Comparison

Gopher Rideshare vs USRider

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

Head to head
About

Gopher Rideshare

Find carpool, bus, biking, or walking partners for your commute to the University of Minnesota. This secure platform helps you plan your journey, save money, and reduce stress by connecting you with other UMN commuters.

Highlights
  • Carpool matching
  • Bus schedule integration
  • Biking and walking partner search
  • Trip planning tool
  • Secure communication
  • University transportation info
Features
Read full description

Gopher Rideshare is a quick, secure, and social platform to find commuting options at UMN. Simply enter your origin and destination addresses and you can find a UMN carpool partner or bus schedule that matches your commute, as well as search for UMN commuters looking for biking or walking partners. The GopherRideshare platform is a trip planning and commuter-matching service that provides a one-stop-shop trip planning tool for improving your commute to UMN, whether you carpool, vanpool, walk, bike, or take transit. Through GopherRideshare’s easy-to-use interface and mobile app, you can search for all available transportation options for your commute by simply entering an origin and destination. Whether you want to help the environment, save money, or reduce stress, Gopher Rideshare helps you to find a better way to commute. The app is secure! When you receive your list of commuting matches, you choose which potential UMN matches to contact, and when to do so. There are no obligations or requirements to sign-up for or use Gopher Rideshare. Join our network of ridesharers and find all options for your journey including University transportation information, public transportation, walking or biking routes, etc. Through a secure Web site, Gopher Rideshare is available only to members of the UMN community. Register today to give it a try. There is no obligation and you can remove yourself from searches whenever you’re not actively looking for ridesharing partners.

About

USRider

Plan your trips, store important documents, and find emergency services like vets and farriers. Members can also request roadside assistance and access exclusive discounts for a safer journey.

Highlights
  • Travel planning tools
  • Document storage
  • Emergency vet/farrier referrals
  • Travel checklists
  • Membership account management
  • Roadside assistance requests
  • Member discounts
Features
Read full description

Whether you’re headed across the country or just down the road, the USRider app helps you be prepared. From free travel planning, checklists, travel document storage, emergency vet/farrier referrals and more, you’ll find everything you need to stay organized and have a safe trip at your fingertips. Plus, USRider members can request service and access other member benefits — like member discounts — quickly and easily within the app! APP FEATURES ● Travel planning and travel document storage tools ● Emergency vet, farrier and boarding referrals ● Travel checklists ● Manage membership account BENEFITS INCLUDE*: ● Request roadside assistance from your mobile ● Receive notifications with service updates ● Renew memberships ● Access member discounts on car rental, hotels, trailer accessories and more ● Request towing for any vehicle, including horse trailers ● Request tire, battery, or lockout service ● Request concierge assistance for locating stabling, vets and farriers *member only services Not a USRider member? Join today to take advantage of all USRider member benefits.

Screenshots

Gopher Rideshare4 screens
USRider4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: USRider at 80% against Gopher Rideshare's 25%. USRider also leads on rating (3.5 vs 2.3) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 37 months). Gopher Rideshare's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 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

USRider holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Gopher Rideshare's written reviews are positive against 80% of USRider's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gopher Rideshare ships an update every 37 months, USRider every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Gopher Rideshare versus USRider: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGopher RideshareUSRider
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)3.5 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings38 — better
Update frequencyEvery 37 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB59 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperRegents of the University of MinnesotaEquine Network, LLC

Customer experience

Gopher Rideshare

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

USRider

All ratings8 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

None

Gopher Rideshare

No in-app purchases

None

USRider

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Gopher Rideshare free?
Gopher Rideshare is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is USRider free?
USRider is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Gopher Rideshare or USRider?
USRider is rated higher. Gopher Rideshare averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while USRider averages 3.5 from 8 ratings.
Do Gopher Rideshare or USRider have ads?
Neither Gopher Rideshare nor USRider shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gopher Rideshare or USRider?
Gopher Rideshare ships an update every 37 months, and USRider every 4 months. Most recently, Gopher Rideshare was updated on October 12, 2026 and USRider on October 21, 2026.

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