# BART (Official) vs METRO Splash Pass

The clearest difference is rating: BART (Official) at 4.6 against METRO Splash Pass's 3.5. BART (Official) also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 18) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). METRO Splash Pass's advantage is review sentiment (40% vs 31%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BART (Official) has 26K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 31% of BART (Official)'s written reviews are positive against 40% of METRO Splash Pass's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BART (Official) ships an update every 2 months, METRO Splash Pass every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BART (Official) | METRO Splash Pass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bart-official/id1439601871/reviews)** | [3.5 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metro-splash-pass/id1499358913/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 30.8% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 81 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1421336221) | [Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499358912) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### METRO Splash Pass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metro-splash-pass/id1499358913)

Pay for bus rides directly from your phone using a credit or debit card. Avoid the need for exact change or visiting ticket machines to purchase passes.

**Highlights:** Credit/debit card payment, Mobile pass purchase, No exact change needed, Convenient ticketless travel

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BART (Official) free?

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

### Is METRO Splash Pass free?

METRO Splash Pass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BART (Official) or METRO Splash Pass?

BART (Official) is rated higher. BART (Official) averages 4.6 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while METRO Splash Pass averages 3.5 from 18 ratings.

### Do BART (Official) or METRO Splash Pass have ads?

Neither BART (Official) nor METRO Splash Pass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BART (Official) or METRO Splash Pass?

BART (Official) ships an update every 2 months, and METRO Splash Pass every 9 months. Most recently, BART (Official) was updated on October 15, 2026 and METRO Splash Pass on September 25, 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.*