BART (Official) vs VTA Schedule & Tracker
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.
VTA Schedule & Tracker
Read full descriptionHide full description
Plan direct VTA light rail trips with reported and schedule-estimated train positions, departure countdowns, timetables, fares, and service alerts in one fast map. Built for daily Bay Area commuters and occasional riders, Delayta: VTA covers the Blue, Green, and Orange lines, including special-event service. FEATURES • See reported trains and schedule-based estimates on a rail-following map • Find direct trips between stations served by the same line • Choose which lines you see from the gear menu; the map and timetable follow, and the choice sticks between launches • Browse timetables by line, direction, and service day • Check real-time delay updates and trip progress when available • See active light-rail alerts without bus-alert clutter • Find the closest station and view a walking route • Save Home and Work for faster commute planning • Review stop-by-stop details, trip duration, and VTA fare information • Choose 12- or 24-hour time SCHEDULES THAT STAY CURRENT A full timetable ships inside the app, so trip planning works offline. Each time you open Delayta it checks for a newer VTA schedule and swaps it in automatically, so timetable changes reach you without waiting for an app update. Settings shows which schedule you are on and when it was published. NO ADS. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. NO CATCH. Delayta: VTA is free, with no account, no tracking, and no paywall. An optional tip jar is there if you want to support development. Map positions combine reported vehicle locations with schedule-based estimates, so not every train has a live GPS report. Real-time updates, alerts, walking directions, and schedule refreshes require a network connection and may be delayed, incomplete, or unavailable. Schedule data provided by VTA. Real-time data provided by 511.org. Delayta: VTA is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, or 511.org.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BART (Official) at none against VTA Schedule & Tracker's 3. BART (Official) also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). VTA Schedule & Tracker's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price, ads 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. VTA Schedule & Tracker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. BART (Official) asks for nothing beyond the download.
BART (Official) ships an update every 2 months, VTA Schedule & Tracker daily. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BART (Official) | VTA Schedule & Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (26K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 30.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 26K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District | Jonathan Ng |
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
VTA Schedule & Tracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BART (Official)
No in-app purchases
VTA Schedule & Tracker
- Buy Me a Boba$1.99
- Buy Me Lunch$4.99
- Generous Supporter$9.99
Questions
Is BART (Official) free?
Is VTA Schedule & Tracker free?
Do BART (Official) or VTA Schedule & Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, BART (Official) or VTA Schedule & Tracker?
Other comparisons















