Comparison

CATS vs SafeRides

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

Head to head
About

CATS

This app provides a convenient mobile ticketing solution for public transit. Users can instantly purchase and use tickets directly from their smartphone, plan trips with step-by-step directions, and manage their transit passes. It offers multiple payment options and integration with other transit-related services.

Highlights
  • Instant mobile ticket purchase
  • Trip planning with directions
  • Debit/credit card and mobile payment options
  • Save favorite routes and passes
  • Connect to other CATS apps
Features
Read full description

It’s the way to pay! CATS-Pass is the official mobile ticketing app for the Charlotte Area Transit System. CATS-Pass offers a convenient way for you to purchase and use tickets instantly on your smartphone – anywhere, anytime. CATS-Pass also gives you access to trip planning tools. Download the app, buy your transit pass and plan your trip, right from your phone. Features include: • Purchase passes instantly via debit/credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay • Step-by-step travel directions • Cash Wallet feature • Personalize the app by saving your favorite routes and pass types • Connect to other CATS Apps including: ◦ CATS See/Say ◦ CATS Art In Transit ◦ TrackCATS

About

SafeRides

Earn extra income by providing safe rides to students and verified community members. Enjoy flexible scheduling, set your own prices, and benefit from in-app navigation and fast payouts within geofenced campus areas.

Highlights
  • Flexible scheduling
  • Set your own price per seat
  • Verified riders
  • In-app navigation
  • Fast payouts
  • Campus & community focus
Features
Read full description

SafeRides Driver — Drive for Your Campus, On Your Schedule Turn your car into income. SafeRides Driver connects verified student drivers with riders on your own campus — safe, flexible, and built around your schedule. Why Drive with SafeRides Set Your Own Hours Drive when it works for you — between classes, weekend nights, or whenever you want to earn. Verified Riders Only Every rider signs up with their school email. You're never picking up a stranger off the street. Live Ride Requests See ride requests from students on your campus in real time. Accept the ones that work for your route. 4-Digit Pickup Verification Confirm every pickup with a unique code — no confusion, no wrong passengers. Track Your Earnings See your payouts, ride history, and earnings breakdown right in the app. How It Works Sign up with your school email and pass a background check Go online when you're ready to drive Accept ride requests near you Confirm pickup with the rider's 4-digit code Get paid Built by Students, for Students SafeRides is campus-only — you're driving people who go to your school, on routes you already know. Flexible income, verified riders, real safety. Download SafeRides Driver and start earning.

Screenshots

CATS3 screens
SafeRides4 screens

Verdict

The call

CATS and SafeRides both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of SafeRides's written reviews are positive against 53% of CATS's. SafeRides also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and device support (3 vs 1). CATS's advantage is ratings volume (17K vs 8). 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

SafeRides holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CATS has 17K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of CATS's written reviews are positive against 100% of SafeRides's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CATS ships an update every 4 months, SafeRides weekly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CATS versus SafeRides: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCATSSafeRides
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (17K ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings17K — better8
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB73 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperCity of CharlotteCoetzee Tech LLC

Customer experience

CATS

All ratings15,916 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive53.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative40.0%

SafeRides

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

CATS

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to create new user accounts
  • Keyboard issues during sign-up process
  • Discrepancies between app and physical bus stop times

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to delete payment methods
  • Improved bus and train schedule information
  • Notifications for bus arrival times
  • Discounted passes for seniors and disabled riders

SafeRides

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CATS

No in-app purchases

None

SafeRides

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CATS free?
CATS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SafeRides free?
SafeRides is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CATS or SafeRides?
SafeRides is rated higher. CATS averages 4.8 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while SafeRides averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do CATS or SafeRides have ads?
Neither CATS nor SafeRides shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CATS or SafeRides?
CATS ships an update every 4 months, and SafeRides weekly. Most recently, CATS was updated on October 28, 2026 and SafeRides on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons