Empire Express vs Mountaineer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Empire Express
This app provides on-demand rides for authorized users and their guests. It is exclusively for Empire Pass owners, ensuring a secure and convenient transportation service. Request a ride easily through the application.
- On-demand ride requests
- Guest ride access
- Exclusive service for Empire Pass owners
- Secure transportation
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Empire Express is an on-demand ride service for Empire Pass owners and their guests. Download the app and request a ride today! PLEASE NOTE: This ride service is for Empire Pass owners and their guests only. All others will be considered to be trespassing.
Mountaineer
Request free, on-demand rides within Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows. See estimated wait times, track your driver's progress, and monitor specific express routes.
- On-demand ride requests
- Estimated wait times
- Real-time driver tracking
- Route tracking
- Complimentary service
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Mountaineer provides complimentary, on-demand rides within Olympic Valley & Alpine Meadows. It's easy to use! - Input your ride info to view the estimated wait time. Then, just tap to confirm your request. - Track your driver’s progress. We’ll let you know when we’re getting close! - Track the Olympic Valley Express and OVI Express routes in the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
Empire Express and Mountaineer both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Mountaineer's written reviews are positive against 33% of Empire Express's. Mountaineer also leads on ratings volume (123 vs 41). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Empire Express against 4.6 for Mountaineer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 123 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Empire Express's written reviews are positive against 67% of Mountaineer's.
Empire Express ships an update every 22 months, Mountaineer every 13 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.
| Parameter | Empire Express | Mountaineer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (41 ratings) | 4.6 (123 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 41 | 123 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | Every 13 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | 13.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Downtowner App, Inc. | Downtowner App, Inc. |
Customer experience
Empire Express
Mountaineer
In-app purchases
Empire Express
No in-app purchases
Mountaineer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Empire Express free?
Is Mountaineer free?
Which has better reviews, Empire Express or Mountaineer?
Do Empire Express or Mountaineer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Empire Express or Mountaineer?
Other comparisons
