Comparison

Caltrain+ vs Shuttle Connection

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

Shuttle Connection

This app offers a smart, eco-friendly way to commute to work. It provides ridesharing, shuttle, and coach bus services, allowing users to book on-demand rides or find convenient stops for shared commutes. It aims to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions.

Highlights
  • On-demand ride booking
  • Campus shuttle connection
  • Trip planning
  • Shared rides
  • Bike racks on vehicles
  • Carbon emission reduction
Features
Read full description

Think of Shuttle Connection as a whole new way to get to work — a ridesharing, shuttle, and coach bus service that’s free, smart, easy, and green. Discover the best way to streamline your commute – whether that’s by booking an on-demand ride directly through the app, using the app to identify the most convenient stop to catch a bus to campus, or connecting to a campus shuttle from a local train station. How it works: Use the app to plan trips to and from the office. Share your ride with coworkers. Save time and reduce carbon emissions. What we’re about: SHARED. Our routes are designed to serve as many riders as possible as efficiently as possible. SUSTAINABLE. Sharing rides reduces the number of vehicles on the roads, bringing down congestion and CO2 emissions. With a couple of taps, you get to do your part to make your community a little bit greener and cleaner, every time you ride. FLEXIBLE. Feel like biking to work and hitching a ride home? With bike racks on vehicles, you get to choose how you want to commute — on the fly. FREE. Rides are totally free. Enough said. Loving your experience so far? Throw us a 5-star rating. You’ll have our eternal gratitude.

Screenshots

Caltrain+4 screens
Shuttle Connection4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Caltrain+ at 85% against Shuttle Connection's 0%. Caltrain+ also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Caltrain+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caltrain+ has 2K ratings behind it against 99, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Caltrain+'s written reviews are positive against 0% of Shuttle Connection's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Caltrain+ ships an update every 3 weeks, Shuttle Connection every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Caltrain+ versus Shuttle Connection: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCaltrain+Shuttle Connection
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2K ratings) — better4.3 (99 ratings)
Positive reviews85.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better99
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB134 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan SahooVia Transportation, Inc.

Customer experience

Caltrain+

All ratings2,045 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive85.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.7%

Shuttle Connection

All ratings99 ratings
Positive80.8%
Neutral4.0%
Negative15.2%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative70.0%

Bugs and requests

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

Shuttle Connection

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Caltrain+

No in-app purchases

None

Shuttle Connection

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Caltrain+ free?
Caltrain+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shuttle Connection free?
Shuttle Connection is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Caltrain+ or Shuttle Connection?
Caltrain+ is rated higher. Caltrain+ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Shuttle Connection averages 4.3 from 99 ratings.
Do Caltrain+ or Shuttle Connection have ads?
Neither Caltrain+ nor Shuttle Connection shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Caltrain+ or Shuttle Connection?
Caltrain+ ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shuttle Connection every 3 months. Most recently, Caltrain+ was updated on September 25, 2026 and Shuttle Connection on September 4, 2026.

Other comparisons