# Metro Transit vs PermitPulse

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PermitPulse at 67% against Metro Transit's 14%. PermitPulse also leads on rating (4.0 vs 1.6) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). Metro Transit's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (333 vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PermitPulse sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Metro Transit asks for nothing beyond the download.

PermitPulse holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Metro Transit has 333 ratings behind it against 4, 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 67% of PermitPulse's.

Metro Transit ships an update every 3 months, PermitPulse every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Metro Transit | PermitPulse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (333 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metro-transit/id1153451926/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/permitpulse/id6773133772/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **333** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 13.9% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 40 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Metropolitan Council](https://appshunter.io/developer/1153451925) | [Michael Goodwin](https://appshunter.io/developer/6773133774) |

## What reviewers say

### Metro Transit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metro-transit/id1153451926)

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.

**Highlights:** Trip Planner, Real-time departure information (NexTrip), Mobile ticket purchasing, Store multiple tickets, Secure payment options

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works great
- ✨ Convenient for visiting
- 💳 Supports Apple Pay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 🚫 Can't purchase tickets
- 🔄 Constant login issues
- 🔍 Lacks key features like trip planning

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### PermitPulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/permitpulse/id6773133772)

This app monitors recreation.gov for available permits for popular national parks and wilderness areas. It sends instant push notifications and emails when a desired permit becomes available, helping you secure reservations.

**Highlights:** Real-time permit availability monitoring, Push and email notifications, Supports Boundary Waters, Rocky Mountain NP, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Customizable date and entry point selection, Daily reminders for open permits, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 Tokens | $1.99 | one-time |
| 60 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |
| 120 Tokens | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Metro Transit free?

Metro Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PermitPulse free?

PermitPulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Metro Transit or PermitPulse?

PermitPulse is rated higher. Metro Transit averages 1.6 out of 5 from 333 ratings, while PermitPulse averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Metro Transit or PermitPulse have ads?

Neither Metro Transit nor PermitPulse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Metro Transit or PermitPulse?

Metro Transit ships an update every 3 months, and PermitPulse every 8 days. Most recently, Metro Transit was updated on October 14, 2026 and PermitPulse on October 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*