Comparison

Academy SilverPass vs NYC Subway Widget

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

Head to head
About

Academy SilverPass

Purchase bus tickets instantly and securely from your mobile device. Plan your trips, view schedules, and track your bus in real-time. Never lose a paper ticket again with digital storage and contactless validation.

Highlights
  • Secure ticket purchase
  • Multiple ticket options
  • Use transit benefits
  • Trip planning and schedules
  • Real-time bus tracking
  • Digital ticket storage
  • Service disruption notifications
Features
Read full description

Never wait in line to buy tickets again! The SilverPass app provides these great features to connect you to New York City: *Securely Purchase tickets from your phone or tablet instantly. Tickets available in one-way, round trip, 10-trip, 40-trip and monthly options. *Does your employer provide transit benefits? No problem, you can use benefits cards or even split two forms of payment on the app. *Plan trips, view schedules and get route itineraries all on your phone or tablet. *Our service operates from more than just park and rides. Find local bus stops here. *Get push notifications if service disruptions will impact your commute. *Ticket validation process is entirely digital and contactless. Conveniently store tickets and passes on your phone or tablet – never lose a paper ticket again! Display tickets right from your phone to board the bus . *Track bus departures. Watch your bus approach the stop on a map in real-time. *Easily contact us for route suggestions, comments or questions. Academy Bus, recognized as the largest privately owned and operated ground transportation company in the US, has been raising standards in the industry since 1968. Featured under the Academy Bus umbrella is our daily, express commuter bus service from points along the New Jersey shore to the Midtown, Port Authority Bus Terminal, and Wall Street areas in New York City.

About

NYC Subway Widget

Get live MTA bus and train departure times directly on your home or lock screen. This app provides real-time transit updates for subways, buses, and commuter rail, with an offline map for easy navigation.

Highlights
  • Live departure times
  • Home screen widget
  • Lock screen widget
  • Offline subway map
  • Real-time updates
  • MTA, NJ PATH, LIRR, Metro North support
Features
Read full description

Real Time Metro Departure Times For: — MTA Subway — Bus — NJ PATH — Long Island Railroad LIRR — Metro North — Ferry In the App, on Your Home Screen and Your Lock Screen. The app also includes an offline map of the entire NYC subway system. NYC Subway Widget puts real-time subway departure times right on your home screen or lock screen, so you always know when the next train is arriving at your nearest station. Designed to make commuting in New York City easier, this app gives you instant access to accurate train schedules without needing to open any other apps or search for your location. Here’s how it works: whenever you need an update, just tap the refresh button on the widget. The app will then quickly find your current location, identify the nearest subway stop, and update the widget with the latest departure times. It’s simple and fast—perfect for when the station’s departure displays aren’t working or you just need a quick glance at what’s next. NYC Subway Widget is designed for speed and efficiency. It doesn’t constantly track your location in the background—keeping your privacy intact and saving battery life. Instead, it only checks your location when you hit refresh, giving you the most up-to-date information right when you need it. Once set up, the widget lives on your home or lock screen, ready to update at your convenience. With no customization options or unnecessary features to distract you, NYC Subway Widget focuses on delivering what matters most: the next train’s departure time. Whether you’re commuting to work, running errands, or heading out for a night in the city, this app provides a no-nonsense solution to keeping track of the subway schedule. Just tap refresh and get the latest train times for your closest stop, without the hassle of navigating through complex apps or dealing with station delays. With NYC Subway Widget, you’re always in control. You decide when to check the train times, and the app provides reliable, real-time updates at a glance. Download NYC Subway Widget today and simplify your subway commute with quick, on-demand departure times at your fingertips. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://spreen.notion.site/NYC-Subway-Widget-Privacy-Policy-12578074aa7f80e7bf33d9017dfe7aee

Screenshots

Academy SilverPass4 screens
NYC Subway Widget4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NYC Subway Widget at 86% against Academy SilverPass's 21%. NYC Subway Widget also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.9) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Academy SilverPass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. NYC Subway Widget sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Academy SilverPass asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NYC Subway Widget holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 702 and 399 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Academy SilverPass's written reviews are positive against 86% of NYC Subway Widget's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Academy SilverPass ships an update every 2 months, NYC Subway Widget weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Academy SilverPass versus NYC Subway Widget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAcademy SilverPassNYC Subway Widget
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (702 ratings)4.9 (399 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.8% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings702 — better399
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAcademy BusHockey Labs, Inc.

Customer experience

Academy SilverPass

All ratings617 ratings
Positive69.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative27.6%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive20.8%
Neutral6.4%
Negative72.8%

NYC Subway Widget

All ratings388 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral9.5%
Negative4.8%

User reviews

Academy SilverPass

From 702 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Convenient app for purchasing tickets
  • 💨 Quick and easy to use
  • 🎉 Excellent app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and issues with ticket activation
  • 🕰️ Outdated and confusing user interface
  • 🚌 Unreliable bus service and schedule changes
  • 🤖 Poor in-app notifications and alerts
  • 💰 High prices and lack of value for money

NYC Subway Widget

From 399 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Efficient commute
  • 🚀 Accurate real-time updates
  • 👍 Well-designed widget
  • 👍 Responsive developer

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Concerns about location-based approach
  • 💰 Subscription model not preferred by all

Bugs and requests

Academy SilverPass

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Tickets disappearing from the app
  • Inability to purchase tickets through the app
  • Inconsistent app performance and functionality

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved in-app notifications and alerts
  • More user-friendly interface and navigation
  • Better integration with bus schedules and real-time updates
  • Extend ticket validity time
  • Provide customer support options

NYC Subway Widget

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Scroll issue in the app

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow users to choose favorite station
  • Improve widget refresh functionality
  • Offer lifetime subscription option

In-app purchases

None

Academy SilverPass

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

NYC Subway Widget

Subscriptions8
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • All Features — Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$2.991 Month
  • All Features — Monthly$2.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • All Features — Monthly$3.991 Month
  • All Features — Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Year trial$23.991 Year
  • Yearly7 Days trial$23.991 Year
  • All Features — Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Academy SilverPass free?
Academy SilverPass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NYC Subway Widget free?
NYC Subway Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Academy SilverPass or NYC Subway Widget?
NYC Subway Widget is rated higher. Academy SilverPass averages 3.9 out of 5 from 702 ratings, while NYC Subway Widget averages 4.9 from 399 ratings.
Do Academy SilverPass or NYC Subway Widget have ads?
Neither Academy SilverPass nor NYC Subway Widget shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Academy SilverPass or NYC Subway Widget?
Academy SilverPass ships an update every 2 months, and NYC Subway Widget weekly. Most recently, Academy SilverPass was updated on November 7, 2026 and NYC Subway Widget on November 4, 2026.

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