# SmarTrip vs Roomsie

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Roomsie at 100% against SmarTrip's 10%. Roomsie also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). SmarTrip's advantage is ratings volume (113 vs 1) and chart position (#204 vs unranked). 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.

Roomsie holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmarTrip has 113 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of SmarTrip's written reviews are positive against 100% of Roomsie's.

SmarTrip ships an update every 5 months, Roomsie weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmarTrip | Roomsie |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.2 (113 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roomsie/id6759534873/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **113** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#204** | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257235533) | [Roomsie, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879335853) |

## What reviewers say

### SmarTrip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463)

**Currently charting:** #204 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Manage SmarTrip card and account, Add SmarTrip to Apple Wallet, Register card for balance protection, Check SmartBenefits, Setup Auto-Reload, Buy unlimited transit passes

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for commuting
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Apple Wallet
- 🚀 Straightforward account setup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable card reading at turnstiles
- 🐛 Delayed balance updates
- 🐛 Buggy app functionality
- 🔒 Excessive personal information required
- 🔒 Difficult to recover account

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to activate account due to missing activation email
- Password reset process not working
- Inconsistent behavior when adding value to card

**Requested features**

- Ability to transfer balance between cards
- Real-time balance updates
- Improved trip planning tools
- Apple Watch support


### Roomsie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roomsie/id6759534873)

Find affordable, furnished housing and connect with future roommates in Washington D.C. This platform simplifies the search for interns, students, and recent graduates, offering budget-friendly options in prime locations with all utilities included.

**Highlights:** Affordable furnished housing, Connect with roommates, Prime D.C. area locations, All utilities included, Verified hosts and guests, Flexible monthly/yearly leases, Networking and social events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmarTrip free?

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

### Is Roomsie free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SmarTrip or Roomsie?

Roomsie is rated higher. SmarTrip averages 2.2 out of 5 from 113 ratings, while Roomsie averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do SmarTrip or Roomsie have ads?

Neither SmarTrip nor Roomsie shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmarTrip or Roomsie?

SmarTrip ships an update every 5 months, and Roomsie weekly. Most recently, SmarTrip was updated on October 21, 2026 and Roomsie on October 19, 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.*