BCycle vs METRO Splash Pass
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BCycle
This app connects you to local bike share systems for convenient short trips. Find nearby stations and check real-time availability of bikes and docks. It supports numerous BCycle-powered systems across various cities.
- Find BCycle stations
- Real-time bike availability
- Real-time dock availability
- Supports multiple BCycle systems
- Bike checkout support
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The BCycle app is the official companion for BCycle-powered bike share systems. Bike share is public transportation designed for short trips between stations. The app helps riders find BCycle stations and see real-time bike and dock availability. The app supports signups and bike checkouts for Santa Barbara BCycle, Santa Cruz BCycle, Boulder BCycle, Pacers Bikeshare, BikeLNK, Heartland Bike Share, Red Bike, Greenville BCycle, Nashville BCycle, San Antonio BCycle, GREENbike, Bublr Bikes, Madison BCycle, and more.
METRO Splash Pass
Pay for bus rides directly from your phone using a credit or debit card. Avoid the need for exact change or visiting ticket machines to purchase passes.
- Credit/debit card payment
- Mobile pass purchase
- No exact change needed
- Convenient ticketless travel
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- No more need to carry cash in exact change to ride the Hwy 17 Express - just pay with a credit or debit card - No need to go to a TVM or order a 31-day pass by mail - just purchase directly on your phone
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BCycle at 4.2 against METRO Splash Pass's 3.5. BCycle also leads on ratings volume (5.5K vs 18) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). METRO Splash Pass's advantage is review sentiment (40% vs 19%). 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.
BCycle holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BCycle has 5.5K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 19% of BCycle's written reviews are positive against 40% of METRO Splash Pass's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
BCycle ships an update every 3 months, METRO Splash Pass every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BCycle | METRO Splash Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5.5K ratings) — better | 3.5 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 18.7% of reviews | 40.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5.5K — better | 18 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 98 MB | 65 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bicycle Transit Systems | Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District |
Customer experience
BCycle
METRO Splash Pass
Bugs and requests
BCycle
Reported bugs
3 issues- Bikes not properly registering as returned
- App failing to unlock bikes at stations
- Unexpected charges and billing issues
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to reserve bikes in advance
- Option to extend rental period without additional fees
- Integration with navigation apps for route planning
- Real-time battery/charge level indicators for bikes
METRO Splash Pass
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BCycle
No in-app purchases
METRO Splash Pass
No in-app purchases
