# CharmPass vs Places by Data

CharmPass and Places by Data both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Places by Data's written reviews are positive against 61% of CharmPass's. CharmPass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ratings volume (33K vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Places by Data sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. CharmPass asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for CharmPass against 5.0 for Places by Data. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CharmPass has 33K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of CharmPass's written reviews are positive against 100% of Places by Data's.

CharmPass ships an update every 2 months, Places by Data every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 15, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CharmPass | Places by Data |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmpass/id1411574150/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/places-by-data/id6791019009/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 32 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maryland Transit Administration](https://appshunter.io/developer/1411574149) | [Picture This Parties](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791019011) |

## What reviewers say

### CharmPass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmpass/id1411574150)

Purchase and use transit fares instantly from your phone. Securely register payment methods and buy tickets for local services, trains, and buses. Avoid paper tickets, cash, and ticket machines.

**Highlights:** Instant fare purchase, No paper tickets, Multiple transit options, Secure payment options, Group fare purchase, Offline ticket activation

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 👍 Seamless integration with payment methods
- 🚀 Faster boarding process
- 🚀 Efficient for commuting
- 👍 Eco-friendly and paperless

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and login issues
- 🐛 Tickets not always working as expected
- 🐛 Ticket expiration issues
- 🐛 Lack of offline functionality
- 🐛 Inconsistent bus driver interactions

**Reported bugs**

- Tickets disappearing from the app
- Tickets not activating properly
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Unreliable location tracking

**Requested features**

- Loyalty program or incentives
- Improved ticket management and refund options
- Real-time transit updates and alerts
- Apple Watch integration
- Better offline support


### Places by Data

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/places-by-data/id6791019009)

Automatically creates a private map of your life from your iPhone's existing data. Visualize your travels, photos, health metrics, and device encounters on a single, interactive map.

**Highlights:** Automatic travel mapping, Photo library integration, Health metric visualization, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth device tracking, On-device trip stories, Interactive map layers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lunch Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big-Hearted Tip | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Tip | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CharmPass free?

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

### Is Places by Data free?

Places by Data is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CharmPass or Places by Data?

Places by Data is rated higher. CharmPass averages 4.9 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Places by Data averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do CharmPass or Places by Data have ads?

Neither CharmPass nor Places by Data shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CharmPass or Places by Data?

CharmPass ships an update every 2 months, and Places by Data every 3 months. Most recently, CharmPass was updated on November 15, 2026 and Places by Data on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*