Comparison

TAP LA vs MuniMobile

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

Head to head
About

TAP LA

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
Currently charting
Read full description

Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority ("LACMTA"), a government agency, is the owner and developer of this app. TAP is your ticket to ride transit in greater Los Angeles! It is accepted on 27 systems including LA Metro, providing a vast network of buses and trains. - Make your travel safe and easy with touchless payment and card management. - Add a new TAP card to your iPhone and Apple Watch and use your fare immediately. - Use your iPhone (8 and above) and Apple Watch (Series 3 and above) to tap with Apple Pay when boarding a bus or train. - Enjoy flexible payment options including credit/debit cards, account cash and Apple Pay. - Purchase a transit pass or Stored Value for any agency in Los Angeles County. - Manage multiple cards in your TAP account (iPhone 5 and above). - Add your TAP card to Apple Wallet, enable Express Transit and quickly tap and pay when you board. You don't even have to wake up your phone! - Supports reduced fares for seniors, students, persons with disabilities and low-income riders. - Transfer a TAP card in your account to your Apple Wallet and leave the plastic at home. - Access multimodal programs such as Metro Bike Share. - Use Trip Tools to plan trips, find nearby transit options, view real-time arrivals and save favorite destinations and stops. - Enjoy the benefits of a TAP account, such as Balance Protection, card management, discounts, promotions, transaction history and friendly customer service. - Accepted on 27 transit systems in LA County including: Angels Flight Railway Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) Baldwin Park Transit Beach Cities Transit Burbank Bus Carson Circuit Compton Renaissance Transit System Culver CityBus Foothill Transit Gardena GTRANS Glendale Beeline Glendora Transportation Division Huntington Park Transit Unlimited LA County Department of Public Works LADOT Transit Lawndale Beat Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Long Beach Transit Metro Montebello Bus Lines Monterey Park Spirit Bus Norwalk Transit Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority Pasadena Transit Santa Clarita Transit Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Torrance Transit

About

MuniMobile

Plan your trips and purchase transit fares instantly on your phone. Avoid paper tickets and cash by buying and using fares directly through the app with various payment options. Store multiple tickets for future use and manage your account securely.

Highlights
  • Trip planning
  • Mobile ticketing
  • Instant fare purchase
  • Multiple payment options
  • Store tickets
  • Group fares
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The official trip planning and mobile ticketing app from San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). MuniMobile helps you navigate the Muni transit network effortlessly and purchase and use fares and passes instantly on your phone—anywhere, anytime. Just download the free app, create an account and you're ready to go. WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS APP: • No paper fares to keep track of. • No need to carry cash, count exact change, or find a ticket machine. • Buy and use fares using a debit/credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay • Store multiple tickets on your phone for future use. • Pay a single fare or multiple fares for a group of riders from a single device. • Register your debit/credit card(s) in our secure system. HOW IT WORKS: 1. CHOOSE RIDER TYPE: Adult, Senior/Disabled/Medicare, Youth, or SF Access 2. CHOOSE FARE: Single Trip Fare for Muni Bus & Rail, Single Ride Fare for Cable Car, or Passports 3. CHOOSE QUANTITY: You can buy multiple tickets to use later 4. CHECK OUT: Pay with debit/credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay COMMON QUESTIONS: Q: Do I need to be connected to the Internet? A cellular network or a wireless Internet connection is required to purchase tickets, but you can use/activate your tickets offline. Q: What if my battery dies? Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times, so be sure to plan ahead! IMPORTANT REMINDERS: • Activate your ticket before boarding. • In the subway, activate (“use”) your purchased mobile ticket before passing through metro station fare gates. Show your active ticket to the station agent, and pass through the fare gate closest to the station agent booth. If the station agent is not present, you may still pass through the gate as long as your ticket has been activated. Do not attempt to “tag” the gate. • On the surface, use your purchased mobile ticket before boarding the vehicle. You may board through any door. If you feel more comfortable boarding through the front door to show your ticket to the transit operator, please feel free to do so. • For Cable Car, use your purchased mobile ticket once you are on board the vehicle. Show your mobile ticket to the Cable Car conductor. • Watch your battery level! Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times. • Create an account before purchasing tickets, as this is the only way you can transfer your unused tickets if you get a new phone. (Note: Only unused tickets can be transferred. Use up any activated tickets before switching phones.) • Don't uninstall the MuniMobile app or erase your phone without transferring your unused tickets first. Your tickets are stored on your phone (which makes it possible to use them without a cellular network or a wireless Internet connection).

Screenshots

TAP LA4 screens
MuniMobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TAP LA at 1.9 against MuniMobile's 1.0. TAP LA also leads on ratings volume (799 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13 vs 16.7). On price, review sentiment, 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

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

TAP LA holds the better App Store score, 1.9 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TAP LA has 799 ratings behind it against 1, 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 8% of MuniMobile's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TAP LA ships an update every 6 months, MuniMobile every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
TAP LA versus MuniMobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTAP LAMuniMobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (799 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews12.2% of reviews — better7.6% of reviews
Number of ratings799 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#188 — better#206
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13 — better16.7
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB191 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthoritySFMTA

Customer experience

TAP LA

All ratings799 ratings
Positive21.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative75.8%
Written reviews287 reviews
Positive12.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative85.4%

MuniMobile

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews158 reviews
Positive7.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative89.9%

User reviews

TAP LA

From 799 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

MuniMobile

From 1 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Convenient ticket purchasing
  • 💡 Integrated trip planning

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate departure times
  • 🔒 Login and account issues
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 👎 Confusing user interface
  • 🚫 Missing key features (Apple Pay, QR codes)

Bugs and requests

TAP LA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Card registration and activation issues
  • Disappearing funds and balances
  • Inconsistent app performance

Requested features

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

MuniMobile

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Purchased tickets not showing up
  • Inability to log in or reset password
  • Incorrect stop locations on map

Requested features

4 requests
  • Default ticket/pass purchasing screen
  • Ability to save favorite routes
  • Improved accessibility for visually impaired users
  • Integration with other transit apps (Google Maps, etc.)

In-app purchases

None

TAP LA

No in-app purchases

None

MuniMobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TAP LA free?
TAP LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MuniMobile free?
MuniMobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TAP LA or MuniMobile?
TAP LA is rated higher. TAP LA averages 1.9 out of 5 from 799 ratings, while MuniMobile averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do TAP LA or MuniMobile have ads?
Neither TAP LA nor MuniMobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TAP LA or MuniMobile?
TAP LA ships an update every 6 months, and MuniMobile every 4 months. Most recently, TAP LA was updated on September 23, 2026 and MuniMobile on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, TAP LA or MuniMobile?
TAP LA currently peaks at #188 in the App Store charts, and MuniMobile at #206. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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