buy a ticket anywhere, anytime - in seconds. With the Metrolink App, you can securely purchase Metrolink One-Way, Round-Trip tickets, 7-Day, Monthly and Weekend Day Passes in seconds. Purchasing a ticket is easy: select your trip & ticket type, enter your payment card information, activate your ticket prior to boarding and your device is your ticket. Never lose your ticket again! Once you purchase your ticket, it will always be in your ticket wallet. Need to replace your phone? No problem - you can easily transfer any purchased ticket to a new device. Riders who use the Corporate Quick Card and riders who transfer to Metro Rail should continue to use paper tickets from Metrolink’s Ticket Vending Machines. Metrolink will be implementing a variety of enhancements to enable these users to use mobile ticketing in the future. We are making the app better every day! Visit www.metrolinktrains.com/app for more information. Features: ● Onboarding screen updated

About

TAP LA

Pay for transit fares across Los Angeles with your mobile device. This app allows you to purchase passes, manage multiple cards, and use touchless payment on numerous bus and train systems. It also offers trip planning and access to multimodal programs.

Highlights
  • Touchless payment
  • Add TAP card to iPhone/Apple Watch
  • Purchase transit passes
  • Manage multiple TAP cards
  • Add TAP card to Apple Wallet
  • Trip planning tools
  • Reduced fare support
Features
Read full description

Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority ("LACMTA"), a government agency, is the owner and developer of this app. TAP is your ticket to ride transit in greater Los Angeles! It is accepted on 27 systems including LA Metro, providing a vast network of buses and trains. - Make your travel safe and easy with touchless payment and card management. - Add a new TAP card to your iPhone and Apple Watch and use your fare immediately. - Use your iPhone (8 and above) and Apple Watch (Series 3 and above) to tap with Apple Pay when boarding a bus or train. - Enjoy flexible payment options including credit/debit cards, account cash and Apple Pay. - Purchase a transit pass or Stored Value for any agency in Los Angeles County. - Manage multiple cards in your TAP account (iPhone 5 and above). - Add your TAP card to Apple Wallet, enable Express Transit and quickly tap and pay when you board. You don't even have to wake up your phone! - Supports reduced fares for seniors, students, persons with disabilities and low-income riders. - Transfer a TAP card in your account to your Apple Wallet and leave the plastic at home. - Access multimodal programs such as Metro Bike Share. - Use Trip Tools to plan trips, find nearby transit options, view real-time arrivals and save favorite destinations and stops. - Enjoy the benefits of a TAP account, such as Balance Protection, card management, discounts, promotions, transaction history and friendly customer service. - Accepted on 27 transit systems in LA County including: Angels Flight Railway Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) Baldwin Park Transit Beach Cities Transit Burbank Bus Carson Circuit Compton Renaissance Transit System Culver CityBus Foothill Transit Gardena GTRANS Glendale Beeline Glendora Transportation Division Huntington Park Transit Unlimited LA County Department of Public Works LADOT Transit Lawndale Beat Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Long Beach Transit Metro Montebello Bus Lines Monterey Park Spirit Bus Norwalk Transit Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority Pasadena Transit Santa Clarita Transit Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Torrance Transit

Screenshots

Metrolink4 screens
TAP LA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Metrolink at 2.5 against TAP LA's 1.9. TAP LA's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Metrolink holds the better App Store score, 2.5 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 372 and 852 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Metrolink's written reviews are positive against 12% of TAP LA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Metrolink ships an update every 3 months, TAP LA every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Metrolink versus TAP LA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetrolinkTAP LA
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (372 ratings) — better1.9 (852 ratings)
Positive reviews13.7% of reviews — better11.7% of reviews
Number of ratings372852 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.613 — better
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB84 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSouthern California Regional Rail AuthorityLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Customer experience

Metrolink

All ratings371 ratings
Positive34.0%
Neutral9.4%
Negative56.6%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive13.7%
Neutral12.9%
Negative73.4%

TAP LA

All ratings838 ratings
Positive20.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative76.1%
Written reviews299 reviews
Positive11.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative85.6%

User reviews

Metrolink

From 372 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy ticket purchasing
  • 👍 Convenient for commuters
  • 💡 Supports LAX FlyAway tickets

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes
  • 🔍 Lack of schedule/route information
  • ⏰ Tickets expire too quickly
  • 💰 Unclear ticket restrictions
  • 🤯 Confusing user interface

TAP LA

From 852 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • ✨ Convenient digital tap card
  • 💳 Ability to load funds
  • 🗺️ Trip planning functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and glitches
  • 💰 Charges money without adding funds
  • ⏱️ Slow load times and processing
  • 🤷‍♀️ Confusing user experience
  • 🚫 Doesn't work for tourists/visitors

Bugs and requests

Metrolink

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Ticket barcodes not scanning properly
  • Inability to update billing address
  • Tickets not syncing across devices
  • Payment issues causing lost funds

Requested features

5 requests
  • Integrate with Apple Wallet
  • Add real-time service alerts
  • Allow advance ticket purchases
  • Provide detailed station/route info
  • Implement better password/account management

TAP LA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Card registration and activation issues
  • Disappearing funds and balances
  • Inconsistent app performance

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow multiple devices for one account
  • Improve reliability of fund loading
  • Provide more transparent transaction history
  • Integrate with more payment methods

In-app purchases

None

Metrolink

No in-app purchases

None

TAP LA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Metrolink free?
Metrolink is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TAP LA free?
TAP LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Metrolink or TAP LA?
Metrolink is rated higher. Metrolink averages 2.5 out of 5 from 372 ratings, while TAP LA averages 1.9 from 852 ratings.
Do Metrolink or TAP LA have ads?
Neither Metrolink nor TAP LA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Metrolink or TAP LA?
Metrolink ships an update every 3 months, and TAP LA every 5 months. Most recently, Metrolink was updated on November 2, 2026 and TAP LA on November 3, 2026.

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