TART Connect vs Caltrain+
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TART Connect
This app provides free on-demand transportation in specific service areas. Easily book rides, view estimated wait times, and track your driver's arrival in real-time. Enjoy convenient travel within Tahoe City, Truckee, and Incline Village.
- On-demand transportation
- Free service
- Real-time driver tracking
- Estimated wait times
- Easy ride booking
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TART Connect is a free on-demand transportation service. The service operates in select service areas: - Tahoe City / Kings Beach, CA (includes West Shore, Olympic Valley and Northstar) - Truckee, CA It's easy to use! - Input your ride info to view the estimated wait time. Then, just tap to confirm your request. - Track your driver’s progress. We’ll let you know when we’re getting close!
Caltrain+
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.
- 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
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Caltrain+ is a Caltrain schedule and trip planning app that lets you quickly and easily figure out which train to take to get you from Station A to Station B. Additionally you can view full timetables, service alerts, and a system map all from within the app. To use Caltrain+, simply select the station you want to depart from, the station you want to arrive at, and the timetable (Weekday or Weekend), and Caltrain+ will show you a complete list of every matching train you could take along with its number, service type (i.e. Local, Limited, Express, or South County Connector), departure and arrival time, and trip duration. Optionally specify an “arrive by” time to filter the list of trains to only include those which will get you to your destination station before the specified time. You can also view the full list of scheduled stops for a particular train just by tapping on it. Transit data provided by 511.org. Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Caltrain+ at 4.8 against TART Connect's 4.0. Caltrain+ also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 51%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
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 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caltrain+ has 2.4K ratings behind it against 187, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of TART Connect's written reviews are positive against 86% of Caltrain+'s.
TART Connect ships an update every 4 months, Caltrain+ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.
| Parameter | TART Connect | Caltrain+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (187 ratings) | 4.8 (2.4K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.2% of reviews | 85.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 187 | 2.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Via Transportation, Inc. | Jonathan Sahoo |
Customer experience
TART Connect
Caltrain+
User reviews
TART Connect
From 187 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great service for getting around
- 👍 Friendly and nice drivers
- 👍 Convenient door-to-door pickup
- 👍 Helpful during emergencies
- 👍 Free service
Room to improve
- 😞 New app is a downgrade
- 😞 App designed for larger cities
- 😞 Limited operating hours
- 😞 Cannot get rides near closing time
- 😞 Inflexible app routing for drivers
Caltrain+
From 2.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easily accessible
- 👍 User friendly
- 👍 Great UI
- 👍 Helpful
- 👍 Useful
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate train times
- 🐛 Inconvenient, unable to process payments
Bugs and requests
TART Connect
Reported bugs
8 issues- App not accepting new rides
- App not recognizing addresses correctly
- Drivers forgetting to pick up passengers
- System is illogical
- App ETAs are inaccurate and fluctuate wildly
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Drivers driving past without picking up
- App not updating car location in real-time
- Account hacked
Requested features
7 requests- Allow drivers more flexibility in routing
- Improve app's understanding of local roads and construction
- Extend operating hours, especially during winter
- Improve accuracy of driver ETAs
- Real-time car location updates like Uber/Lyft
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Better handling of bike transport
- More efficient assignment of rides to drivers
Caltrain+
Reported bugs
2 issues- App doesn't open
- Unable to process payments
Requested features
3 requests- Expand service to Gilroy
- Post more info on the app like ticketing and upcoming changes
- Add dark mode
In-app purchases
TART Connect
No in-app purchases
Caltrain+
No in-app purchases
