Comparison

Next Caltrain vs Caltrain Live

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Real-time arrival predictions
  • Favorite station selection
  • Train destination lookup
  • Home screen widget
  • Supports iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

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

About

Caltrain Live

Access real-time Caltrain information, including train status, service disruptions, and timetables with offline access. Plan trips with live data and receive instant alerts for your commute.

Highlights
  • Real-time train status and alerts
  • Offline timetable access
  • Trip planner with live data
  • Service disruption monitoring
  • Pinned train status
  • Station announcements
Read full description

Caltrain Live lets you quickly access all the latest information you need for your Caltrain commute. You can pin a train to quickly access its status and alerts, monitor construction and service disruptions along the corridor, and get the latest timetable with offline access all in one place. - Includes a fast, simple UI with no ads, popups or tracking. - Get a copy of the latest timetable with automatic updates and offline access. - The built-in trip planner includes live data, special event trains, and holiday timetable support. - Monitor trains in realtime and get easy access to trains you care about. - See single tracking events across the corridor and for each station. - Read station announcements. - Train data includes per-stop delays, calculated stop bypass times, and relevant alerts. - Realtime data is fast, uses minimal mobile data, refreshes every 30 seconds, includes departure times to-the-second, alerts from 511, and more.

Screenshots

Next Caltrain1 screens
Caltrain Live4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Caltrain Live at 4.6 against Next Caltrain's 3.0. Caltrain Live also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (17 vs 2). Next Caltrain's advantage is iOS requirement (11.1 vs 15.1). 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

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

Caltrain Live holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caltrain Live has 17 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Next Caltrain ships an update every 7 months, Caltrain Live every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Next Caltrain versus Caltrain Live: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNext CaltrainCaltrain Live
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)4.6 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—62.5% of reviews
Number of ratings217 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.1 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew FangJackson Loeffler

Customer experience

Next Caltrain

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Caltrain Live

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%

In-app purchases

None

Next Caltrain

No in-app purchases

None

Caltrain Live

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Next Caltrain free?
Next Caltrain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Caltrain Live free?
Caltrain Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Next Caltrain or Caltrain Live?
Caltrain Live is rated higher. Next Caltrain averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Caltrain Live averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.
Do Next Caltrain or Caltrain Live have ads?
Neither Next Caltrain nor Caltrain Live shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Next Caltrain or Caltrain Live?
Next Caltrain ships an update every 7 months, and Caltrain Live every 3 months. Most recently, Next Caltrain was updated on October 29, 2026 and Caltrain Live on October 30, 2026.

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