Comparison

Pantograph vs TrainsFYI

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

TrainsFYI

Explore active trains worldwide on a real-time map. Follow individual train journeys, see routes and stops, and browse by transit network. Coverage is expanding to more countries and rail systems.

Highlights
  • Live train position updates
  • Follow individual train journeys
  • View routes and stops
  • Browse by transit network
  • Worldwide coverage
Features
Read full description

Track passenger trains across the globe, and see where your train is right now. TrainsFYI is your real-time map and tracker for passenger rail. Whether you are a transit fan, traveler, or just curious, you can explore active trains and follow their journeys. Whether you are checking your Amtrak route, following the New York MTA Subway, tracking BART across the Bay Area, or just exploring rail activity worldwide, TrainsFYI makes it fun and easy to see where the trains are right now. FEATURES: • Interactive Map — Watch train positions update live across the world. • Follow Individual Trains — See routes, stops, and estimated arrival times. • Browse by Network — Explore 140+ supported transit agencies. • Zoom Anywhere — From your local station to cross-country journeys. SUPPORTED US NETWORKS: Amtrak, MTA New York City Subway, BART, Caltrain, Metra, Chicago Transit Authority, NJ Transit, Long Island Railroad, Metro-North Railroad, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Metrolink, LA Metro, Sound Transit, TriMet, SEPTA, SunRail, Brightline, RTD Light Rail, Valley Metro Rail, San Diego MTS, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Tri-Rail, ACE, MetroLink, ION Light Rail, South Shore Line, Metro Transit, KCATA, EMBARK, VTA Light Rail, San Francisco Muni, Virginia Railway Express, MARC, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, MARTA, Maryland Metro, and more. SUPPORTED CANADIAN NETWORKS: VIA Rail, GO Transit, Toronto Transit Commission, TransLink SkyTrain, STM (Société de transport de Montréal), Réseau Express Métropolitain, Exo, OC Transpo, UP Express, Edmonton Transit Service, Calgary Transit CTrain, and more. MORE NETWORKS WORLDWIDE: ScotRail, LNER, Elizabeth line, London Overground, Great Western Railway, Eurostar, SNCF, DB Fernverkehr, S-Bahn Berlin, S-Bahn München, SL, SJ, Renfe, Sydney Trains, Sydney Metro, Yarra Trams, Auckland Transport, Indian Railways, and more. COUNTRIES COVERED: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, Spain, Argentina, India, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mexico, Egypt, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, and more. COMING SOON: We are expanding coverage to more countries and networks, including major rail systems in Europe and Asia. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pantograph4 screens
TrainsFYI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TrainsFYI at 4.6 against Pantograph's 4.4. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and TrainsFYI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TrainsFYI holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 82 and 101 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Pantograph's written reviews are positive against 57% of TrainsFYI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pantograph ships an update every 6 weeks, TrainsFYI monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Pantograph versus TrainsFYI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPantographTrainsFYI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (82 ratings)4.6 (101 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.8% of reviews57.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings82101 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRound Trip Productions, LLCRadical Sloth

Customer experience

Pantograph

All ratings81 ratings
Positive81.5%
Neutral8.6%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral23.1%
Negative23.1%

TrainsFYI

All ratings89 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative35.7%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Pantograph

Subscriptions4
  • Pantograph Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pantograph Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pantograph Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$14.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pantograph Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
2 purchases

TrainsFYI

Subscriptions2
  • TrainsFYI Pro - Monthly$8.991 Month
  • TrainsFYI Pro - Annual$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Pantograph free?
Pantograph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TrainsFYI free?
TrainsFYI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pantograph or TrainsFYI?
TrainsFYI is rated higher. Pantograph averages 4.4 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while TrainsFYI averages 4.6 from 101 ratings.
Do Pantograph or TrainsFYI have ads?
Neither Pantograph nor TrainsFYI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pantograph or TrainsFYI?
Pantograph ships an update every 6 weeks, and TrainsFYI monthly. Most recently, Pantograph was updated on November 6, 2026 and TrainsFYI on November 8, 2026.

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