# Waymo vs Valley Metro

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Waymo at 83% against Valley Metro's 25%. Waymo also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (265K vs 10K). Valley Metro's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Waymo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waymo has 265K ratings behind it against 10K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Waymo's written reviews are positive against 25% of Valley Metro's.

Waymo ships an update fortnightly, Valley Metro every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Waymo | Valley Metro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (265K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waymo/id1343524838/reviews)** | [4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valley-metro/id1569217165/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **265K** | 10K |
| Positive reviews | **83.0% of reviews** | 25.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 177 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Waymo LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1343524837) | [REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163248235) |

## What reviewers say

### Waymo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waymo/id1343524838)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · Travel, #96 Top Free (US App Store)

Request autonomous rides in select territories with a fully electric fleet. Customize your journey with temperature and music controls, and enjoy a safe, reliable, and eco-friendly transportation experience.

**Highlights:** Request autonomous rides, Ride scheduling, Customize ride temperature and music, Easy door unlock via Bluetooth, Share trip status, Multi-stop trips, All-electric fleet

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth, safe, and efficient rides
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🚗 Comfortable and clean vehicles
- 💰 Affordable pricing
- 🎶 Music control in the car

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚧 Limited service area
- 🕰️ Longer wait times compared to other ride-sharing
- 🚶‍♀️ Inconvenient pickup/drop-off locations
- 🤖 Concerns about self-driving reliability
- 📞 Poor customer service

**Reported bugs**

- App login issues
- Unreliable ride booking and cancellation
- Unexpected route changes during rides

**Requested features**

- Expand service area to more cities
- Improve pickup/drop-off locations
- Add Bluetooth connectivity for personal music
- Provide option to contact support during rides


### Valley Metro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valley-metro/id1569217165)

Plan your transit journeys in metro Phoenix with real-time bus and light rail tracking. Easily manage fares, earn savings with Smart Fare, and receive service alerts for a seamless travel experience.

**Highlights:** Smart Fare payment and savings, Step-by-step trip planning, Real-time bus and light rail location, Service alerts and notifications, Save favorite stops and routes, Account loading and transaction history

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful staff
- 🚀 Convenient app
- 🚀 Useful utility

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable tracking
- 🐛 Inaccurate schedules
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🚫 Lack of multi-day passes
- 💰 Expensive fares

**Reported bugs**

- Brightness glitches
- Login/authentication issues
- Disappearing bus locations
- Unreliable schedule updates

**Requested features**

- Add monthly/weekly pass options
- Integrate with Apple Wallet
- Improve real-time tracking accuracy
- Provide more fare payment options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Waymo free?

Waymo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Valley Metro free?

Valley Metro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Waymo or Valley Metro?

Waymo is rated higher. Waymo averages 5.0 out of 5 from 265K ratings, while Valley Metro averages 4.7 from 10K ratings.

### Do Waymo or Valley Metro have ads?

Neither Waymo nor Valley Metro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Waymo or Valley Metro?

Waymo ships an update fortnightly, and Valley Metro every 4 months. Most recently, Waymo was updated on October 26, 2026 and Valley Metro on October 25, 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.*