Comparison

Universal Studios Hollywood™ vs TAP LA

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

Head to head
About

Universal Studios Hollywood™

Plan your visit to a major theme park with this app. Access park maps, check wait times, join virtual queues, and order food ahead. Enhance your experience with interactive features and manage your tickets and reservations.

Highlights
  • Dynamic digital park map
  • Virtual Line Access
  • Mobile Food & Drink Ordering
  • Link tickets and payment
  • Dining reservations
  • Interactive play with Power-Up Band
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Whether you’re planning your visit or already in the middle of the best day in L.A., the Universal Studios Hollywood App is the ultimate must-have. Tap in to purchase tickets, access planning tools, unlock exclusive experiences, book delicious dining reservations, and even order your favorite foods on the go! Get all of this and more in the palm of your hand with the Universal Studios Hollywood App. Navigate Our Universe: From attraction wait times to nearby dining options and everything in between, you can find it all on our dynamic digital park map. Join a Virtual Line: Use Virtual Line Access to choose a return time and save your spot in line at select attractions throughout Universal Studios Hollywood. Unlock More Interactive Play: With your Power-Up BandTM and the Universal Studios Hollywood App, you can track your score as you complete Key Challenges, defeat Bowser Jr., collect digital coins, and more throughout SUPER NINTENDO WORLDTM. Ordering Food is Deliciously Easy: With Mobile Food & Drink Ordering, you can now order ahead at select locations. That means less time waiting in line and more time enjoying delicious delights! Access Your Universal Studios Hollywood Wallet: Link your tickets and add a payment method to ensure an even more seamless visit! For a contactless experience, you can access your tickets on the go and even assign specific tickets to people within your Travel Party. Dine On Your Time: Make dining reservations at select locations within Universal CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood. From classic culinary favorites to show-stopping desserts, you’ll find something for everyone to enjoy! Plus, you can access additional features designed to ensure you have the smoothest visit possible. Virtual Assistant, Parking Reminders, Favorites, and more are available only in the Universal Studios Hollywood App. Privacy Information Center: www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us/privacy-center Terms of Service: www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy Do Not Sell My Personal Information: www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/notrtoo CA Notice: www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act

About

TAP LA

Pay for transit fares across Los Angeles with your mobile device. This app allows you to purchase passes, manage multiple cards, and use touchless payment on numerous bus and train systems. It also offers trip planning and access to multimodal programs.

Highlights
  • Touchless payment
  • Add TAP card to iPhone/Apple Watch
  • Purchase transit passes
  • Manage multiple TAP cards
  • Add TAP card to Apple Wallet
  • Trip planning tools
  • Reduced fare support
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority ("LACMTA"), a government agency, is the owner and developer of this app. TAP is your ticket to ride transit in greater Los Angeles! It is accepted on 27 systems including LA Metro, providing a vast network of buses and trains. - Make your travel safe and easy with touchless payment and card management. - Add a new TAP card to your iPhone and Apple Watch and use your fare immediately. - Use your iPhone (8 and above) and Apple Watch (Series 3 and above) to tap with Apple Pay when boarding a bus or train. - Enjoy flexible payment options including credit/debit cards, account cash and Apple Pay. - Purchase a transit pass or Stored Value for any agency in Los Angeles County. - Manage multiple cards in your TAP account (iPhone 5 and above). - Add your TAP card to Apple Wallet, enable Express Transit and quickly tap and pay when you board. You don't even have to wake up your phone! - Supports reduced fares for seniors, students, persons with disabilities and low-income riders. - Transfer a TAP card in your account to your Apple Wallet and leave the plastic at home. - Access multimodal programs such as Metro Bike Share. - Use Trip Tools to plan trips, find nearby transit options, view real-time arrivals and save favorite destinations and stops. - Enjoy the benefits of a TAP account, such as Balance Protection, card management, discounts, promotions, transaction history and friendly customer service. - Accepted on 27 transit systems in LA County including: Angels Flight Railway Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) Baldwin Park Transit Beach Cities Transit Burbank Bus Carson Circuit Compton Renaissance Transit System Culver CityBus Foothill Transit Gardena GTRANS Glendale Beeline Glendora Transportation Division Huntington Park Transit Unlimited LA County Department of Public Works LADOT Transit Lawndale Beat Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Long Beach Transit Metro Montebello Bus Lines Monterey Park Spirit Bus Norwalk Transit Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority Pasadena Transit Santa Clarita Transit Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Torrance Transit

