# The Official MTA App vs SmarTrip

The clearest difference is rating: The Official MTA App at 4.4 against SmarTrip's 2.5. The Official MTA App also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (13K vs 57). On price, review sentiment, 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.

The Official MTA App holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Official MTA App has 13K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of The Official MTA App's written reviews are positive against 11% of SmarTrip's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | The Official MTA App | SmarTrip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-official-mta-app/id1297605670/reviews)** | [2.5 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **18.0% of reviews** | 10.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#74** | — |
| Size | 133 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Metropolitan Transportation Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/528916105) | [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257235533) |

## What reviewers say

### The Official MTA App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-official-mta-app/id1297605670)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Real-time arrival board, Service status updates, System maps, Live customer service chat, Save favorite routes, Planned service changes, Elevator/escalator outage info

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate train times
- 🚀 Helpful for commuters
- 🚀 Useful for tracking service changes
- 👍 Clean design
- 👍 Offline maps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate bus arrival times
- 🐛 Unreliable train arrival times
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive interface
- 👎 Too many steps to access basic information

**Reported bugs**

- Favorites disappearing after updates
- Inconsistent display of uptown/downtown directions
- Inability to view route options from current location

**Requested features**

- Add widget for favorite stations
- Improve bus tracking and real-time location
- Simplify navigation and reduce number of taps
- Restore previous app's functionality


### SmarTrip

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

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 The Official MTA App free?

The Official MTA App 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, The Official MTA App or SmarTrip?

The Official MTA App is rated higher. The Official MTA App averages 4.4 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while SmarTrip averages 2.5 from 57 ratings.

### Do The Official MTA App or SmarTrip have ads?

Neither The Official MTA App nor SmarTrip shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Official MTA App or SmarTrip?

The Official MTA App ships an update weekly, and SmarTrip every 5 months. Most recently, The Official MTA App was updated on September 23, 2026 and SmarTrip on September 22, 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.*