PTBusBeacon vs STA Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PTBusBeacon
Track Pullman's public transit in real-time with a live bus map and accurate arrival predictions. Plan your journeys, set custom reminders, and receive push notifications for upcoming arrivals without needing to open the app.
- Live bus map
- Arrival predictions
- Trip planning
- Custom reminders
- Push notifications
- General transit information
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PT Bus Beacon provides a live bus map and arrival predictions for the Pullman Washington public transit system. Use the app to set reminders, trigger push notifications that will give arrival predictions without even opening the app, plan your trip and access general information for Pullman Transit.
STA Connect
Manage your transit fare cards, add value, and track your spending. This app allows you to link physical cards or create virtual ones, view your balance, and monitor fare capping progress. It also supports autoload and provides a history of your rides.
- Link physical or create virtual fare cards
- Add value and passes
- Check card balance
- View fare capping progress
- Enable autoload
- Lock lost/stolen cards
- Manage payment methods
- View ride history
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The Spokane Transit Authority (STA) Connect app is packed full of features! With the STA Connect app you can: - Link a physical Connect card or create a virtual eConnect card - Add value or passes - Check your balance - View fare capping progress - Enable autoload - Lock lost or stolen cards - Manage payment methods - View card activity, including ride history Virtual eConnect cards are separate from physical Connect cards. eConnect cards are completely virtual and exist only in your mobile phone. Every card, whether physical or eConnect, has a unique 20 digit number, and that 20 digit number has its own separate balances and fare capping totals from any other Connect card number, even when linked within the same STA Connect app account profile. To add value to an eConnect or physical Connect card, simply add a credit or debit card to your Connect account, then add value to your cart and check out. With value added to your card, you are ready to ride! Please note that no refund can be given on funds loaded to a physical or eConnect card. When you board the bus, bring up the fare payment QR code and hold your phone approximately eight inches below the fare validator with the screen facing up. When your eConnect card has been validated and fare collected, you’ll hear a beep and see a green check mark. Riders with a Universal Transit Access Pass (UTAP) through a local university (e.g. EWU, Gonzaga, SCC, SFCC, Whitworth, or WSU Spokane), employer (e.g. City of Spokane or Spokane County), or other partner agency (e.g. Kendall Yards) can now link their UTAP to their virtual Connect card directly in the STA Connect app. Simply register with your UTAP email address and use the “Partner Agency” widget on the home screen to get started. Learn more about the Connect fare system at spokanetransit.com/connect/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: STA Connect at 2.3 against PTBusBeacon's 1.2. STA Connect also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). PTBusBeacon's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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.
STA Connect holds the better App Store score, 2.3 against 1.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 91 and 40 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of PTBusBeacon's written reviews are positive against 16% of STA Connect's.
PTBusBeacon ships an update every 5 months, STA Connect every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PTBusBeacon | STA Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.2 (91 ratings) | 2.3 (40 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.8% of reviews | 16.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 91 — better | 40 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Syncromatics | Spokane Transit Authority |
Customer experience
PTBusBeacon
STA Connect
In-app purchases
PTBusBeacon
No in-app purchases
STA Connect
No in-app purchases
