STA Connect vs Metro Flex
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
STA Connect
Manage your transit fare cards, add value, and track your spending. This app allows you to link physical cards or create virtual ones, view your balance, and monitor fare capping progress. It also supports autoload and provides a history of your rides.
- Link physical or create virtual fare cards
- Add value and passes
- Check card balance
- View fare capping progress
- Enable autoload
- Lock lost/stolen cards
- Manage payment methods
- View ride history
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The Spokane Transit Authority (STA) Connect app is packed full of features! With the STA Connect app you can: - Link a physical Connect card or create a virtual eConnect card - Add value or passes - Check your balance - View fare capping progress - Enable autoload - Lock lost or stolen cards - Manage payment methods - View card activity, including ride history Virtual eConnect cards are separate from physical Connect cards. eConnect cards are completely virtual and exist only in your mobile phone. Every card, whether physical or eConnect, has a unique 20 digit number, and that 20 digit number has its own separate balances and fare capping totals from any other Connect card number, even when linked within the same STA Connect app account profile. To add value to an eConnect or physical Connect card, simply add a credit or debit card to your Connect account, then add value to your cart and check out. With value added to your card, you are ready to ride! Please note that no refund can be given on funds loaded to a physical or eConnect card. When you board the bus, bring up the fare payment QR code and hold your phone approximately eight inches below the fare validator with the screen facing up. When your eConnect card has been validated and fare collected, you’ll hear a beep and see a green check mark. Riders with a Universal Transit Access Pass (UTAP) through a local university (e.g. EWU, Gonzaga, SCC, SFCC, Whitworth, or WSU Spokane), employer (e.g. City of Spokane or Spokane County), or other partner agency (e.g. Kendall Yards) can now link their UTAP to their virtual Connect card directly in the STA Connect app. Simply register with your UTAP email address and use the “Partner Agency” widget on the home screen to get started. Learn more about the Connect fare system at spokanetransit.com/connect/
Metro Flex
This app provides on-demand transit within a designated service area. Book a ride from your phone and get picked up at a nearby corner for the same price as a bus trip. Enjoy convenient and fast transportation.
- On-demand ride booking
- Nearby pick-up locations
- Affordable fares
- ORCA card integration
- Youth ride free
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King County Metro Flex is an on-demand neighborhood transit service. Use your phone to ride anywhere in your service area for the same cost as a bus trip. HOW IT WORKS: - Download the app and create an account. - Book an on-demand ride on your phone. - Meet your driver on a nearby corner. CONVENIENT Use your phone to tell Metro Flex where you are and where you want to go. You’ll receive a nearby pick-up location for a Metro Flex vehicle only a short walk away. FAST It just takes a minute to book your ride! The app will send you an approximate arrival time for your Metro Flex vehicle. AFFORDABLE Metro Flex costs the same as a Metro bus trip. And with your ORCA card, you can transfer for free to or from a bus or Sound Transit Link light rail. You can also pay with a Transit GO Ticket or credit/debit card. Youth up to age 18 ride free. Questions? Reach out at support-sea@ridewithvia.com Loving your experience so far? Throw us a 5-star rating. You’ll have our eternal gratitude.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Metro Flex at 4.6 against STA Connect's 2.2. Metro Flex also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 16%) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). STA Connect's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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.
Metro Flex holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Metro Flex has 1K ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of STA Connect's written reviews are positive against 43% of Metro Flex's.
STA Connect ships an update every 3 months, Metro Flex every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.
| Parameter | STA Connect | Metro Flex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (44 ratings) | 4.6 (1K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.1% of reviews | 42.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 44 | 1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 131 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Spokane Transit Authority | Via Transportation, Inc. |
Customer experience
STA Connect
Metro Flex
Bugs and requests
STA Connect
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Metro Flex
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashing and freezing issues
- Inaccurate GPS and location tracking
- Inconsistent service hours and availability
- Billing and account management problems
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to schedule rides in advance
- Option to choose preferred pickup location
- Real-time driver updates and communication
- Integration with other transit options
In-app purchases
STA Connect
No in-app purchases
Metro Flex
No in-app purchases








