Comparison

Terrier Transit vs MBTA Go

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

Head to head
About

Terrier Transit

Navigate Boston University's campus and city transit with real-time arrival times, service alerts, and step-by-step directions. Plan your journeys efficiently using buses, trains, and bikes, with options for offline maps and international travel.

Highlights
  • Real-time arrival updates
  • Service disruption alerts
  • Step-by-step transit directions
  • User-reported issue notifications
  • Favorite lines and stations
  • Integrated bike route planning
  • Offline map viewing
Features
Read full description

Terrier Transit is your key to getting to, from, and around Boston University. Transportation is an integral part of life at Boston University. Whether you ride the BU Shuttle (BUS), the T, MBTA buses, or a Bluebike, to reach classes, labs, dorms, or dining halls, getting the best urban mobility information is critical – from trips to between campuses or just up and down Commonwealth Avenue. Enter BU’s Terrier Transit app, powered by Moovit! Terrier Transit guides you from point A to B in the easiest and most efficient way. Get T and bus times, maps, and real-time arrival times with ease so you can plan your trip with confidence. Find critical alerts and service disruptions for your favorite lines, including the BUS. Get step-by-step directions of optimal route bus, train, metro, bike, scooter or a combination of them. Terrier Transit is your personal assistant for trips on-campus and off! ► Real time arrivals. View real-time arrival updates, which are taken directly from GPS devices positioned on BU buses and MBTA buses and trains. Avoid wasting time guessing train times or bus times. ► Real time alerts. Know about issues ahead of time by receiving MBTA and BU service alerts such as emergency or unexpected disruptions, delays, traffic jams, new construction, and more so that you can plan ahead if your bus time or train time changed. ► Live Directions. Get step-by-step bus directions and other transit directions with live guidance from A-to-B: Know how long you need to walk to your station, view the arrival time of your line, receive get-off alerts at your destination, and more. ► Users reports. Terrier Transit’s users report issues found with stations, line service, and schedules so that we can inform all nearby riders about what’s going on in their area. ► Favorite lines, stations, and places. Always going between Central Campus and BUMC? Get easy access to lines, stations, and places you ride and visit all the time. Plus, get real-time updates if/when there are changes to your favorite lines in case your bus time or train time is impacted! ► Bike routes. Get bike routes in addition to the bus, subway, train, or metro trip plans. If you ride bikes (yours or shared) we can plan a route that includes the train or bus. Terrier Transit will help you plan a trip that meets your transit-needs. Bluebikes station data is updated in real-time. ► Maps view. Interested in seeing the whole picture? View all stations, routes, and lines on the subway or bus map. Additionally, maps are available in PDF for when you’re offline, or underground on the subway. ► International functionality. Terrier Transit isn’t just for getting around campus. It will also work for study abroad and trips home. The app can be used to navigate nearby buses and transit nationwide and across 98 other countries. If you’d like to know bus times and train times in London, Barcelona, Madrid, or Rome, or, if you need to find out when the last bus leaves a certain bus stop in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Melbourne, Seoul, Terrier Transit has you covered. You ride, we guide! *** Have an idea or a question? Feel free to contact us: http://bu.edu/thebus

About

MBTA Go

Get real-time public transit information for the Greater Boston area. Track buses, trains, and ferries live on a map, receive personalized disruption notifications, and stay updated on route closures.

Highlights
  • Live arrival times
  • Vehicle tracking on map
  • Personalized disruption notifications
  • Route closure alerts
  • Accessibility features (VoiceOver, Switch Control)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

MBTA Go is the official app for live, public transit information in the Greater Boston area. Check live arrival times, track your vehicle, and learn about the latest closures. App features: • Check live arrival times: Get the latest estimates of when your bus or train will get to you. • Track your vehicle: Follow your bus, train, and ferry live on the map. • Get notified before your trip: Get personalized disruption notifications when you need them. • Learn about the latest closures: Find out if your there is a closure on your route with clear alerts and maps. We want to make MBTA Go accessible to all riders who have a smartphone. The app supports language translations and the following mobile accessibility features: • VoiceOver for riders who are blind or have low-vision • Switch and Voice Control for riders with mobility impairments If you have questions about MBTA Go, email us at apphelp@mbta.com.

Screenshots

Terrier Transit4 screens
MBTA Go4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MBTA Go at 62% against Terrier Transit's 17%. MBTA Go also leads on rating (4.1 vs 2.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). Terrier Transit's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MBTA Go holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 180 and 152 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Terrier Transit's written reviews are positive against 62% of MBTA Go's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Terrier Transit ships an update every 6 months, MBTA Go fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Terrier Transit versus MBTA Go: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTerrier TransitMBTA Go
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (180 ratings)4.1 (152 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews62.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings180 — better152
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#34 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size176 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBoston UniversityMBTA

Customer experience

Terrier Transit

All ratings148 ratings
Positive36.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative60.1%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative81.0%

MBTA Go

All ratings152 ratings
Positive78.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative19.7%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive62.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative36.0%

User reviews

Terrier Transit

From 180 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Sometimes works
  • 👍 Useful for tracking school bus
  • 👍 Appreciates integration of other transit (rare)
  • 👍 Real-time shuttle information (when working)

Room to improve

  • 😞 Buses are never on time
  • 😞 Live tracking is inaccurate or not working
  • 😞 App is non-functional or useless
  • 😞 Buses are cancelled frequently
  • 😞 UI is confusing and difficult to navigate

MBTA Go

From 152 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Reliable real-time information
  • 👍 Intuitive and clean user interface
  • 🚀 Accurate bus and train tracking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent data accuracy
  • 🔓 Lack of mobile payment options
  • 🔍 Missing trip planning features

Bugs and requests

Terrier Transit

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Live feature never working
  • Tracking is wrong or doesn't work
  • Does not show real time
  • Live location not always updating
  • Stops don't show up in favorites
Show 4 more
  • App glitches and can't see bus arrival
  • Update alert pop-up won't go away
  • App is non-functional
  • Live bus tracker missing

Requested features

7 requests
  • Make app like Apple Maps or Google Maps
  • Improve UI and navigation
  • Fix live location updating
  • Fix update alert pop-up
  • Simplify features
Show 2 more
  • Bring back old app's live tracker
  • Focus on BU shuttle tracking

MBTA Go

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes or fails to load at times
  • Discrepancies between app data and actual transit times

Requested features

3 requests
  • Integrate with bike-sharing services
  • Add ability to purchase tickets/passes through the app
  • Improve trip planning functionality

In-app purchases

None

Terrier Transit

No in-app purchases

None

MBTA Go

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Terrier Transit free?
Terrier Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MBTA Go free?
MBTA Go is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Terrier Transit or MBTA Go?
MBTA Go is rated higher. Terrier Transit averages 2.8 out of 5 from 180 ratings, while MBTA Go averages 4.1 from 152 ratings.
Do Terrier Transit or MBTA Go have ads?
Neither Terrier Transit nor MBTA Go shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Terrier Transit or MBTA Go?
Terrier Transit ships an update every 6 months, and MBTA Go fortnightly. Most recently, Terrier Transit was updated on October 22, 2026 and MBTA Go on October 30, 2026.

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