Comparison

Express Saver vs NYCHawk

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

Head to head
About

Express Saver

Estimate express lane toll rates for major highways before you travel. Plan your commute to save time and money by knowing exact entry and exit prices. Receive automatic toll updates as traffic conditions change.

Highlights
  • Estimate tolls for I-495, I-95, I-395, I-66
  • Check tolls anytime, anywhere
  • Estimate tolls between exact entry and exit points
  • Automatic toll rate updates
  • Plan commutes to save time and money
Features
Read full description

Estimate your I-495 / I-95 / I-395, and I-66 express lane rates ahead of time so you can make the right travel decision—never be caught unaware with sky-high tolls again! FEATURES: CHECK TOLLS AT ANY TIME FROM ANYWHERE - Plan ahead and save time and money on your commute. EASILY ESTIMATE TOLLS BETWEEN YOUR EXACT ENTRY AND EXIT - No more guessing your price if your exit is not listed on roadway toll signs. - Easily check alternate entry and exit points to save money on your tolls. AUTOMATIC TOLL UPDATES - Express Saver will do the hard work of automatically and continuously refreshing your trip pricing so you can keep your eyes on the road. FAQ: How does Express Saver work? It's super simple to get started saving time and money with Express Saver. All you need to do is: 1. Enter your express lane direction, entry, and exit points (for example, Northbound Interstate-66 to Jones Branch Drive) 2. Express Saver will give you an estimate of the current toll rate and travel time between your selected expressway entry and exit points. Express Saver will also continuously update your rate estimate as traffic conditions change. Why are toll estimates from Express Saver occasionally different from what I am seeing on roadway toll signs? There is very occasionally a slight delay until Express Saver updates to the latest tolling rates. We obtain the latest rates from the official highway toll reporting systems so we will experience delays if their systems experience delays as well. Please contact us if you are experiencing significant delays or inaccurate tolls and we'll get it fixed! Which express lanes are supported? * I-495 / I-95 / I-395 * I-66 (Inside the Beltway and Outside the Beltway)

About

NYCHawk

This app provides real-time NYC transit information, street sweeping alerts, and a guide to free city services and activities. It offers direct answers to common city-related questions without requiring an account or displaying ads.

Highlights
  • Live subway and bus arrivals
  • Street sweeping countdowns
  • Free things to do and city services guide
  • Live street camera feeds
  • Public restroom and Wi-Fi locations
  • City collision records
Features
Read full description

The city, in one app, in plain English. Free, with no ads and no account. NYCHawk is for New Yorkers who want straight answers about their block, and for visitors who want the real city instead of the tourist version. WHAT YOU WILL OPEN EVERY DAY - Live subway arrivals for the stations near your block, with service alerts and elevator outages - Next bus arrivals, LIRR departures from Penn Station, and Citi Bike docks with bikes available - A street sweeping countdown for your block, starting with a Chelsea pilot. Add your own block from the city's posted signs, anywhere in the five boroughs - Free things to do in Manhattan, dozens of places and activities that cost nothing - The city's own street cameras, live, so you can see the corner before you walk to it - Public restrooms, water fountains, and LinkNYC free Wi-Fi near your block, on a map - Street closures and the city's collision records near your block AND WHEN YOU NEED THE CITY ITSELF 271 tools, every one free. Most are short guides written the way a person would ask: how to get an IDNYC, what to do when a landlord will not turn on the heat, where to find free food, a community fridge, a free legal clinic, a flu shot, a library card, a compost drop-off, a Fair Fares discount, a cooling center, or help with a stray dog. If the city does it, there is a good chance it is in here, written in one screen so you know where to start. WHY I BUILT IT I was born and raised in New York and I live in Chelsea. The city has an answer for almost everything, but it is buried in a dozen websites, a few PDFs, and a phone tree. NYCHawk is my way of giving something back to the city I love: the answers, in one place, free. WHAT NYCHAWK NEVER DOES No account. No sign-in. No ads. No analytics. Your saved block, your vehicles and your preferences stay on your phone. When you look up an address or a plate, the request goes straight from your phone to the public service that answers it (the city first, with Apple's geocoder as a backup for addresses). NYCHawk has no server of its own. NYCHawk is an independent app. It is not affiliated with the City of New York or the MTA. City data comes from their public feeds. Free. All of it, with no in-app purchases.

Screenshots

Express Saver1 screens
NYCHawk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NYCHawk at 5.0 against Express Saver's 3.1. NYCHawk also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). Express Saver's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NYCHawk holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Express Saver's written reviews are positive against 100% of NYCHawk's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Express Saver ships an update monthly, NYCHawk every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Express Saver versus NYCHawk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpress SaverNYCHawk
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (8 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better4
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.4 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMirai Labs LLCSVLTMK LLC

Customer experience

Express Saver

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

NYCHawk

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Express Saver

No in-app purchases

None

NYCHawk

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Express Saver free?
Express Saver is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NYCHawk free?
NYCHawk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Express Saver or NYCHawk?
NYCHawk is rated higher. Express Saver averages 3.1 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while NYCHawk averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Express Saver or NYCHawk have ads?
Neither Express Saver nor NYCHawk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Express Saver or NYCHawk?
Express Saver ships an update monthly, and NYCHawk every 2 days. Most recently, Express Saver was updated on November 2, 2026 and NYCHawk on October 31, 2026.

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