Comparison

WSDOT vs Pierce Transit On

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

Head to head
About

WSDOT

Access real-time traffic conditions, ferry schedules, and mountain pass reports for Washington State. Stay informed about travel alerts, toll rates, and border wait times to plan your journeys efficiently.

Highlights
  • Statewide traffic map
  • Live traffic cameras
  • Ferry schedules and locations
  • Mountain pass conditions
  • Toll rates
  • Border wait times
  • Train schedules
Read full description

Washington State Traveler information provided by The Washington State Department of Transportation. Features • Traffic Map with statewide traffic cameras and travel alerts. • Ferry schedules, alerts, and real-time ferry locations. • Mountain pass conditions and weather reports. • Washington State toll rates. • Northbound Canadian Border Waits. • Amtrak Cascades Train Schedules.

About

Pierce Transit On

Book on-demand rides within designated zones where traditional bus routes are limited. This app allows you to schedule pickups and drop-offs, potentially sharing your ride with others for faster, more affordable, and sustainable transit.

Highlights
  • Book on-demand rides
  • Set pickup and drop-off locations
  • Share rides with others
  • Accepts ORCA card and passes
  • Sustainable ride-sharing
  • Fast booking process
Features
Read full description

Pierce Transit On-Demand makes it easier than ever to ride transit in Pierce County — with one simple smartphone app and just a few taps, book a ride within our Runner zones wherever the bus can’t take you. To provide the fastest service, we may pair you with others headed in a similar direction. HOW IT WORKS: - Download the app and create an account. - Get picked up and dropped off where you want. - Share your ride with others. - Save cash and time. What we’re about: CONVENIENT Use your phone to tell Pierce Transit Runner where you are and where you want to go. We’ll take you there. To provide faster service, you’ll be paired with others heading in a similar direction. FAST It just takes a minute to book your ride! The app will send you an approximate arrival time for your Pierce Transit Runner vehicle. AFFORDABLE Pierce Transit Runner costs the same as a bus trip, and daily and 30-day passes are accepted. Pay your fare using ORCA, Transit app on your smartphone, or a paper pass. To pay using cash, visit one of the many ORCA retail locations or vending machines to convert your cash to E-Purse value. For more information on buying or using an ORCA card, visit myorca.com. SUSTAINABLE. Sharing rides reduces the number of vehicles on the roads, bringing down congestion and CO2 emissions. You can even double up your green cred by connecting with other public transit services. With a couple of taps, you get to do your part to make your city a little bit greener and cleaner, every time you ride. Questions? Reach out to support-pierce@ridewithvia.com Loving your experience so far? Give us a 5-star rating. You’ll have our eternal gratitude.

Screenshots

WSDOT4 screens
Pierce Transit On4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pierce Transit On at 4.7 against WSDOT's 2.9. Pierce Transit On also leads on review sentiment (44% vs 24%). WSDOT's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Pierce Transit On holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 280 and 237 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of WSDOT's written reviews are positive against 44% of Pierce Transit On's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WSDOT ships an update monthly, Pierce Transit On every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
WSDOT versus Pierce Transit On: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWSDOTPierce Transit On
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (280 ratings)4.7 (237 ratings) — better
Positive reviews24.3% of reviews44.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings280 — better237
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB134 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWashington State Department of TransportationVia Transportation, Inc.

Customer experience

WSDOT

All ratings280 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral8.9%
Negative48.2%
Written reviews111 reviews
Positive24.3%
Neutral9.9%
Negative65.8%

Pierce Transit On

All ratings237 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral1.3%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral22.2%
Negative33.3%

User reviews

WSDOT

From 280 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helpful resource for Washington residents
  • 👍 Well-designed app
  • 💡 Useful features like ferry schedules and traffic information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes on launch
  • 🐛 Inaccurate and delayed information
  • 🔋 High battery consumption due to ads
  • 👎 Poor user experience and outdated design
  • 👎 Unreliable ferry-related features

Pierce Transit On

From 237 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Great for short commutes
  • 👍 Wonderful and courteous drivers
  • 🚀 Fast and easy rides
  • 🚗 Comfortable and relaxing rides
  • ✅ Beats riding buses

Room to improve

  • ⚠️ Service is iffy, inconsistent availability
  • 😠 Rude drivers sometimes
  • 🗺️ Zones are confusing and restrictive
  • ⏰ Limited operating hours
  • 📍 Pickup location issues

Bugs and requests

WSDOT

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate and outdated traffic and ferry information
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for Apple CarPlay
  • Improve ferry ticket purchasing and management
  • Provide more detailed and real-time pass and road condition updates
  • Add ability to report potholes and other road issues

Pierce Transit On

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • App not working, stuck at location selection
  • Cannot schedule rides, schedule button disappears
  • App marks pickup location incorrectly
  • App doesn't allow rebooking after cancellation
  • Bad cell service affects app functionality
Show 2 more
  • App cancels rides unexpectedly
  • Driver drives past pickup location

Requested features

8 requests
  • Expand pickup and drop-off zones
  • Allow scheduling rides in advance
  • Extend operating hours
  • Allow use of debit/credit cards for payment
  • Improve GPS usage by drivers
Show 3 more
  • Expand service boundaries to cover more of Washington state
  • Provide notification for no drivers available
  • Compensate users for long waits due to cancellations

In-app purchases

None

WSDOT

No in-app purchases

None

Pierce Transit On

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WSDOT free?
WSDOT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pierce Transit On free?
Pierce Transit On is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, WSDOT or Pierce Transit On?
Pierce Transit On is rated higher. WSDOT averages 2.9 out of 5 from 280 ratings, while Pierce Transit On averages 4.7 from 237 ratings.
Do WSDOT or Pierce Transit On have ads?
Neither WSDOT nor Pierce Transit On shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WSDOT or Pierce Transit On?
WSDOT ships an update monthly, and Pierce Transit On every 6 weeks. Most recently, WSDOT was updated on October 15, 2026 and Pierce Transit On on October 17, 2026.

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