Comparison

Marvin Towncar vs BART (Official)

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

Head to head
About

Marvin Towncar

Features
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Features - Create reservations - Submit quote requests - Look up pricing for trips - Create/confirm/cancel reservations - Track your driver - Push notification support - Pay pending balances on reservations - Update your account profile and password - Update your billing information - Email yourself receipts - Get your current location and approximate address - Request meet & greet service - Request car seats - Apply Promo codes Corporate Client Features: - Create/manage your passengers - Update passenger billing information - Book reservations on behalf of your passengers

About

BART (Official)

Plan your Bay Area transit journeys with real-time train departures and official service alerts. This app offers end-to-end trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and customized notifications for a hassle-free commute.

Highlights
  • Real-time train departures
  • End-to-end trip planner
  • Step-by-step navigation
  • Customized service alerts
  • Contactless parking payment
  • Service disruption information
Features
Read full description

The official Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) app has arrived. It’s the easiest way to plan your trip and get accurate real time train departures with data straight from BART, along with official service alerts. The BART app offers exclusive features for hassle free travel for daily commuters, infrequent users and tourists alike: -Plan your entire end to end trip with BART’s exclusive Trip Planner giving you the fastest route from your starting point to your destination using BART and multiple modes of transportation, including connecting transit, biking, walking and driving. -Step by step navigation with personalized preferences and saved favorite stations and trips. -Real time departures and schedule timetable. -Customized in-app notifications about BART service and announcements. -Contactless in-app Daily Fee parking payment -Service disruption information linked to your trip itinerary. -Report a Biohazard that needs addressing and access our BART Watch App for reporting crimes. -Escalator and Elevator advisories. -Fleet of the Future train tracker. -Cancelled trip notices. -Easily see the last train of the evening by station when you’re planning your night out or your trip home from the airport. -Station information (including if it offers a parking lot and secured bike parking). -Seamless connection to bart.gov and BARTable for deals, events, and fun. -It’s ad free; who wants to be distracted when looking how far away your train is? BART is working on future features of the app to enhance your BART experience... Tell us about the features you want.

Screenshots

Marvin Towncar4 screens
BART (Official)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BART (Official) at every 2 months against Marvin Towncar's every 41 months. Marvin Towncar's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Marvin Towncar ships an update every 41 months, BART (Official) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Marvin Towncar versus BART (Official): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarvin TowncarBART (Official)
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.6 (28K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—30.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—28K — better
Update frequencyEvery 41 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBook Rides Online, Inc.San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District

Bugs and requests

Marvin Towncar

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BART (Official)

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Real-time departure times not updating accurately
  • Trip planning providing incorrect/nonsensical routes
  • Login and password issues causing frequent logouts
  • Parking payment not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to check Clipper card balance
  • Automatic license plate recognition for parking
  • Offline mode for schedules and trip planning
  • Better notifications for service advisories and delays
  • More customization options for favorite stations

In-app purchases

None

Marvin Towncar

No in-app purchases

None

BART (Official)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Marvin Towncar free?
Marvin Towncar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BART (Official) free?
BART (Official) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Marvin Towncar or BART (Official) have ads?
Neither Marvin Towncar nor BART (Official) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Marvin Towncar or BART (Official)?
Marvin Towncar ships an update every 41 months, and BART (Official) every 2 months. Most recently, Marvin Towncar was updated on October 26, 2026 and BART (Official) on November 1, 2026.

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