Screenshots

Universal Studios Hollywood™4 screens
TAP LA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Universal Studios Hollywood™ at 54% against TAP LA's 12%. Universal Studios Hollywood™ also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.9) and ratings volume (211K vs 851). TAP LA's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 17.0). 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

Universal Studios Hollywood™ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universal Studios Hollywood™ has 211K ratings behind it against 851, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Universal Studios Hollywood™'s written reviews are positive against 12% of TAP LA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Universal Studios Hollywood™ ships an update monthly, TAP LA every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Universal Studios Hollywood™ versus TAP LA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversal Studios Hollywood™TAP LA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (211K ratings) — better1.9 (851 ratings)
Positive reviews54.3% of reviews — better11.7% of reviews
Number of ratings211K — better851
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#57 — better#205
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013 — better
Further details — not scored
Size197 MB84 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNBCUniversal Media, LLCLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Customer experience

Universal Studios Hollywood™

All ratings210,052 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews361 reviews
Positive54.3%
Neutral5.8%
Negative39.9%

TAP LA

All ratings838 ratings
Positive20.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative76.1%
Written reviews299 reviews
Positive11.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative85.6%

User reviews

Universal Studios Hollywood™

From 211K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Helpful wait time tracking
  • 👍 Useful map and itinerary features
  • 👍 Accurate ride and show information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and glitches
  • 🔍 Confusing navigation and layout
  • 🚫 Inability to purchase tickets in-app
  • 💰 Overpriced food and merchandise

TAP LA

From 851 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • ✨ Convenient digital tap card
  • 💳 Ability to load funds
  • 🗺️ Trip planning functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and glitches
  • 💰 Charges money without adding funds
  • ⏱️ Slow load times and processing
  • 🤷‍♀️ Confusing user experience
  • 🚫 Doesn't work for tourists/visitors

Bugs and requests

Universal Studios Hollywood™

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Ticket purchase issues and delays
  • Unreliable wait time alerts
  • Inconsistent app performance

Requested features

4 requests
  • Link annual pass to app account
  • Add GPS navigation within the park
  • Improve mobile food ordering experience
  • Provide more detailed park information

TAP LA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Card registration and activation issues
  • Disappearing funds and balances
  • Inconsistent app performance

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow multiple devices for one account
  • Improve reliability of fund loading
  • Provide more transparent transaction history
  • Integrate with more payment methods

In-app purchases

None

Universal Studios Hollywood™

No in-app purchases

None

TAP LA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Universal Studios Hollywood™ free?
Universal Studios Hollywood™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TAP LA free?
TAP LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Universal Studios Hollywood™ or TAP LA?
Universal Studios Hollywood™ is rated higher. Universal Studios Hollywood™ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 211K ratings, while TAP LA averages 1.9 from 851 ratings.
Do Universal Studios Hollywood™ or TAP LA have ads?
Neither Universal Studios Hollywood™ nor TAP LA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Universal Studios Hollywood™ or TAP LA?
Universal Studios Hollywood™ ships an update monthly, and TAP LA every 5 months. Most recently, Universal Studios Hollywood™ was updated on October 31, 2026 and TAP LA on October 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, Universal Studios Hollywood™ or TAP LA?
Universal Studios Hollywood™ currently peaks at #57 in the App Store charts, and TAP LA at #205. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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