LA Mobile vs TAP LA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LA Mobile
Purchase and use transit tickets and passes instantly on your phone. Access real-time information and trip planning tools. Securely store multiple tickets for future use.
- Instant ticket and pass purchase
- Store multiple tickets
- Real-time information
- Trip planning tools
- Secure payment options
- Offline ticket usage
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LA Mobile is the New official mobile ticketing app for LADOT Transit! The app offers a convenient way for you to purchase and use tickets and passes instantly on your phone—anywhere, anytime. LA Mobile also gives you access to real time information and trip planning tools. Just download the free app, register your debit/credit card in our secure system, and you're ready to go. WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS APP: • No need to carry cash or count exact change. • Buy and use fares instantly using a debit/credit card and Apple Pay • Store multiple tickets on your phone for future use. • Register your debit/credit card(s) in our secure system. • Purchase tickets on your phone or on any computer via our website. HOW IT WORKS: 1. CHOOSE SERVICE: DASH or Commuter Express 2. CHOOSE FARE: DASH 31-Day Pass, DASH 20 Trip Tickets, Dash 7-Day Pass, Commuter Express 31-Day Pass (Base, Zones 1 to 4), Commuter Express 20 Trip Tickets (Base, Zones 1 to 4) 3. CHOOSE QUANTITY: You can buy multiple tickets to use later. (A $5 minimum purchase is required.) 4. CHECK OUT: Pay with Visa, MasterCard, PayPal or Apple Pay COMMON QUESTIONS: Do I need to be connected? An Internet connection is required to purchase tickets, but you can use/activate your tickets offline. What if my battery dies? Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times, so be sure to plan ahead! IMPORTANT REMINDERS: • Activate your ticket when you see your bus approaching. Display your ticket to the bus driver and tap the ticket screen to validate using Lights On feature. • Watch your battery level... Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times. • We suggest you create an account before purchasing tickets, as this is the only way you can transfer your unused tickets if you get a new phone. STAY IN TOUCH: Learn more about LA Mobile and sign up for email updates at http://ladottransit.com/lamobile. We'd also love to hear your feedback and suggestions for improving this app: Email us at lamobile@ladottransit.com.
TAP LA
Pay for transit fares across Los Angeles with your mobile device. This app allows you to purchase passes, manage multiple cards, and use touchless payment on numerous bus and train systems. It also offers trip planning and access to multimodal programs.
- Touchless payment
- Add TAP card to iPhone/Apple Watch
- Purchase transit passes
- Manage multiple TAP cards
- Add TAP card to Apple Wallet
- Trip planning tools
- Reduced fare support
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Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority ("LACMTA"), a government agency, is the owner and developer of this app. TAP is your ticket to ride transit in greater Los Angeles! It is accepted on 27 systems including LA Metro, providing a vast network of buses and trains. - Make your travel safe and easy with touchless payment and card management. - Add a new TAP card to your iPhone and Apple Watch and use your fare immediately. - Use your iPhone (8 and above) and Apple Watch (Series 3 and above) to tap with Apple Pay when boarding a bus or train. - Enjoy flexible payment options including credit/debit cards, account cash and Apple Pay. - Purchase a transit pass or Stored Value for any agency in Los Angeles County. - Manage multiple cards in your TAP account (iPhone 5 and above). - Add your TAP card to Apple Wallet, enable Express Transit and quickly tap and pay when you board. You don't even have to wake up your phone! - Supports reduced fares for seniors, students, persons with disabilities and low-income riders. - Transfer a TAP card in your account to your Apple Wallet and leave the plastic at home. - Access multimodal programs such as Metro Bike Share. - Use Trip Tools to plan trips, find nearby transit options, view real-time arrivals and save favorite destinations and stops. - Enjoy the benefits of a TAP account, such as Balance Protection, card management, discounts, promotions, transaction history and friendly customer service. - Accepted on 27 transit systems in LA County including: Angels Flight Railway Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) Baldwin Park Transit Beach Cities Transit Burbank Bus Carson Circuit Compton Renaissance Transit System Culver CityBus Foothill Transit Gardena GTRANS Glendale Beeline Glendora Transportation Division Huntington Park Transit Unlimited LA County Department of Public Works LADOT Transit Lawndale Beat Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Long Beach Transit Metro Montebello Bus Lines Monterey Park Spirit Bus Norwalk Transit Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority Pasadena Transit Santa Clarita Transit Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Torrance Transit
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: LA Mobile at 4.6 against TAP LA's 1.9. LA Mobile also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 12%). TAP LA's advantage is chart position (#202 vs unranked) and ratings volume (848 vs 189). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
LA Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 189 and 848 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of LA Mobile's written reviews are positive against 12% of TAP LA's.
LA Mobile ships an update every 4 months, TAP LA every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LA Mobile | TAP LA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (189 ratings) — better | 1.9 (848 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews — better | 11.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 189 | 848 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #202 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gobis & Company LLC | Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
Customer experience
LA Mobile
TAP LA
Bugs and requests
LA Mobile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
TAP LA
Reported bugs
3 issues- Card registration and activation issues
- Disappearing funds and balances
- Inconsistent app performance
Requested features
4 requests- Allow multiple devices for one account
- Improve reliability of fund loading
- Provide more transparent transaction history
- Integrate with more payment methods
In-app purchases
LA Mobile
No in-app purchases
TAP LA
No in-app purchases
