STARNow vs Arlington Transportation
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
STARNow
Book same-day rides within specific zones for a safe, reliable, and affordable public transit experience. Schedule pickups and drop-offs, and pay directly through the app.
- Schedule pickups and drop-offs
- Real-time vehicle dispatch
- In-app payment option
- Trip reviews
- Service within specific zones
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STAR Transit is a public transportation agency that has been providing service for over 40 years. STARNow is the newest transit option added to our portfolio. This same day service is a safe, reliable, and low cost. How It Works - Schedule your pick up and drop off - Software dispatches the vehicle closest to you - Pay for your trip in the app or on the vehicle - Ride - Review Service Details: Pick up and drop off points must be inside the Mesquite, Terrell, Kaufman and Balch Springs travel zones. For service hours and fares, visit www.STARtransit.org for more information. Service Holidays: - New Year’s Day - President’s Day - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Good Friday - Memorial Day - Independence Day - Labor Day - Thanksgiving Day - The day after Thanksgiving - Christmas Eve - Christmas Day Follow us on social media: Instagram - @STARtransit_official Facebook - @STARtransit
Arlington Transportation
This app offers an on-demand public ridesharing service. Book a ride with a few taps and share it with others heading in the same direction. It's a smart, affordable, and eco-friendly way to travel.
- On-demand ridesharing
- Book rides via app
- Shared rides
- Affordable fares
- Reduced carbon emissions
- Corner-to-corner pickup
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Download the Arlington Transportation app to access On-Demand service — a public ridesharing service that’s smart, easy, affordable, and green. With a few taps, book an on-demand ride in the app and our technology will pair you with other people headed your way. How it works: - Book a ride on your phone. - Get picked up on a nearby corner. - Share your ride with others. - Save cash and reduce carbon emissions. What we’re about: SHARED. Our corner-to-corner algorithm matches people headed in the same direction. This means you’re getting the convenience and comfort of a private ride with the efficiency, speed, and affordability of a public one. AFFORDABLE. Aggregating people into one vehicle brings down prices. Enough said. SUSTAINABLE. Sharing rides reduces the number of vehicles on the roads, bringing down congestion and CO2 emissions. With a couple of taps, you get to do your part to make your city a little bit greener and cleaner, every time you ride. Questions? Reach out at support-arn@ridewithvia.com. Loving your experience so far? Throw us a 5-star rating. You’ll have our eternal gratitude.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: STARNow at free against Arlington Transportation's free with in-app purchases. Arlington Transportation's advantage is ratings volume (2.3K vs 143) and review sentiment (22% vs 11%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for STARNow against 4.7 for Arlington Transportation. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arlington Transportation has 2.3K ratings behind it against 143, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 11% of STARNow's written reviews are positive against 22% of Arlington Transportation's.
STARNow ships an update every 5 weeks, Arlington Transportation monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | STARNow | Arlington Transportation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (143 ratings) | 4.7 (2.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.1% of reviews | 21.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 143 | 2.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 129 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Spare Labs Inc. | Via Transportation, Inc. |
Customer experience
STARNow
Arlington Transportation
Bugs and requests
STARNow
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Arlington Transportation
Reported bugs
4 issues- App charges for rides that were never taken
- Pickup locations changed without user input
- Inability to book rides during stated operating hours
- App connectivity issues leading to delays and confusion
Requested features
4 requests- Add option to schedule pickup and drop-off times in advance
- Improve ETA accuracy and reliability
- Allow riders to provide feedback on driver performance
- Differentiate service for pass holders vs. non-pass holders
In-app purchases
STARNow
No in-app purchases
Arlington Transportation
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is STARNow free?
Is Arlington Transportation free?
Which has better reviews, STARNow or Arlington Transportation?
Do STARNow or Arlington Transportation have ads?
Which is updated more often, STARNow or Arlington Transportation?
Other comparisons
