BART (Official) vs Carmel Guide
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
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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.
Carmel Guide
Discover local businesses, dog-friendly spots, and outdoor dining in Carmel and Monterey County. Includes helpful tools like a parking meter timer, tip calculator, and menu translator for visitors.
- Curated local business listings
- Dog-friendly venue finder
- Outdoor dining recommendations
- Parking meter timer with alerts
- Tip calculator and currency converter
- Menu translator
- Real-time weather updates
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Carmel Guide is your pocket companion for exploring Carmel-by-the-Sea and the greater Monterey County area. Browse over 464 hand-picked local businesses across dining, shopping, galleries, wineries, outdoor activities, hotels, and essential services. DISCOVER LOCAL FAVORITES Explore curated listings for restaurants, cafes, bakeries, wine tasting rooms, art galleries, boutique shops, spas, and more. Each listing includes photos, hours, location, phone number, and website so you have everything you need at a glance. DOG-FRIENDLY GUIDE Carmel is one of the most dog-friendly towns in America. Find restaurants with dog-friendly patios, pet-welcoming hotels, off-leash beaches, and pet supply shops — all in one place. OUTDOOR DINING Discover the best patios, courtyards, and ocean-view terraces for al fresco dining along the Monterey Peninsula. TOURIST TOOLS Built-in tools designed for visitors: a parking meter timer with alerts so you never get a ticket, a tip calculator for quick dining math, a currency converter for international travelers, and a menu translator to help decode local cuisine. EXPLORE BY AREA Browse businesses across Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, Monterey, Big Sur, Carmel Valley, Pebble Beach, and Seaside. Whether you are planning a weekend getaway or a week-long vacation, find exactly what you need in every corner of the county. SAVE YOUR FAVORITES Bookmark the places you love and build your own personalized guide to revisit anytime. REAL-TIME WEATHER Check current conditions and the forecast before heading out to explore the coast. Carmel Guide is free to use with no account required. All data is stored locally on your device for fast, private access.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BART (Official) at none against Carmel Guide's 1. BART (Official) also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 2). Carmel Guide's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. Carmel Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BART (Official) asks for nothing beyond the download.
Carmel Guide holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BART (Official) has 26K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
BART (Official) ships an update every 2 months, Carmel Guide weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BART (Official) | Carmel Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (26K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 29.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 26K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District | Splitsnap |
Customer experience
BART (Official)
Carmel Guide
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
Carmel Guide
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BART (Official)
No in-app purchases
Carmel Guide
- Lifetime Access$4.99
Questions
Is BART (Official) free?
Is Carmel Guide free?
Which has better reviews, BART (Official) or Carmel Guide?
Do BART (Official) or Carmel Guide have ads?
Which is updated more often, BART (Official) or Carmel Guide?
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