Token Transit vs The Official MTA App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Token Transit
Purchase and activate digital transit passes directly from your phone. Your mobile device becomes your ticket, allowing you to easily board public transportation. Supports over 200 cities across North America.
- Purchase transit fares
- Activate digital tickets
- Store tickets on phone
- Supports over 200 cities
- Tap to activate
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1. Purchase - Select your preferred fare type in the Token Transit app. 2. Activate - Your phone holds all your tickets. When you are ready to ride, tap your ticket to activate. 3. Ride - As you board the vehicle, show the driver your digital ticket or scan it on the validator. Download and start riding today! Live in over 200 cities across North America including: - NFTA Metro, Buffalo, NY - RTA, New Orleans, LA - Miami Dade Transit, Miami, FL - CTtransit, Hartford, New Haven & Stamford, CT - JTA, Jacksonville, FL - Metro Transit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - DDOT, Detroit, MI - Omnitrans, San Bernardino, CA - Roam Transit, Banff, AB - RTC, Reno, NV - TARC, Louisville, KY See the full list of available transit agencies here: https://tokentransit.com/agency
The Official MTA App
Access real-time transit information for subways and buses directly from the source. Get live arrival times, service status updates, system maps, and connect with customer service via chat. Save your favorite routes for quick access to essential transit details.
- Real-time arrival board
- Service status updates
- System maps
- Live customer service chat
- Save favorite routes
- Planned service changes
- Elevator/escalator outage info
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Get live transit updates straight from the source. The official MTA app is the best way to get real-time arrival info for subways and buses, plus service status updates, maps, a live customer service chat, and more. • Know exactly when the next train or bus is coming with our up-to-the-minute arrival board for every station and stop in the system. • Reliable real-time information from the MTA, with a new Status tab to quickly see on any service issues. • Save a subway line or bus route for easy and quick access to arrival info and status updates for your frequently used stops and stations. • See real-time service updates, planned service changes, and information about elevator and escalator outages. • Our live customer service chat connects you with an MTA employee who can help you with your ride. The MTA app is built by MTA riders for MTA riders. We update the app regularly based on your feedback.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: The Official MTA App at 4.4 against Token Transit's 3.3. The Official MTA App also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (13K vs 424). Token Transit's advantage is review sentiment (39% vs 18%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). 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.
The Official MTA App holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Official MTA App has 13K ratings behind it against 424, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of Token Transit's written reviews are positive against 18% of The Official MTA App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Token Transit ships an update every 3 months, The Official MTA App weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Token Transit | The Official MTA App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (424 ratings) | 4.4 (13K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 38.8% of reviews — better | 18.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 424 | 13K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #182 | #72 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 133 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Token Transit, Inc. | Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
Customer experience
Token Transit
The Official MTA App
User reviews
Token Transit
From 424 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 👍 Great customer service
- 💡 Eliminates need for cash/change
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 🐛 Unreliable app performance
- 🐛 Disappearing purchased passes
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with phone number requirement
The Official MTA App
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate train times
- 🚀 Helpful for commuters
- 🚀 Useful for tracking service changes
- 👍 Clean design
- 👍 Offline maps
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate bus arrival times
- 🐛 Unreliable train arrival times
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive interface
- 👎 Too many steps to access basic information
Bugs and requests
Token Transit
Reported bugs
4 issues- Account suspension issues
- Inability to transfer passes to new devices
- Activation/expiration date problems
- Repeated login/logout issues
Requested features
4 requests- Offline pass support
- Apple Watch compatibility
- More pass/ticket options
- Improved sync between devices
The Official MTA App
Reported bugs
3 issues- Favorites disappearing after updates
- Inconsistent display of uptown/downtown directions
- Inability to view route options from current location
Requested features
4 requests- Add widget for favorite stations
- Improve bus tracking and real-time location
- Simplify navigation and reduce number of taps
- Restore previous app's functionality
In-app purchases
Token Transit
No in-app purchases
The Official MTA App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Token Transit free?
Is The Official MTA App free?
Which has better reviews, Token Transit or The Official MTA App?
Do Token Transit or The Official MTA App have ads?
Which is updated more often, Token Transit or The Official MTA App?
Which is more popular, Token Transit or The Official MTA App?
Other comparisons
