SmarTrip vs CATS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmarTrip
Manage your SmarTrip card and account with this optional tool. Register your card for balance protection, check benefits, set up auto-reload, or purchase transit passes. It can also be added to Apple Wallet for easy tap-to-pay.
- Manage SmarTrip card and account
- Add SmarTrip to Apple Wallet
- Register card for balance protection
- Check SmartBenefits
- Setup Auto-Reload
- Buy unlimited transit passes
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This app is an OPTIONAL tool that allows you to manage your SmarTrip® card and account. This app can NOT be used to pay your transit or parking fares. You do NOT need to setup a SmarTrip account to use SmarTrip in Apple Wallet. Add SmarTrip to Apple Wallet: - Open Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch - Tap “+”, choose “Transit Card”, select “SmarTrip” - In less than a minute you’ll have a new SmarTrip card in your Apple Wallet and be ready to tap to pay for rides or parking anywhere SmarTrip is accepted. If you need to do account management, then: - Install this optional SmarTrip app to register your card for account balance protection, check SmartBenefits, setup Auto-Reload, or buy money-saving unlimited transit passes. Chat with us at WMATA.COM/CHAT or call 888-SMARTRIP (888-762-7874)
CATS
This app provides a convenient mobile ticketing solution for public transit. Users can instantly purchase and use tickets directly from their smartphone, plan trips with step-by-step directions, and manage their transit passes. It offers multiple payment options and integration with other transit-related services.
- Instant mobile ticket purchase
- Trip planning with directions
- Debit/credit card and mobile payment options
- Save favorite routes and passes
- Connect to other CATS apps
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It’s the way to pay! CATS-Pass is the official mobile ticketing app for the Charlotte Area Transit System. CATS-Pass offers a convenient way for you to purchase and use tickets instantly on your smartphone – anywhere, anytime. CATS-Pass also gives you access to trip planning tools. Download the app, buy your transit pass and plan your trip, right from your phone. Features include: • Purchase passes instantly via debit/credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay • Step-by-step travel directions • Cash Wallet feature • Personalize the app by saving your favorite routes and pass types • Connect to other CATS Apps including: ◦ CATS See/Say ◦ CATS Art In Transit ◦ TrackCATS
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CATS at 54% against SmarTrip's 11%. CATS also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (16K vs 57). SmarTrip's advantage is chart position (#208 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
CATS holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CATS has 16K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 11% of SmarTrip's written reviews are positive against 54% of CATS's.
SmarTrip ships an update every 5 months, CATS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmarTrip | CATS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (57 ratings) | 4.8 (16K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 10.5% of reviews | 53.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 57 | 16K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #208 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 122 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | City of Charlotte |
Customer experience
SmarTrip
CATS
User reviews
SmarTrip
From 57 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for commuting
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Apple Wallet
- 🚀 Straightforward account setup
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable card reading at turnstiles
- 🐛 Delayed balance updates
- 🐛 Buggy app functionality
- 🔒 Excessive personal information required
- 🔒 Difficult to recover account
CATS
From 16K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Convenient ticket purchasing
- 💡 Helpful for events and concerts
- 🚀 Real-time bus tracking
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes or bugs
- 🔒 Restrictive device limit issues
- 🔒 Difficult to manage payment methods
- 🕰️ Inaccurate bus schedule information
Bugs and requests
SmarTrip
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unable to activate account due to missing activation email
- Password reset process not working
- Inconsistent behavior when adding value to card
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to transfer balance between cards
- Real-time balance updates
- Improved trip planning tools
- Apple Watch support
CATS
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unable to create new user accounts
- Keyboard issues during sign-up process
- Discrepancies between app and physical bus stop times
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to delete payment methods
- Improved bus and train schedule information
- Notifications for bus arrival times
- Discounted passes for seniors and disabled riders
In-app purchases
SmarTrip
No in-app purchases
CATS
No in-app purchases
