Comparison

Pantograph vs WTA BusTracker

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

Head to head
About

Pantograph

Visualize your entire transit network on a single map, seeing all active buses, trains, ferries, and streetcars. Get real-time departure estimates, vehicle statistics, and passenger load information for supported agencies. Track missed trips and customize your view to gain deep insights into system performance.

Highlights
  • Real-time transit vehicle map
  • Departure estimates
  • Vehicle statistics and load
  • Route and stop schedules
  • Missed trip reports
  • Customizable vehicle icons
  • Pro filtering system
Features
Read full description

Pantograph gives you insights into your travels—and the whole transit system—like no app before it. Every active bus, train, ferry, and streetcar from over 130 supported agencies is visible on one map, empowering you with information only before seen by dispatchers. Plus, when you know your stop, see realtime departure estimates for every route arriving. Pantograph is named after the part of an electric train that connects it to the overhead electrical wire—just likes it connects you vital information about the transit network. Key features: • Identify at a glance areas where vehicles across all routes are getting delayed. • View statistics for all vehicles on the map, including how many are on-time, currently serving each route, and more. • View current vehicle passenger load and capacity (supported agencies only). • See route and stop schedules with realtime updates based on current conditions, and save favorite stops for later. • Customize what data is displayed on vehicle icons. • See an up-to-the-minute report on how many trips are being missed each day. • Add widgets showing the status of a selection of routes. • Learn exactly which bus, train, or ferry is serving each trip, as well as its model information—helping you get a more enjoyable ride. • View the full set of trips each vehicle will be serving today, as well as each trip's full stop schedule. • Browse the daily timetables for each route, plus use an advanced Block Timeline to see vehicle schedules. • Explore the assignment history for every route and vehicle, helping you learn what routes get certain kinds of buses, track down the bus you left your headphones on, follow new additions to the fleet, and more. With a Pantograph Pro subscription, you can also: • Explore the full database of assignment history and schedules. • See missed trips for the entire period available in Pantograph. • Get push notifications when select vehicles are assigned to a new block. Currently available for over 130 transit agencies: • Greater Puget Sound (King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Intercity Transit, Everett Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Whatcom Transportation Authority, Skagit, Washington State Ferries, more) • Eastern Washington (Spokane, Pullman, more) • Vancouver, BC (TransLink) • Montréal, QC (STM, exo) • Portland, McMinnville, Eugene, and Corvallis, OR (TriMet, Yamhill County Transit, Cherriots, Lane Transit District, Corvallis Transit System, Benton Area Transit) • Los Angeles and Southern California (LA Metro, Foothill Transit, Orange County, San Diego MTS, Torrance, more) • The San Francisco Bay Area (SF Muni, AC Transit, SamTrans, VTA, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, Tri Delta Transit, Wheels, Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit, more) • Central CA (FAX, Merced, GET Bus, StanRTA, more) • Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD (WMATA, MTA Maryland, Arlington, Fairfax Connector, Virginia Railway Express, DASH, more) • Boston, MA (MBTA) • Providence, RI (RIPTA) • Philadelphia, PA (SEPTA) • Minneapolis, MN (Metro Transit, Met Council, Maple Grove, MVTA, more) • Denver and Boulder, CO (RTD, Via, Bustang) • Islands of O'ahu, Maui, and Kaua'i; Hawai'i • ...with more on the way! If you choose to purchase a Pantograph Pro subscription, payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Terms of Use: https://pantographapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://pantographapp.com/privacy

About

WTA BusTracker

Track your bus in real-time for Bellingham and Whatcom County. Find nearby stops, view route maps, and plan your journeys easily. See upcoming buses for your closest stop.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus tracking
  • Find nearest bus stops
  • View route maps
  • Plan upcoming trips
  • See stop times
Features
Read full description

Catching the bus in Bellingham or Whatcom County? With WTA’s BusTracker, you can track your bus in real time. Plus, you can find your nearest stop, view our route map, and plan your upcoming trips—all from your mobile device! To view your bus in real time, click on “Real Time Map,” select a route, and look for the bus-in-a-circle icon. To plan a trip, click “Trip Planner” and enter your start and end locations. Using “Stop Times,” you can see all the buses on the way to your nearest stop.

Screenshots

Pantograph4 screens
WTA BusTracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pantograph at 58% against WTA BusTracker's 10%. Pantograph also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.2) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 25 months). WTA BusTracker's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pantograph sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. WTA BusTracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pantograph holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 73 and 32 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Pantograph's written reviews are positive against 10% of WTA BusTracker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pantograph ships an update every 2 months, WTA BusTracker every 25 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Pantograph versus WTA BusTracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPantographWTA BusTracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (73 ratings) — better2.2 (32 ratings)
Positive reviews57.9% of reviews — better10.0% of reviews
Number of ratings73 — better32
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 25 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRound Trip Productions, LLCWhatcom Transportation Authority

Customer experience

Pantograph

All ratings73 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral6.8%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive57.9%
Neutral21.1%
Negative21.1%

WTA BusTracker

All ratings32 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative68.8%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive10.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative90.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Pantograph

Subscriptions2
  • Pantograph Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Pantograph Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$9.991 Year
None

WTA BusTracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pantograph free?
Pantograph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WTA BusTracker free?
WTA BusTracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pantograph or WTA BusTracker?
Pantograph is rated higher. Pantograph averages 4.5 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while WTA BusTracker averages 2.2 from 32 ratings.
Do Pantograph or WTA BusTracker have ads?
Neither Pantograph nor WTA BusTracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pantograph or WTA BusTracker?
Pantograph ships an update every 2 months, and WTA BusTracker every 25 months. Most recently, Pantograph was updated on September 23, 2026 and WTA BusTracker on September 19, 2026.

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