# Clipper Card vs Caltrain+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Caltrain+ at 85% against Clipper Card's 3%. Caltrain+ also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Clipper Card's advantage is chart position (#128 vs unranked) and ratings volume (11K vs 2K). 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.

Caltrain+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clipper Card has 11K ratings behind it against 2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 3% of Clipper Card's written reviews are positive against 85% of Caltrain+'s.

Clipper Card ships an update every 3 months, Caltrain+ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Clipper Card | Caltrain+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clipper-card/id1534042451/reviews) | **[4.8 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caltrain-plus/id1570049004/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 2K |
| Positive reviews | 3.0% of reviews | **85.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#128** | — |
| Size | 61 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Metropolitan Transportation Commission](https://appshunter.io/developer/577603960) | [Jonathan Sahoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/970144714) |

## What reviewers say

### Clipper Card

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clipper-card/id1534042451)

**Currently charting:** #128 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your transit card for contactless fare payments across the San Francisco Bay Area. Load value, plan trips with real-time information, and pay fares directly from your iPhone or Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Pay fares with Clipper in Apple Pay, Manage transit accounts, Load cash value and transit passes, Plan trips with real-time info, Add/transfer cards to Apple Wallet, View account activity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient to add Clipper card to Apple Wallet
- 👍 Easy to manage Clipper card balance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent issues
- ⏱️ Slow to update card balance and transaction history
- 💳 Difficult to cancel auto-load or transfer card balances
- 🤖 Poor customer service and unresponsive support
- 🔒 Security concerns with lost/stolen cards

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes frequently
- Card balances not updating properly
- Issues with adding cards to Apple Wallet
- Inconsistent behavior when loading funds

**Requested features**

- Improve real-time sync of card balance and transactions
- Streamline process to cancel auto-load and transfer balances
- Provide better customer support and communication
- Enhance security features for lost/stolen cards
- Eliminate unnecessary fees


### Caltrain+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caltrain-plus/id1570049004)

Plan your Caltrain trips with ease. Get real-time schedules, find the fastest routes, and view service alerts. Perfect for commuters and occasional riders needing to navigate the Caltrain system efficiently.

**Highlights:** Trip planning by departure and arrival station, View full timetables, Access service alerts, System map integration, Filter by 'arrive by' time, View scheduled stops for each train

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easily accessible
- 👍 User friendly
- 👍 Great UI
- 👍 Helpful
- 👍 Useful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate train times
- 🐛 Inconvenient, unable to process payments

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't open
- Unable to process payments

**Requested features**

- Expand service to Gilroy
- Post more info on the app like ticketing and upcoming changes
- Add dark mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Clipper Card free?

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

### Is Caltrain+ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Clipper Card or Caltrain+?

Caltrain+ is rated higher. Clipper Card averages 3.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Caltrain+ averages 4.8 from 2K ratings.

### Do Clipper Card or Caltrain+ have ads?

Neither Clipper Card nor Caltrain+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Clipper Card or Caltrain+?

Clipper Card ships an update every 3 months, and Caltrain+ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Clipper Card was updated on September 24, 2026 and Caltrain+ on September 25, 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.*
