Caltrain+ vs Silicon Valley Hopper
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
Silicon Valley Hopper
This app offers an affordable, public ridesharing service connecting users within Cupertino and Santa Clara, and to key transit hubs and a hospital. Book convenient, eco-friendly rides directly from your phone and pay easily with a credit or debit card.
- On-demand rideshare booking
- Service across Cupertino and Santa Clara
- Connections to Caltrain stations
- Eco-friendly electric vehicles
- Affordable public transit option
- In-app credit/debit card payment
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Silicon Valley Hopper is an affordable, public ridesharing program with service across the Cities of Cupertino and Santa Clara, plus to/from the Mountain View and Sunnyvale Caltrain stations and El Camino Health Mountain View Hospital. CONVENIENT Use your phone to book trips directly on the Silicon Valley Hopper app. You’ll be picked up in a nearby location by a branded vehicle. GREEN Most of the Silicon Valley Hopper vehicles are electric, and by connecting you to nearby transit we help you reduce your carbon footprint even further! AFFORDABLE Silicon Valley Hopper is a low cost, public transit option. Pay easily with a credit/debit card through the app. Questions? Reach out at support-hopper@ridewithvia.com Loving your experience so far? Throw us a 5-star rating. You’ll have our eternal gratitude.
Screenshots
Verdict
Caltrain+ and Silicon Valley Hopper both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Caltrain+'s written reviews are positive against 37% of Silicon Valley Hopper's. Caltrain+ also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 571). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Caltrain+ against 4.7 for Silicon Valley Hopper. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.3K and 571 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Caltrain+'s written reviews are positive against 37% of Silicon Valley Hopper's.
Caltrain+ ships an update every 3 weeks, Silicon Valley Hopper every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Caltrain+ | Silicon Valley Hopper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better | 4.7 (571 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews — better | 37.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.3K — better | 571 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 135 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jonathan Sahoo | Via Transportation, Inc. |
Customer experience
Caltrain+
Silicon Valley Hopper
User reviews
Caltrain+
From 2.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easily accessible
- 👍 User friendly
- 👍 Great UI
- 👍 Helpful
- 👍 Useful
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate train times
- 🐛 Inconvenient, unable to process payments
Silicon Valley Hopper
From 571 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💰 Affordable transportation option
- 👍 User-friendly app interface
- 🚗 Good drivers (when available)
- 🛡️ Safe and convenient service
- 📱 Easy app setup
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Extremely long wait times (30+ minutes)
- 🚗 Driver reliability issues and cancellations
- 🔄 Frequent driver reassignments
- 💸 Unfair cancellation penalties
- 🗺️ Incorrect drop-off locations
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
Silicon Valley Hopper
Reported bugs
5 issues- App splash screen freezes on startup
- Excessive 'why are you not riding' notifications
- Driver location tracking inaccuracies
- Booking system unavailable during peak times
- Drivers marked as no-show within one minute
Requested features
5 requests- Show pickup arrival time (not just destination time)
- Live activity tracking for ride status
- Drop-off at doorstep like Uber/Lyft
- More drivers in Cupertino and Santa Clara
- Better driver tracking and monitoring
In-app purchases
Caltrain+
No in-app purchases
Silicon Valley Hopper
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Caltrain+ free?
Is Silicon Valley Hopper free?
Which has better reviews, Caltrain+ or Silicon Valley Hopper?
Do Caltrain+ or Silicon Valley Hopper have ads?
Which is updated more often, Caltrain+ or Silicon Valley Hopper?
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