# Chicago CTA Bus Tracker vs Chicago ETAs

The clearest difference is rating: Chicago ETAs at 5.0 against Chicago CTA Bus Tracker's 4.2. Chicago ETAs also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 37 months). Chicago CTA Bus Tracker's advantage is ratings volume (184 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Chicago ETAs holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chicago CTA Bus Tracker has 184 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Chicago CTA Bus Tracker ships an update every 37 months, Chicago ETAs fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chicago CTA Bus Tracker | Chicago ETAs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (184 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-cta-bus-tracker/id1369778129/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-etas-cta-tracker/id6740632721/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **184** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 59.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 37 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 12 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Naiara Albaina](https://appshunter.io/developer/1225698348) | [Emil Mikkelsen](https://appshunter.io/developer/642455601) |

## What reviewers say

### Chicago CTA Bus Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-cta-bus-tracker/id1369778129)

Track Chicago CTA buses in real-time. Select your route, direction, and stop to view upcoming bus arrivals. Save favorite stops for quick access to arrival times.

**Highlights:** Live bus tracking, Route and direction selection, Stop arrival predictions, Save favorite stops, Fast and easy to use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- ✅ Accurate time estimations
- 👍 Helpful for planning trips
- 👍 User-friendly for seniors

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App doesn't update or refresh
- 🐛 Home page sometimes doesn't load
- 🐛 Inconsistent loading
- 🐛 No train tracking available
- 🐛 Ads are intrusive and annoying

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't update
- App doesn't refresh
- Home page doesn't load
- No information available when searching
- App freezes sometimes

**Requested features**

- Ability to rearrange favorites
- Add a refresh button
- Improve user-friendliness on the go
- Add train tracking
- Fix discrepancy between app and website


### Chicago ETAs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-etas-cta-tracker/id6740632721)

This app provides real-time arrival estimates for Chicago's public transit system. It allows users to track specific departures on their lock screen, save favorite stops, and find nearby locations. Detailed route information is also available.

**Highlights:** Real-time arrival times, Lock screen tracking, Favorite stops, Nearby stops finder, Detailed route information

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chicago CTA Bus Tracker free?

Chicago CTA Bus Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chicago ETAs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chicago CTA Bus Tracker or Chicago ETAs?

Chicago ETAs is rated higher. Chicago CTA Bus Tracker averages 4.2 out of 5 from 184 ratings, while Chicago ETAs averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Chicago CTA Bus Tracker or Chicago ETAs have ads?

Chicago CTA Bus Tracker shows ads; Chicago ETAs does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chicago CTA Bus Tracker or Chicago ETAs?

Chicago CTA Bus Tracker ships an update every 37 months, and Chicago ETAs fortnightly. Most recently, Chicago CTA Bus Tracker was updated on September 4, 2026 and Chicago ETAs on June 1, 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.*