Next Caltrain vs BART (Official)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Next Caltrain
Get real-time Caltrain arrival predictions for your favorite stations. Quickly view upcoming trains with a widget and explore train destinations with a simple touch. This app provides essential commuter information for the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Real-time arrival predictions
- Favorite station selection
- Train destination lookup
- Home screen widget
- Supports iPhone and iPad
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Always know when the next Caltrain is coming! • Add your favorite stations and see the next 3 predicted arrivals at that station • Force touch on a train to see where it's going • Use the widget to get a quick peek at the coming trains without opening the app Caltrain© is a California commuter rail line that operates between San Francisco and Santa Clara Valley This application is not affiliated with or sponsored by Caltrain© commuter rail
BART (Official)
Plan your Bay Area transit journeys with real-time train departures and official service alerts. This app offers end-to-end trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and customized notifications for a hassle-free commute.
- Real-time train departures
- End-to-end trip planner
- Step-by-step navigation
- Customized service alerts
- Contactless parking payment
- Service disruption information
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The official Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) app has arrived. It’s the easiest way to plan your trip and get accurate real time train departures with data straight from BART, along with official service alerts. The BART app offers exclusive features for hassle free travel for daily commuters, infrequent users and tourists alike: -Plan your entire end to end trip with BART’s exclusive Trip Planner giving you the fastest route from your starting point to your destination using BART and multiple modes of transportation, including connecting transit, biking, walking and driving. -Step by step navigation with personalized preferences and saved favorite stations and trips. -Real time departures and schedule timetable. -Customized in-app notifications about BART service and announcements. -Contactless in-app Daily Fee parking payment -Service disruption information linked to your trip itinerary. -Report a Biohazard that needs addressing and access our BART Watch App for reporting crimes. -Escalator and Elevator advisories. -Fleet of the Future train tracker. -Cancelled trip notices. -Easily see the last train of the evening by station when you’re planning your night out or your trip home from the airport. -Station information (including if it offers a parking lot and secured bike parking). -Seamless connection to bart.gov and BARTable for deals, events, and fun. -It’s ad free; who wants to be distracted when looking how far away your train is? BART is working on future features of the app to enhance your BART experience... Tell us about the features you want.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BART (Official) at 4.6 against Next Caltrain's 3.0. BART (Official) also leads on ratings volume (28K vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Next Caltrain's advantage is iOS requirement (11.1 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
BART (Official) holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BART (Official) has 28K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Next Caltrain ships an update every 7 months, BART (Official) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Next Caltrain | BART (Official) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 4.6 (28K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 30.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 28K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.1 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Fang | San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District |
Customer experience
Next Caltrain
BART (Official)
Bugs and requests
Next Caltrain
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
BART (Official)
Reported bugs
4 issues- Real-time departure times not updating accurately
- Trip planning providing incorrect/nonsensical routes
- Login and password issues causing frequent logouts
- Parking payment not working as expected
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to check Clipper card balance
- Automatic license plate recognition for parking
- Offline mode for schedules and trip planning
- Better notifications for service advisories and delays
- More customization options for favorite stations
In-app purchases
Next Caltrain
No in-app purchases
BART (Official)
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Next Caltrain free?
Is BART (Official) free?
Which has better reviews, Next Caltrain or BART (Official)?
Do Next Caltrain or BART (Official) have ads?
Which is updated more often, Next Caltrain or BART (Official)?
Other comparisons
