Metrolink vs Wave by OCTA
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
Wave by OCTA
This app simplifies public transit by allowing users to pay for rides and manage their transit cards. It automatically caps fares to ensure the best price and offers real-time bus information for trip planning. Users can easily add value, manage multiple cards, and utilize features like autopay and virtual cards for seamless travel.
- Automatic fare capping
- Pay as you ride
- Real-time bus information
- Virtual card creation
- Add value with cash
- Autopay for reloads
- Manage multiple cards
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The Wave by OCTA app makes riding OC Bus easier, faster, and smarter. With Wave, your payments are automatically capped, so you’ll never overpay, and you’ll always get the best fare. No more pre-paying for a daily or monthly pass, just load value and pay as you go. New features include card management, allowing you to add value to your Wave cards directly in the mobile app or at participating retailers using cash; real-time bus information so you can plan your trip; and apply your reduced fare status to your Wave card. Why the Wave app makes riding easier: 1. Pay as you ride. No need to pay upfront for passes. 2. Daily and monthly fares are automatically capped, so you always pay less. 3. Get a free virtual card; no need to purchase a separate Wave card. 4. Set up autopay to reload value when your balance is low. 5. Load value with cash at participating retailers. 6. Real-time reloads and account management. 7. Manages up to 8 reusable Wave cards in your account. 8. Virtual card displays a large QR code for quicker boarding. 9. Wave cards include a free two-hour transfer for paid rides. 10. Connects to the Transit App for trip planning. To get started, download Wave by OCTA to register your account. Create a virtual Wave card or link your physical card. Add funds and you’re ready to ride. It’s that simple.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Metrolink at 2.5 against Wave by OCTA's 1.7. Metrolink also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Wave by OCTA's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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.
Metrolink holds the better App Store score, 2.5 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 372 and 215 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Metrolink's written reviews are positive against 9% of Wave by OCTA's.
Metrolink ships an update every 3 months, Wave by OCTA monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Metrolink | Wave by OCTA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (372 ratings) — better | 1.7 (215 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 13.7% of reviews — better | 9.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 372 — better | 215 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Southern California Regional Rail Authority | Orange County Transportation Authority |
Customer experience
Metrolink
Wave by OCTA
User reviews
Metrolink
From 372 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Wave by OCTA
From 215 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Needs NFC support
Room to improve
- 🐛 Can't sign in
- 🐛 Not working
- 🐛 Totally unable to sign in
- 🐛 No free virtual on update
- 🐛 Where's the free 15th-31st rides?
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
Wave by OCTA
Reported bugs
5 issues- Can't sign in
- Not working
- Totally unable to sign in
- No free virtual on update
- Where's the free 15th-31st rides?
Requested features
2 requests- Free bus pass option
- Easier college pass transfer
In-app purchases
Metrolink
No in-app purchases
Wave by OCTA
No in-app purchases
