Comparison

Caltrain+ vs TAGO RIDES

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

TAGO RIDES

This app connects university students for carpooling, allowing verified .edu users to find rides or offer them to fellow students. It provides a cheaper alternative to traditional rideshares and taxis, with features like real-time tracking and secure in-app payments.

Highlights
  • .edu-only verified student community
  • Real-time matching with directional intelligence
  • Live driver tracking with ETA and Live Activity
  • Secure in-app chat and payments via Stripe
  • Built-in safety features: emergency button, trip sharing
  • Recurring ride scheduling
  • Accessibility features for caregivers and mobility access
Features
Read full description

Someone is already driving where you need to go. Tago connects people making the same trip so they can share the ride and split what it costs. Post the drive you were making anyway, or find a seat on someone else's. No surge pricing, and no commission. HOW IT WORKS 1. Say where you're going and when. 2. See who's already driving that way, with their times, open seats and the cost per seat. 3. Send a request. When the driver accepts, sort out the timings in chat. 4. Scan to start the trip, ride, and you're done. FINDING A RIDE • Search a route and see every trip on it • Request a seat for the day you need, and bring up to three companions • Know the exact cost before you ask, with no fees added at the end • When nobody drives the whole way, tago stitches a drive together with transit • A group chat for every trip, so nobody is guessing where to stand OFFERING SEATS • Post the drive you were already making and fill the empty seats • Set your own time, route and stops • Driving the same trip every week? Post it once and cover the whole week • Review requests and choose who rides with you BUILT AROUND REAL TRIPS • Concerts, games and festivals, with a seat home when it ends • Airport runs to and from set pickup points • Weekly commutes as a repeating schedule • Weekend trips home NO COMMISSION Tago does not take a cut. What a rider chips in is what the driver receives. There is no service fee, no booking fee and no surge. SAFETY Every account is verified and every trip ends with a rating. Trips start with a scan, so the right people are in the right car. Share your live trip with someone you trust whenever you want. WHO USES TAGO Students getting home for the weekend. Commuters splitting the drive into the city. Anyone heading to the same show, the same airport or the same town as someone else, and tired of paying for the whole car alone. Download Tago and find your seat.

Screenshots

Caltrain+4 screens
TAGO RIDES4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Caltrain+ at 2.4K against TAGO RIDES's 14. TAGO RIDES's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

TAGO RIDES holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caltrain+ has 2.4K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Caltrain+'s written reviews are positive against 100% of TAGO RIDES's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Caltrain+ ships an update every 3 weeks, TAGO RIDES weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Caltrain+ versus TAGO RIDES: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCaltrain+TAGO RIDES
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.4K ratings)5.0 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.4K — better14
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan SahooTago Rides, Inc.

Customer experience

Caltrain+

All ratings2,344 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

TAGO RIDES

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

TAGO RIDES

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Caltrain+

No in-app purchases

None

TAGO RIDES

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Caltrain+ free?
Caltrain+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TAGO RIDES free?
TAGO RIDES is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Caltrain+ or TAGO RIDES?
TAGO RIDES is rated higher. Caltrain+ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while TAGO RIDES averages 5.0 from 14 ratings.
Do Caltrain+ or TAGO RIDES have ads?
Neither Caltrain+ nor TAGO RIDES shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Caltrain+ or TAGO RIDES?
Caltrain+ ships an update every 3 weeks, and TAGO RIDES weekly. Most recently, Caltrain+ was updated on October 25, 2026 and TAGO RIDES on October 24, 2026.

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