Comparison

TAP LA vs Wave by OCTA

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

Wave by OCTA

This app simplifies public transit by allowing users to pay for rides and manage their transit cards. It automatically caps fares to ensure the best price and offers real-time bus information for trip planning. Users can easily add value, manage multiple cards, and utilize features like autopay and virtual cards for seamless travel.

Highlights
  • Automatic fare capping
  • Pay as you ride
  • Real-time bus information
  • Virtual card creation
  • Add value with cash
  • Autopay for reloads
  • Manage multiple cards
Features
Read full description

The Wave by OCTA app makes riding OC Bus easier, faster, and smarter. With Wave, your payments are automatically capped, so you’ll never overpay, and you’ll always get the best fare. No more pre-paying for a daily or monthly pass, just load value and pay as you go. New features include card management, allowing you to add value to your Wave cards directly in the mobile app or at participating retailers using cash; real-time bus information so you can plan your trip; and apply your reduced fare status to your Wave card. Why the Wave app makes riding easier: 1. Pay as you ride. No need to pay upfront for passes. 2. Daily and monthly fares are automatically capped, so you always pay less. 3. Get a free virtual card; no need to purchase a separate Wave card. 4. Set up autopay to reload value when your balance is low. 5. Load value with cash at participating retailers. 6. Real-time reloads and account management. 7. Manages up to 8 reusable Wave cards in your account. 8. Virtual card displays a large QR code for quicker boarding. 9. Wave cards include a free two-hour transfer for paid rides. 10. Connects to the Transit App for trip planning. To get started, download Wave by OCTA to register your account. Create a virtual Wave card or link your physical card. Add funds and you’re ready to ride. It’s that simple.

Screenshots

TAP LA4 screens
Wave by OCTA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TAP LA at none against Wave by OCTA's shown. TAP LA also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and chart position (#178 vs unranked). Wave by OCTA's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.9 for TAP LA against 1.8 for Wave by OCTA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 799 and 178 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 12% of TAP LA's written reviews are positive against 9% of Wave by OCTA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TAP LA ships an update every 6 months, Wave by OCTA every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
TAP LA versus Wave by OCTA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTAP LAWave by OCTA
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (799 ratings) — better1.8 (178 ratings)
Positive reviews12.2% of reviews — better9.5% of reviews
Number of ratings799 — better178
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#178 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityOrange County Transportation Authority

Customer experience

TAP LA

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

Wave by OCTA

All ratings178 ratings
Positive16.3%
Neutral3.9%
Negative79.8%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive9.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative83.2%

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

Wave by OCTA

From 178 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Needs NFC support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Can't sign in
  • 🐛 Not working
  • 🐛 Totally unable to sign in
  • 🐛 No free virtual on update
  • 🐛 Where's the free 15th-31st rides?

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

Wave by OCTA

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Can't sign in
  • Not working
  • Totally unable to sign in
  • No free virtual on update
  • Where's the free 15th-31st rides?

Requested features

2 requests
  • Free bus pass option
  • Easier college pass transfer

In-app purchases

None

TAP LA

No in-app purchases

None

Wave by OCTA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TAP LA free?
TAP LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wave by OCTA free?
Wave by OCTA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TAP LA or Wave by OCTA?
TAP LA is rated higher. TAP LA averages 1.9 out of 5 from 799 ratings, while Wave by OCTA averages 1.8 from 178 ratings.
Do TAP LA or Wave by OCTA have ads?
Wave by OCTA shows ads; TAP LA does not.
Which is updated more often, TAP LA or Wave by OCTA?
TAP LA ships an update every 6 months, and Wave by OCTA every 4 weeks. Most recently, TAP LA was updated on September 26, 2026 and Wave by OCTA on September 20, 2026.

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