SmarTrip vs Hoyalift
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)
Hoyalift
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Hoyalift & SafeRides Your ride around the Hilltop and Capitol Campus — on your schedule. The official on-demand transportation app for the Georgetown University community. Request a ride, track your shuttle in real time, and get where you need to go — safely, reliably, and free of charge. Whether you’re heading between campus and the Metro, catching a late class, or getting home after dark, Hoyalift puts Georgetown’s transportation network in your pocket. Request a ride in seconds. Set your pickup and drop-off points within the service area and get matched with the next available vehicle. No schedules to memorize, no waiting at a stop wondering when the next bus will arrive. Track your ride live. Watch your vehicle approach on the map with accurate ETAs, and get notified when your driver is arriving. Ride safe, day or night. SafeRides provides free point-to-point evening transportation to and from campus and adjacent neighborhoods, operated by professional, vetted drivers. Every trip is logged and monitored from pickup to drop-off. Built for the Georgetown community. Available to students, faculty, staff, and affiliates with a valid NetID. Accessible vehicle options are available on request. Hoyalift & SafeRides is operated in partnership with Georgetown University Transportation and Abe’s Transportation, Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Hoyalift at every 2 weeks against SmarTrip's every 5 months. SmarTrip's advantage is chart position (#194 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, 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.
SmarTrip ships an update every 5 months, Hoyalift every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmarTrip | Hoyalift |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (57 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 10.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 57 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | #194 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.7.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | ioki GmbH |
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
Hoyalift
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SmarTrip
No in-app purchases
Hoyalift
No in-app purchases
