# TAP LA vs Pasadena Transit

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pasadena Transit at 100% against TAP LA's 12%. Pasadena Transit also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.9) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13). TAP LA's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 49 months) and ratings volume (854 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Pasadena Transit holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TAP LA has 854 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of TAP LA's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pasadena Transit's.

TAP LA ships an update every 5 months, Pasadena Transit every 49 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TAP LA | Pasadena Transit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (854 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-la/id1505839730/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pasadena-transit/id1598031874/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **854** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 11.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 49 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#208** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1353337562) | [Connexionz Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/926135195) |

## What reviewers say

### TAP LA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-la/id1505839730)

**Currently charting:** #208 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Pay for transit fares across Los Angeles with your mobile device. This app allows you to purchase passes, manage multiple cards, and use touchless payment on numerous bus and train systems. It also offers trip planning and access to multimodal programs.

**Highlights:** Touchless payment, Add TAP card to iPhone/Apple Watch, Purchase transit passes, Manage multiple TAP cards, Add TAP card to Apple Wallet, Trip planning tools, Reduced fare support

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- ✨ Convenient digital tap card
- 💳 Ability to load funds
- 🗺️ Trip planning functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and glitches
- 💰 Charges money without adding funds
- ⏱️ Slow load times and processing
- 🤷‍♀️ Confusing user experience
- 🚫 Doesn't work for tourists/visitors

**Reported bugs**

- Card registration and activation issues
- Disappearing funds and balances
- Inconsistent app performance

**Requested features**

- Allow multiple devices for one account
- Improve reliability of fund loading
- Provide more transparent transaction history
- Integrate with more payment methods


### Pasadena Transit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pasadena-transit/id1598031874)

Track buses in real-time and view estimated arrival times for your closest stop. Browse schedules, routes, and save your favorite stops for quick access.

**Highlights:** Real-time bus tracking, Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA), Browse schedules, View routes and stops, Save favorite stops

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TAP LA free?

TAP LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pasadena Transit free?

Pasadena Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TAP LA or Pasadena Transit?

Pasadena Transit is rated higher. TAP LA averages 1.9 out of 5 from 854 ratings, while Pasadena Transit averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do TAP LA or Pasadena Transit have ads?

Neither TAP LA nor Pasadena Transit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TAP LA or Pasadena Transit?

TAP LA ships an update every 5 months, and Pasadena Transit every 49 months. Most recently, TAP LA was updated on November 7, 2026 and Pasadena Transit on November 3, 2026.

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