Comparison

SMART eTickets vs Ferry SF

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SMART eTickets

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
Read full description

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) eTickets app allows you to purchase and use tickets instantly on your phone using a debit or credit card. Simply download the free app, register your e-mail address in our secure system and you're ready to ride. With the SMART Train Mobile Tickets app, you can: · Purchase one-way or round-trip tickets · Receive a discounted fare if you qualify as: Youth (5 -18), Senior (65 & Older) or a passenger with disabilities · Pay a single fare or multiple fares for a group of riders · Store multiple tickets on your phone for future use · Activate tickets · Register your debit/credit card in our secure system IMPORTANT REMINDERS: · You need an account to use mobile tickets. An account only requires an email & password · Once you purchase your ticket it will appear in your "ticket wallet" · Activate your ticket shortly before boarding the SMART Train · If you purchased multiple tickets remember to activate all of them. Tickets are displayed in order of activation. Swipe to advance to the next ticket · Be prepared to show your active ticket(s) to SMART personnel · Keep an eye on your battery level. You are held responsible for having a mobile phone in good working order and usable prior to boarding. If your mobile phone is inoperable you must use some other payment method for the journey · Mobile tickets do not need cell phone or WiFi services to be activated. However, you do need connectivity during the purchase of the ticket. · Mobile tickets are valid for 90 minutes after activation · Mobile tickets that have been purchased, but not activated, will expire after 30 days · Transfer credits are not available via the SMART mobile ticket app · If you lose or purchase a new device you can transfer any valid, unused tickets to a new device. SMART POLICY ON REFUNDS: · Generally, SMART does not issue refunds on mobile products · In the case of extenuating circumstances, customers can submit a refund request · Refund form can be found on: www.SonomaMarinTrain.org

About

Ferry SF

Track ferries live on a map and access full schedules offline. Get service alerts and ferry news. An optional subscription removes ads and unlocks unlimited map access.

Highlights
  • Live ferry tracking map
  • Real-time schedules
  • Offline schedule access
  • Service alerts and news
  • Fleet information
  • Optional ad-free subscription
Features
Read full description

Ferry SF is a free, fan-made companion for San Francisco Bay ferry riders. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Golden Gate Ferry, San Francisco Bay Ferry (WETA), the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry, the Treasure Island Ferry, or Alcatraz City Cruises. For tickets and official fares, use Clipper or each operator's website. This app is a schedule and tracking reference, not a ticket store. BUILT FOR A QUICK LOOK Open the app, skip the intro, and see today's sailings for the terminal you are near. Past times fade, and the list jumps to the next departure so you can decide whether to walk over or wait. No account required. FIVE FERRY SERVICES, ONE APP Golden Gate Ferry, San Francisco Bay Ferry, Angel Island Tiburon Ferry, Treasure Island Ferry, and Alcatraz City Cruises. Choose the services you ride on first launch, and turn any of them on or off later in the Info menu. Discover routes you have not tried yet. See every ferry on the bay in one place and find your next adventure, from a Sausalito lunch to a day on Angel Island or Alcatraz. Each service links to its own website for tickets and fares. SCHEDULES Weekday, weekend, and holiday departures for ports across the bay: San Francisco, Larkspur, Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island, Treasure Island, Alcatraz, Vallejo, Richmond, Oakland, Alameda, Harbor Bay, South San Francisco, and Oracle Park on Giants game days. Switch ports from the dropdown, or tap destination chips to see only the places you are going. See gates, delays, and Live or Predicted vessel cues when we have them. Tap a sailing with a ship assigned to follow it on the map. Alcatraz publishes no return times, so its island departures are estimates, marked as such. Departures for the next seven days at every port of the services you follow are saved on your device when you open the app, so times still show on the platform, in a tunnel, or anywhere signal is poor. LIVE MAP Watch ferries across the bay using public AIS and real-time ferry data. Ship icons match the vessels you will see in person. Tap a ship for its trip and specs, swipe between boats, and tap a port to open its schedule. Jump to any port from the bay overview, follow your own location, and switch to a 3D satellite view. Zoom in for ship names and wakes. When live coverage is thin or you are offline, predicted positions follow the real ferry channels to estimate where each boat should be. Free users get a short map preview each session. FerrySF Pro keeps the map unlocked. ALERTS AND NEWS Service alerts from Golden Gate Ferry, San Francisco Bay Ferry, and Alcatraz appear as a banner on the Schedule, with a badge for what is new to you. Acknowledge alerts you have already seen so they stay out of the way. Plus a feed of recent Golden Gate news. FLEET Browse the vessels of the services you follow, with specs and a Live tag for the ones on the water, and see which boat is running a trip when that information is available. APPEARANCE Light, Dark, or follow your device. PRIVACY Location stays on your device for nearest terminal and map centering. We do not sell or farm user data. FERRYSF PRO (OPTIONAL AUTO-RENEWABLE SUBSCRIPTION) A small banner on the Schedule tab supports the free app. FerrySF Pro removes that ad and unlocks unlimited live map access. Monthly and yearly plans (see in-app pricing; for example $1.99/month or $9.99/year in the U.S.). Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings -> Apple ID -> Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://jmilswell.dev/ferry-sf/privacy/

Screenshots

SMART eTickets4 screens
Ferry SF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ferry SF at 5.0 against SMART eTickets's 3.1. Ferry SF also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). SMART eTickets's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ferry SF sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. SMART eTickets asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ferry SF holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SMART eTickets has 36 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMART eTickets ships an update every 4 months, Ferry SF weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SMART eTickets versus Ferry SF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMART eTicketsFerry SF
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (36 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings36 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSonoma-Marin Area Rail TransitJEFFREY CHARLES MILLER

Customer experience

SMART eTickets

All ratings31 ratings
Positive48.4%
Neutral16.1%
Negative35.5%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral22.2%
Negative55.6%

Ferry SF

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SMART eTickets

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Ferry SF

Subscriptions2
  • FerrySF Pro$1.991 Month
  • FerrySF Pro$9.991 Year

Questions

Is SMART eTickets free?
SMART eTickets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ferry SF free?
Ferry SF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SMART eTickets or Ferry SF?
Ferry SF is rated higher. SMART eTickets averages 3.1 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Ferry SF averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do SMART eTickets or Ferry SF have ads?
Ferry SF shows ads; SMART eTickets does not.
Which is updated more often, SMART eTickets or Ferry SF?
SMART eTickets ships an update every 4 months, and Ferry SF weekly. Most recently, SMART eTickets was updated on October 24, 2026 and Ferry SF on October 24, 2026.

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