BART (Official) vs ParkSFO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BART (Official)
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.
- Real-time train departures
- End-to-end trip planner
- Step-by-step navigation
- Customized service alerts
- Contactless parking payment
- Service disruption information
Read full descriptionHide full description
The official Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) app has arrived. It’s the easiest way to plan your trip and get accurate real time train departures with data straight from BART, along with official service alerts. The BART app offers exclusive features for hassle free travel for daily commuters, infrequent users and tourists alike: -Plan your entire end to end trip with BART’s exclusive Trip Planner giving you the fastest route from your starting point to your destination using BART and multiple modes of transportation, including connecting transit, biking, walking and driving. -Step by step navigation with personalized preferences and saved favorite stations and trips. -Real time departures and schedule timetable. -Customized in-app notifications about BART service and announcements. -Contactless in-app Daily Fee parking payment -Service disruption information linked to your trip itinerary. -Report a Biohazard that needs addressing and access our BART Watch App for reporting crimes. -Escalator and Elevator advisories. -Fleet of the Future train tracker. -Cancelled trip notices. -Easily see the last train of the evening by station when you’re planning your night out or your trip home from the airport. -Station information (including if it offers a parking lot and secured bike parking). -Seamless connection to bart.gov and BARTable for deals, events, and fun. -It’s ad free; who wants to be distracted when looking how far away your train is? BART is working on future features of the app to enhance your BART experience... Tell us about the features you want.
ParkSFO
Effortlessly manage your parking experience from your phone. Pay for parking, check out of facilities, and apply discounts and coupons without needing paper tickets or waiting in line. Earn credits for future parking fees.
- Mobile parking payment
- Facility checkout
- Apply coupons and discounts
- Earn parking credits
- Frictionless parking experience
Read full descriptionHide full description
With the ParkSFO Mobile app you can park your car, pay for parking, and check out of the facility all through your mobile phone. No need for paper tickets, no more waiting in line to pay. And you can still use our coupons and receive your club membership discounts when using the mobile app! You can also earn credits within the app and these credit can be applied to your parking fees! The ParkSFO app makes true frictionless parking a reality and it has never been easier or more efficient and hassle-free when you park at ParkSFO!
Screenshots
Verdict
BART (Official) and ParkSFO both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of ParkSFO's written reviews are positive against 30% of BART (Official)'s. ParkSFO also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). BART (Official)'s advantage is ratings volume (26K vs 468). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
ParkSFO holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BART (Official) has 26K ratings behind it against 468, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of BART (Official)'s written reviews are positive against 71% of ParkSFO's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BART (Official) | ParkSFO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (26K ratings) | 4.8 (468 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 29.7% of reviews | 70.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 26K — better | 468 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District | PARKSFO |
Customer experience
BART (Official)
ParkSFO
User reviews
BART (Official)
From 26K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Convenient in-app parking payment
- 👍 Accurate real-time train information
- 🚀 Easy to use app
- 👍 Helpful for planning trips
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
ParkSFO
From 468 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly and easy-to-use app interface
- 🚀 Fast and convenient check-in/check-out process
- 💰 Affordable parking with coupon discounts
- 🚌 Reliable shuttle service with minimal wait times
- 🔒 Secure parking facility with helpful staff
Room to improve
- 🐛 QR code scanner frequently malfunctions at exit gates
- 🐛 Elevator system issues and inconsistent functionality
- ❌ App and website are disconnected/not integrated
- 😕 Confusing signage that doesn't match app instructions
- 🔧 Limited app functionality and features
Bugs and requests
BART (Official)
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
ParkSFO
Reported bugs
10 issues- QR code reader at exit gate doesn't work reliably
- App crashes when entering state in profile
- Brightness control issue on iPhone after closing app
- Cannot retroactively check in after downloading app
- Coupon codes cannot be deleted once selected
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Coupons don't persist in saved section
- Scanners don't work consistently throughout facility
- App doesn't notify when lot is full
- Website login/registration issues
- Reservation made in app cannot be viewed in app
Requested features
10 requests- Live shuttle location tracking on map
- Ability to make and view reservations directly in app
- Save parking space number and floor to ticket
- Apple Pay payment option
- Ability to attach multiple credit cards to account
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Parking space photo/note feature for memory aid
- Direct call/pickup location feature for terminals
- Lot capacity/availability status in app
- Better coupon display showing discount amount at checkout
- Clipboard paste functionality for credit card entry
In-app purchases
BART (Official)
No in-app purchases
ParkSFO
No in-app purchases
