Comparison

STA Connect vs Discover Coulee

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

Discover Coulee

This app helps locals and tourists discover attractions and businesses in the Coulee area. Businesses can manage their listings, update information, and send notifications to users.

Highlights
  • Explore local offerings
  • Manage business listings
  • Update business hours
  • Add photos and menus
  • Link to business websites
  • Send push notifications
Features
Read full description

The Discover Coulee app is designed to be used by local residents and visitors to explore our many offerings. Local businesses will have the opportunity to edit their business listing, update hours, list photo, menus, types of services, link to your website and may submit push notifications to app users.

Screenshots

STA Connect4 screens
Discover Coulee2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Discover Coulee at 5.0 against STA Connect's 2.3. Discover Coulee also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). STA Connect's advantage is ratings volume (40 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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

Discover Coulee holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: STA Connect has 40 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

STA Connect ships an update every 3 months, Discover Coulee monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
STA Connect versus Discover Coulee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSTA ConnectDiscover Coulee
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (40 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings40 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpokane Transit AuthorityArmstrong Software

In-app purchases

None

STA Connect

No in-app purchases

None

Discover Coulee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is STA Connect free?
STA Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Discover Coulee free?
Discover Coulee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, STA Connect or Discover Coulee?
Discover Coulee is rated higher. STA Connect averages 2.3 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Discover Coulee averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do STA Connect or Discover Coulee have ads?
Neither STA Connect nor Discover Coulee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, STA Connect or Discover Coulee?
STA Connect ships an update every 3 months, and Discover Coulee monthly. Most recently, STA Connect was updated on October 14, 2026 and Discover Coulee on September 30, 2026.

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