Comparison

MTA TrainTime vs NYC Bus & Subway Tracker

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

Head to head
About

MTA TrainTime

This app allows railroad customers to buy and use tickets, plan journeys, and track trains in real-time. It offers features like split payments, multi-station trip planning, and real-time GPS tracking for a seamless travel experience.

Highlights
  • Buy and use railroad tickets
  • Plan trips with departure times
  • Real-time GPS train tracking
  • View train car layouts and crowding
  • Split ticket payments
  • Share trip details
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The TrainTime app provides a one-stop shop for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad customers, where riders can buy and use tickets, plan their trips, track their trains, and more. • Buy tickets with Apple Pay or credit/debit card. Split payment between two cards. • Plan trips with departure times and transfer details before you travel. You can also search for two origin and/or two destination stations at once. • Save your frequent trains for easy access • Share trips with family and friends so they know when to expect you • Follow your trip with real-time GPS tracking, updated every few seconds • See the layout of your train and how crowded each car is • Chat with a customer service representative for either LIRR or Metro-North within the app

About

NYC Bus & Subway Tracker

Navigate New York City's public transit with real-time MTA bus schedules and precise GPS tracking. This app offers a reliable and convenient tool to stay updated on bus locations and arrival times for a hassle-free commute.

Highlights
  • Real-time MTA bus schedules
  • Precise GPS tracking
  • Monitor bus locations
  • Supports MTA Express, Local, Limited, and SBS services
  • Utilizes free MTA Bus Time data feed
Features
Read full description

Spend less time waiting and know what is coming next. NYC Bus & Subway Tracker puts nearby stops, live arrivals, route maps and service alerts in one clear app. Open the map for transit around you, search any supported route, or jump straight to the stops and lines you saved. LIVE ARRIVALS NEAR YOU • Find nearby bus and subway stops on an interactive map • Check live and scheduled arrival times by route and destination • See multiple upcoming departures at a glance • Refresh arrival information whenever you need it BUS, SUBWAY AND COMMUTER RAIL • Search New York City bus and subway routes • Browse LIRR and Metro-North services • Explore each route on the map • Switch travel direction to see the correct stops and vehicles • Search for a specific stop within a route SERVICE INFORMATION THAT MATTERS • View alerts attached to affected routes and stops • Distinguish live predictions from scheduled departures • See route colors and service details in a familiar layout BUILT FOR YOUR DAILY COMMUTE • Save frequently used routes and stops • Return to your favorites without searching again • Choose light, dark or system appearance • Continue browsing routes and saved items when location is unavailable NYC PRO Upgrade to NYC Pro to unlock: • Full 7-day schedules • Live vehicle positions on route maps when data is available • An ad-free experience across both app experiences Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled through your App Store account. Available plans, prices and terms are shown before purchase. Previous purchases can be restored from the app. Arrival times, schedules, alerts and vehicle positions depend on public transit data availability and may change. Always follow posted signs and transit agency guidance. NYC Bus & Subway Tracker is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) or any government agency. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MTA TrainTime4 screens
NYC Bus & Subway Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MTA TrainTime at none against NYC Bus & Subway Tracker's 3. MTA TrainTime also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. NYC Bus & Subway Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. MTA TrainTime asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MTA TrainTime holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTA TrainTime has 211K ratings behind it against 172, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MTA TrainTime ships an update every 9 days, NYC Bus & Subway Tracker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
MTA TrainTime versus NYC Bus & Subway Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTA TrainTimeNYC Bus & Subway Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (211K ratings) — better4.5 (172 ratings)
Positive reviews52.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings211K — better172
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
Best chart rank#14 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size129 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMetropolitan Transportation Authority婧嘉 郭

Customer experience

MTA TrainTime

All ratings211,096 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews438 reviews
Positive52.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative43.6%

NYC Bus & Subway Tracker

All ratings172 ratings
Positive89.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative8.1%

Bugs and requests

MTA TrainTime

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Ticket purchase failures
  • Device blocked from purchasing tickets
  • Incorrect track information displayed

Requested features

4 requests
  • Apple Watch support
  • Ability to plan trips for future dates
  • More detailed crowding/capacity information
  • Improved search and filtering options

NYC Bus & Subway Tracker

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

MTA TrainTime

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

NYC Bus & Subway Tracker

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • lifetime$89.99

Questions

Is MTA TrainTime free?
MTA TrainTime is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NYC Bus & Subway Tracker free?
NYC Bus & Subway Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MTA TrainTime or NYC Bus & Subway Tracker?
MTA TrainTime is rated higher. MTA TrainTime averages 4.9 out of 5 from 211K ratings, while NYC Bus & Subway Tracker averages 4.5 from 172 ratings.
Do MTA TrainTime or NYC Bus & Subway Tracker have ads?
NYC Bus & Subway Tracker shows ads; MTA TrainTime does not.
Which is updated more often, MTA TrainTime or NYC Bus & Subway Tracker?
MTA TrainTime ships an update every 9 days, and NYC Bus & Subway Tracker every 2 months. Most recently, MTA TrainTime was updated on September 25, 2026 and NYC Bus & Subway Tracker on September 24, 2026.

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