# Capital Bikeshare vs SmarTrip

The clearest difference is rating: Capital Bikeshare at 4.3 against SmarTrip's 2.5. Capital Bikeshare also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (32% vs 11%). SmarTrip's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and chart position (#210 vs unranked). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Capital Bikeshare holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Capital Bikeshare has 1.6K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Capital Bikeshare's written reviews are positive against 11% of SmarTrip's.

Capital Bikeshare ships an update weekly, SmarTrip every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Capital Bikeshare | SmarTrip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capital-bikeshare/id1233403073/reviews)** | [2.5 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **31.6% of reviews** | 10.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#210** |
| Size | 247 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lyft Bikes and Scooters, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1233398898) | [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257235533) |

## What reviewers say

### Capital Bikeshare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capital-bikeshare/id1233403073)

This app provides access to a large bike-sharing system across Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. Users can purchase rides, unlock bikes, and find nearby stations with available bikes and docks. It also integrates public transit schedules for seamless travel planning.

**Highlights:** Purchase rides and memberships, Unlock bikes directly from the app, View station locations and bike availability, Get walking directions to stations, See public transit schedules, Ideal for one-way trips

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚲 Convenient way to get around
- 💰 Affordable pricing
- 📍 Helpful navigation and station info

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚲 Bike and dock availability issues
- 🔍 Unclear pricing and fees
- 🤖 Poor customer service
- 🐛 Buggy app and technical problems

**Reported bugs**

- Bikes not unlocking properly
- Incorrect dock availability info
- Charges for rides that didn't happen

**Requested features**

- Extend ride time limit
- Improve bike and dock distribution
- Add voice navigation
- Better integration with public transit


### SmarTrip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463)

**Currently charting:** #210 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your SmarTrip card and account with this optional tool. Register your card for balance protection, check benefits, set up auto-reload, or purchase transit passes. It can also be added to Apple Wallet for easy tap-to-pay.

**Highlights:** Manage SmarTrip card and account, Add SmarTrip to Apple Wallet, Register card for balance protection, Check SmartBenefits, Setup Auto-Reload, Buy unlimited transit passes

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for commuting
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Apple Wallet
- 🚀 Straightforward account setup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable card reading at turnstiles
- 🐛 Delayed balance updates
- 🐛 Buggy app functionality
- 🔒 Excessive personal information required
- 🔒 Difficult to recover account

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to activate account due to missing activation email
- Password reset process not working
- Inconsistent behavior when adding value to card

**Requested features**

- Ability to transfer balance between cards
- Real-time balance updates
- Improved trip planning tools
- Apple Watch support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Capital Bikeshare free?

Capital Bikeshare is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SmarTrip free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Capital Bikeshare or SmarTrip?

Capital Bikeshare is rated higher. Capital Bikeshare averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while SmarTrip averages 2.5 from 57 ratings.

### Do Capital Bikeshare or SmarTrip have ads?

Neither Capital Bikeshare nor SmarTrip shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Capital Bikeshare or SmarTrip?

Capital Bikeshare ships an update weekly, and SmarTrip every 5 months. Most recently, Capital Bikeshare was updated on September 22, 2026 and SmarTrip on September 23, 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.*