Metrolink vs Metro Link
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Mobile ticket purchasing
- Digital ticket wallet
- Ticket transfer to new device
- Secure payment processing
- Various ticket types available
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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
Metro Link
Plan and book your transit in Kalamazoo with this app. It offers on-demand rides, bus trip planning, and real-time tracking. Enjoy shared rides for efficiency and sustainability.
- On-demand ride booking
- Bus trip planning
- Live arrival times
- Ride tracking
- Shared ride matching
- Accessibility options
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Metro Link is your go-to app for getting around the Kalamazoo area. Just download the app, create an account, and tell us where you want to go. We’ll tell you the best way to get there whether it be an on-demand Metro Link ride, a bus trip or a combination of the two. How it works: - Easily plan travel on with Kalamazoo Metro services -Enter your pickup and dropoff locations and we’ll tell you the best journey available at that time. -Book Metro Link On Demand rides directly in the app for you and any additional passengers -Never miss your ride with live arrival times for your bus and ride tracking for your Metro Link On Demand journey. -If you’re riding on demand, there may be others on board, or you may make a few additional stops along the way! What we’re about: - SHARED: Our algorithm helps you see the best public transit journey available at that time. In Metro Link On Demand you’ll be matched with others headed in the same direction. This combines convenience and comfort with the efficiency, speed, and affordability of a shared ride. Transit at its best. - ACCESSIBLE: The app allows you to travel with a support person or be matched with a vehicle that meets your mobility needs. - SUSTAINABLE: Sharing rides reduces the number of vehicles on the roads, bringing down congestion and CO2 emissions. With a couple of taps, you get to do your part to make Kalamazoo county a little bit greener and cleaner, every time you ride. Loving your experience so far? Throw us a 5-star rating.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Metro Link at 4.8 against Metrolink's 2.5. Metro Link also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 14%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). Metrolink's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Metro Link holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 356 and 156 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Metrolink's written reviews are positive against 33% of Metro Link's.
Metrolink ships an update every 3 months, Metro Link every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Metrolink | Metro Link |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (356 ratings) | 4.8 (156 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 356 — better | 156 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 134 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Southern California Regional Rail Authority | Via Transportation, Inc. |
Customer experience
Metrolink
Metro Link
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
Metro Link
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Metrolink
No in-app purchases
Metro Link
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Metrolink free?
Is Metro Link free?
Which has better reviews, Metrolink or Metro Link?
Do Metrolink or Metro Link have ads?
Which is updated more often, Metrolink or Metro Link?
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