Metro Transit vs Arrowhead Transit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Metro Transit
Plan your transit trips, view real-time departure information for buses and trains, and purchase mobile tickets directly from your smartphone. This app simplifies navigating public transportation in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.
- Trip Planner
- Real-time departure information (NexTrip)
- Mobile ticket purchasing
- Store multiple tickets
- Secure payment options
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Make transit trips in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area as mobile as you are with the official Metro Transit app. Now you can plan your trip, see departure information for buses and trains, and buy transit tickets all on the go! Just download the free app, create an account with your method of payment, and get moving. The Metro Transit app is a tool to make riding the bus, METRO system and Northstar in the Twin Cities a little bit easier. After you’ve identified your desired trip and transit departure time, you can buy and use Metro Transit mobile tickets right from your smartphone – it’s like having a ticket machine right in your pocket! KEY FEATURES: Find the right bus, light rail, or train for you through the Trip Planner. See the next available bus, light rail, or train for your desired trip with NexTrip. Pay a single fare or multiple fares for a group of riders, and store multiple tickets on your phone for future use. Simply create an account and enter your credit/debit card information in our secure system. If you’re looking to pay with cash, you can use a pre-paid debit card or pre-paid gift card. HOW IT WORKS: 1. SELECT RIDER TYPE: Adult, Senior/Youth/Medicare, Mobility, Family 2. SELECT SERVICE: Local Bus/METRO, Express Bus, or Northstar 3. SELECT: Station for Northstar or time-based fare for Bus/METRO 4. CHECKOUT: Pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, pre-paid debit or gift card, or Apple Pay COMMON QUESTIONS: Do I need to be connected? An internet connection is required create an account, sign-in and purchase and activate tickets. What if my battery dies? Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times, so be sure to plan ahead! IMPORTANT REMINDERS: • Activate your ticket when you see your bus or train approaching. Your ticket must be activated before boarding a vehicle. • Watch your battery level... Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times.
Arrowhead Transit
This app provides convenient digital scheduling and purchasing for public transportation across ten counties in Northeast Minnesota. Plan, book, and track your rides in real-time, with support for various accessibility needs. Pay digitally or with cash for a seamless travel experience.
- Digital ride scheduling
- Ticket purchasing
- Real-time vehicle tracking
- On-demand trip requests
- Accessible design
- Multiple payment options
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The Arrowhead Transit app connects you to safe, affordable public transportation across ten counties in Northeast Minnesota. Whether you’re traveling to work, school, medical appointments, or just around town, the app makes riding easier than ever. Arrowhead Transit is your reliable rural transit company. The app provides convenient, digital ride scheduling and purchasing of tickets. Plan, book, and track rides: View route schedules, request on-demand trips, and see real-time vehicle locations. From Dial-A-Ride to intercity routes, Arrowhead Transit moves with you—wherever you need to go. Pay and ride with confidence: Book and manage your rides directly in the app. Use a debit or credit card to pay digitally, or pay your driver in cash when boarding. Accessible and inclusive: Built for every rider, the app supports language translation, screen readers, and mobile accessibility tools for riders with visual or mobility impairments. How it works: Open the app and enter your pick-up and drop-off locations. Choose your ride type (Dial-A-Ride or fixed route). Confirm your trip and get live updates as your bus approaches. Arrowhead Transit serves communities throughout Aitkin, Carlton, Chisago, Cook, Isanti, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine, and St. Louis counties. Thank you for riding with Minnesota’s largest rural transit system. Need help? For technical issues or app support, contact The Routing Company at support@theroutingcompany.com or use in-app live chat. For Arrowhead Transit service questions, visit arrowheadtransit.com or call 1-800-862-0175.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Arrowhead Transit at 4.8 against Metro Transit's 1.6. Arrowhead Transit also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 14%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Metro Transit's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and ratings volume (355 vs 37). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.
Arrowhead Transit holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Metro Transit has 355 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Metro Transit's written reviews are positive against 50% of Arrowhead Transit's.
Metro Transit ships an update every 3 months, Arrowhead Transit fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Metro Transit | Arrowhead Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.6 (355 ratings) | 4.8 (37 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 13.9% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 355 — better | 37 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 108 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Metropolitan Council | The Routing Company |
Customer experience
Metro Transit
Arrowhead Transit
Bugs and requests
Metro Transit
Reported bugs
4 issues- Payment buttons not functioning
- App crashing or getting stuck on loading screens
- Login issues and account problems
- Incompatibility with older devices or OS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Add prompt for first-time users to buy tickets
- Integrate trip planning and schedules into the app
- Allow purchasing multiple tickets at once
- Improve payment flow and reliability
Arrowhead Transit
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Metro Transit
No in-app purchases
Arrowhead Transit
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Metro Transit free?
Is Arrowhead Transit free?
Which has better reviews, Metro Transit or Arrowhead Transit?
Do Metro Transit or Arrowhead Transit have ads?
Which is updated more often, Metro Transit or Arrowhead Transit?
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