# SMART eTickets vs Clipper Card

The clearest difference is rating: Clipper Card at 3.8 against SMART eTickets's 3.1. Clipper Card also leads on ratings volume (12K vs 36) and chart position (#125 vs unranked). SMART eTickets's advantage is review sentiment (22% vs 3%). On price, update cadence, 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.

Clipper Card holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clipper Card has 12K ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 22% of SMART eTickets's written reviews are positive against 3% of Clipper Card's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SMART eTickets ships an update every 4 months, Clipper Card every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMART eTickets | Clipper Card |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-etickets/id1259298886/reviews) | **[3.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clipper-card/id1534042451/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 36 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | **22.2% of reviews** | 2.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#125** |
| Size | 71 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit](https://appshunter.io/developer/1259298885) | [Metropolitan Transportation Commission](https://appshunter.io/developer/577603960) |

## What reviewers say

### SMART eTickets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-etickets/id1259298886)

Purchase and use train tickets instantly on your phone with a debit or credit card. Register securely and buy single or round-trip tickets, with discounts for eligible passengers. Store, activate, and display tickets for easy travel.

**Highlights:** Instant ticket purchase, Debit/credit card payment, Discounted fares for youth, seniors, and disabled, Group ticket payment, Store multiple tickets, Activate tickets before boarding, Transfer tickets to new devices

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


### Clipper Card

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clipper-card/id1534042451)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your transit card for contactless fare payments across the San Francisco Bay Area. Load value, plan trips with real-time information, and pay fares directly from your iPhone or Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Pay fares with Clipper in Apple Pay, Manage transit accounts, Load cash value and transit passes, Plan trips with real-time info, Add/transfer cards to Apple Wallet, View account activity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient to add Clipper card to Apple Wallet
- 👍 Easy to manage Clipper card balance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent issues
- ⏱️ Slow to update card balance and transaction history
- 💳 Difficult to cancel auto-load or transfer card balances
- 🤖 Poor customer service and unresponsive support
- 🔒 Security concerns with lost/stolen cards

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes frequently
- Card balances not updating properly
- Issues with adding cards to Apple Wallet
- Inconsistent behavior when loading funds

**Requested features**

- Improve real-time sync of card balance and transactions
- Streamline process to cancel auto-load and transfer balances
- Provide better customer support and communication
- Enhance security features for lost/stolen cards
- Eliminate unnecessary fees


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMART eTickets free?

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

### Is Clipper Card free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SMART eTickets or Clipper Card?

Clipper Card is rated higher. SMART eTickets averages 3.1 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Clipper Card averages 3.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do SMART eTickets or Clipper Card have ads?

Neither SMART eTickets nor Clipper Card shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMART eTickets or Clipper Card?

SMART eTickets ships an update every 4 months, and Clipper Card every 3 months. Most recently, SMART eTickets was updated on October 29, 2026 and Clipper Card on November 1, 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.*