Passio GO vs MBTA Go
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Passio GO
Track buses in real-time, view schedules, and get estimated arrival times. For operators, it provides seamless vehicle tracking and passenger counting with GPS data.
- Real-time bus location tracking
- Bus schedules and ETAs
- Vehicle tracking for operators
- Passenger counting
- GPS tagging of passengers
- Route visualization
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With Passio GO, you can easily track real-time bus locations, schedules, and estimated arrival times (ETA). This feature is available for select agencies, and while some agencies may choose to show or hide schedules, you can always see where the buses are and their routes. For operators managing transportation systems such as transit buses, shuttles, vans, and more, Passio GO offers seamless tracking and passenger counting. Our applications quickly and efficiently track your vehicles and count passengers as they board and exit, tagging them with GPS coordinates and time/day. This includes categorizing different passenger types or groups. N.B. You can run Passio GO without any registration, use for free. Please contact us at: sales@passiotech.com to setup a Passio Account to operate your own bus system.
MBTA Go
Get real-time public transit information for the Greater Boston area. Track buses, trains, and ferries live on a map, receive personalized disruption notifications, and stay updated on route closures.
- Live arrival times
- Vehicle tracking on map
- Personalized disruption notifications
- Route closure alerts
- Accessibility features (VoiceOver, Switch Control)
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MBTA Go is the official app for live, public transit information in the Greater Boston area. Check live arrival times, track your vehicle, and learn about the latest closures. App features: • Check live arrival times: Get the latest estimates of when your bus or train will get to you. • Track your vehicle: Follow your bus, train, and ferry live on the map. • Get notified before your trip: Get personalized disruption notifications when you need them. • Learn about the latest closures: Find out if your there is a closure on your route with clear alerts and maps. We want to make MBTA Go accessible to all riders who have a smartphone. The app supports language translations and the following mobile accessibility features: • VoiceOver for riders who are blind or have low-vision • Switch and Voice Control for riders with mobility impairments If you have questions about MBTA Go, email us at apphelp@mbta.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MBTA Go at 62% against Passio GO's 24%. MBTA Go also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Passio GO's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (11K vs 154). 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.
Passio GO holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Passio GO has 11K ratings behind it against 154, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Passio GO's written reviews are positive against 62% of MBTA Go's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Passio GO ships an update monthly, MBTA Go fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Passio GO | MBTA Go |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (11K ratings) — better | 4.1 (154 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 24.2% of reviews | 62.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11K — better | 154 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #114 | #64 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 80 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PassIO Technologies | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
Customer experience
Passio GO
MBTA Go
User reviews
Passio GO
From 11K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Real-time bus tracking
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚌 Helpful for commuting
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- ⏱️ Inaccurate arrival times
- 🗺️ Unreliable route information
- 💻 Difficult to navigate
MBTA Go
From 154 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Reliable real-time information
- 👍 Intuitive and clean user interface
- 🚀 Accurate bus and train tracking
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent data accuracy
- 🔓 Lack of mobile payment options
- 🔍 Missing trip planning features
Bugs and requests
Passio GO
Reported bugs
3 issues- Buses disappearing from map
- App logging users out randomly
- Incorrect route information
Requested features
3 requests- Display full bus schedules
- Ability to favorite specific stops
- Improved GPS accuracy
MBTA Go
Reported bugs
2 issues- App crashes or fails to load at times
- Discrepancies between app data and actual transit times
Requested features
3 requests- Integrate with bike-sharing services
- Add ability to purchase tickets/passes through the app
- Improve trip planning functionality
In-app purchases
Passio GO
No in-app purchases
MBTA Go
No in-app purchases
