# CTrail eTix vs RIPTA Wave

The clearest difference is monetization model: CTrail eTix at free against RIPTA Wave's free with in-app purchases. RIPTA Wave's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.6 for CTrail eTix against 1.5 for RIPTA Wave. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 173 and 217 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 6% and 5% positive.

CTrail eTix ships an update every 6 months, RIPTA Wave every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CTrail eTix | RIPTA Wave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.6 (173 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ctrail-etix/id1467982541/reviews)** | [1.5 (217 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripta-wave/id1490019520/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 173 | **217** |
| Positive reviews | **6.0% of reviews** | 5.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 63 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CTrail Connecticut Department of Transportation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467982540) | [Bytemark, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/925346607) |

## What reviewers say

### CTrail eTix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ctrail-etix/id1467982541)

Purchase mobile rail tickets for Hartford Line and Shore Line East customers directly from your smartphone. Avoid lines and cash transactions by buying daily parking and various ticket types, including monthly bus add-ons for CTtransit users.

**Highlights:** Purchase mobile rail tickets, Buy daily parking, Save tickets for later, Receive email receipts, Add CTtransit bus passes

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Functional for ticket purchase
- 👍 Easy to download
- 👍 Straightforward and accessible design (rare)
- 👍 Text is big and does the job (rare)
- 👍 Large buttons are useful (rare)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Atrocious UI/UX
- 👎 Outdated interface/looks from another decade
- 👎 Unusable/broken app
- 👎 Impossible to create account
- 👎 Password reset issues

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot create an account
- Password reset functionality broken
- Email already in use error when creating account, but no account found for password reset
- App crashes frequently
- Purchased tickets disappear from the app

**Requested features**

- Modernize the app's UI/UX
- Add train schedules to the app
- Improve password management (copy/paste, password managers)
- Add Apple Wallet support
- Add Dynamic Island support


### RIPTA Wave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripta-wave/id1490019520)

Purchase and manage public transit fares directly from your smartphone. Load money onto your account and use your phone as your ticket to ride, with options for one-way, day, and monthly passes. Your fare balance is always accessible and transferable.

**Highlights:** Secure fare purchasing, Smartphone as ticket, Earn As You Go fare system, Transferable fare balance, One-way, Day, and Monthly passes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Convenient contactless payment option
- 🎯 Ride-to-earn feature allows flexible payment
- 📱 No need to carry physical cards
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing interface design
- ⚙️ Auto-purchase functionality available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 💸 Minimum $5-$6 charge requirement (fare is only $2)
- 🔐 Constant login and authentication issues
- 💰 Money disappears or fails to load on virtual cards
- ❌ QR code scanner doesn't work reliably

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup and during payment
- QR code scanner fails to read barcodes
- Random logout without user action
- Payment verification fails despite successful charge
- Virtual cards created unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Wallet and Apple Pay
- Support for Samsung devices
- One-way ticket option instead of only day/monthly passes
- Transfer pass availability in app (currently bus-only)
- Credit card payment option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CTrail eTix free?

CTrail eTix is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RIPTA Wave free?

RIPTA Wave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CTrail eTix or RIPTA Wave?

CTrail eTix is rated higher. CTrail eTix averages 1.6 out of 5 from 173 ratings, while RIPTA Wave averages 1.5 from 217 ratings.

### Do CTrail eTix or RIPTA Wave have ads?

Neither CTrail eTix nor RIPTA Wave shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CTrail eTix or RIPTA Wave?

CTrail eTix ships an update every 6 months, and RIPTA Wave every 2 months. Most recently, CTrail eTix was updated on September 13, 2026 and RIPTA Wave on September 22, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*