# SamTrans Mobile vs BART (Official)

The clearest difference is rating: BART (Official) at 4.6 against SamTrans Mobile's 3.6. BART (Official) also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 138) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). SamTrans Mobile's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, ads 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.

BART (Official) holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BART (Official) has 26K ratings behind it against 138, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of SamTrans Mobile's written reviews are positive against 31% of BART (Official)'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SamTrans Mobile ships an update every 6 months, BART (Official) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SamTrans Mobile | BART (Official) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samtrans-mobile/id1430107073/reviews) | **[4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bart-official/id1439601871/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 138 | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | **34.8% of reviews** | 30.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 87 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bytemark, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/925346607) | [San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1421336221) |

## What reviewers say

### SamTrans Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samtrans-mobile/id1430107073)

This app allows users to purchase and use bus fares directly from their mobile device. Avoid carrying cash or searching for exact change by paying securely with a debit or credit card. Tickets can be bought instantly and activated when boarding.

**Highlights:** Pay bus fare with phone, Buy single or group fares, Use debit/credit card, Instant ticket purchase, Activate tickets before boarding, Store tickets on device

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


### BART (Official)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bart-official/id1439601871)

Plan your Bay Area transit journeys with real-time train departures and official service alerts. This app offers end-to-end trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and customized notifications for a hassle-free commute.

**Highlights:** Real-time train departures, End-to-end trip planner, Step-by-step navigation, Customized service alerts, Contactless parking payment, Service disruption information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient in-app parking payment
- 👍 Accurate real-time train information
- 🚀 Easy to use app
- 👍 Helpful for planning trips

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable real-time information
- 🔍 Confusing parking payment process
- 🔍 Lack of key features like checking Clipper card balance
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Not intuitive for first-time users

**Reported bugs**

- Real-time departure times not updating accurately
- Trip planning providing incorrect/nonsensical routes
- Login and password issues causing frequent logouts
- Parking payment not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to check Clipper card balance
- Automatic license plate recognition for parking
- Offline mode for schedules and trip planning
- Better notifications for service advisories and delays
- More customization options for favorite stations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SamTrans Mobile free?

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

### Is BART (Official) free?

BART (Official) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SamTrans Mobile or BART (Official)?

BART (Official) is rated higher. SamTrans Mobile averages 3.6 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while BART (Official) averages 4.6 from 26K ratings.

### Do SamTrans Mobile or BART (Official) have ads?

Neither SamTrans Mobile nor BART (Official) shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SamTrans Mobile or BART (Official)?

SamTrans Mobile ships an update every 6 months, and BART (Official) every 2 months. Most recently, SamTrans Mobile was updated on October 1, 2026 and BART (Official) on October 15, 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.*