Comparison

PRESTO vs Argo Transit

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

Head to head
About

PRESTO

Manage your transit card and pay for rides using your iPhone or Apple Watch. Load funds and passes instantly, set up autoload, and track your balance and transaction history. Supports multiple transit agencies across Ontario.

Highlights
  • Tap to pay with iPhone/Apple Watch
  • Instant fund and pass loading
  • Set up Autoload and Autorenew
  • Manage multiple cards
  • Check balances and transaction history
  • Low balance reminders
Features
Read full description

With the official PRESTO app you can manage your card and tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for transit. Use the PRESTO app for iPhone: • Real-time loads, transactions and more • Load funds instantly • Load transit passes instantly • Live transfer window tracking • Move funds between PRESTO cards • Lock or unlock your card if it's missing • Buy and use e tickets for participating transit agencies • Convert a physical PRESTO card to PRESTO in Apple Wallet and tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for transit (not available on OC Transpo) • Pay with Apple Pay, debit/credit cards, or saved payment method • Set up and manage Autoload and Autorenew • Check your PRESTO card balances • View transaction history • Receive low balance/pass expiry reminders and email receipts for fare purchases • Buy a PRESTO card and create a PRESTO account • Set, modify or remove a default trip for GO Transit rail trips through the settings menu PRESTO can be used on: • Brampton Transit • Burlington Transit • Durham Region Transit (DRT) • GO Transit • Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) • MiWay (Mississauga) • Oakville Transit • OC Transpo (Ottawa) • TTC (Toronto) • UP Express (Greater Toronto Area) • York Region Transit/Viva (YRT/Viva) For security reasons, the PRESTO app is not supported on jailbroken devices.

About

Argo Transit

This app offers a smarter way to navigate public transit using dynamic routing technology. Book rides, meet at designated stops, and enjoy real-time tracking on electric buses. It provides affordable and predictable fares with an efficient, sustainable travel experience.

Highlights
  • Smart Routing™ technology
  • Real-time arrival updates
  • Electric bus fleet
  • Standard public transit fares
  • Dynamic route optimization
Features
Read full description

Getting around your city should be easy. Argo delivers a revolutionary transit experience with our Smart Routing™ technology that adapts to your needs while maintaining standard public transit fares. How It Works: 1. Book a ride: Open the app, enter your destination, and Argo's Smart Routing™ finds the optimal path and nearby Smart Stops™. 2. Meet at a Smart Stop™: Track your ride in real-time. No long waits, no rigid schedules. 3. Enjoy the journey: Travel comfortably in our purpose-built electric Argo buses while our system optimizes routes for everyone onboard. Key Features: - Real-time arrival updates: Know exactly when to meet your bus nearby. - Electric & efficient fleet: Sustainable, quiet transportation designed to reduce emissions. - Affordable & predictable: Standard public transit fares, so you always know what you'll pay. - Smart Routing™: Dynamically optimized routes that adapt to your community’s needs in real-time. Now serving Bradford West Gwillimbury with more cities coming soon! Download Argo Transit today and experience the future of public transportation that's transforming how communities move. Learn more at rideargo.com.

Screenshots

PRESTO4 screens
Argo Transit4 screens

Verdict

The call

PRESTO and Argo Transit both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Argo Transit's written reviews are positive against 22% of PRESTO's. Argo Transit also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). PRESTO's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 10). On price, rating, 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PRESTO against 4.6 for Argo Transit. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PRESTO has 1.1K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of PRESTO's written reviews are positive against 65% of Argo Transit's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PRESTO ships an update monthly, Argo Transit weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PRESTO versus Argo Transit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPRESTOArgo Transit
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better4.6 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews21.7% of reviews65.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better10
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB73 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMetrolinxArgo Corporation

Customer experience

PRESTO

All ratings1,133 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral1.5%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews628 reviews
Positive21.7%
Neutral4.5%
Negative73.9%

Argo Transit

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive65.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative30.8%

Bugs and requests

PRESTO

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Blank screens and loading loops
  • Login issues and accounts getting locked out
  • Funds not loading or disappearing after adding
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to use Presto card with Apple Wallet
  • Improve balance and transaction history visibility
  • Allow transferring of funds between cards
  • Provide better customer support and communication

Argo Transit

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PRESTO

No in-app purchases

None

Argo Transit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PRESTO free?
PRESTO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Argo Transit free?
Argo Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PRESTO or Argo Transit?
PRESTO is rated higher. PRESTO averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Argo Transit averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.
Do PRESTO or Argo Transit have ads?
Neither PRESTO nor Argo Transit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PRESTO or Argo Transit?
PRESTO ships an update monthly, and Argo Transit weekly. Most recently, PRESTO was updated on September 22, 2026 and Argo Transit on September 21, 2026.

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