Metro Times Washington DC vs SmarTrip
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Metro Times Washington DC
Find the nearest Metro entrance and get real-time train arrival information for DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Plan your commute with up-to-the-minute data, ensuring you never miss your train.
- Find nearest Metro entrance
- Real-time train arrival times
- DC, Maryland, Virginia coverage
- Up-to-date Metro data
- Commuter-friendly information
Read full descriptionHide full description
Want to find the nearest Metro entrance in DC, Maryland or Virginia? Want to know exactly when the next train is arriving at your station? Want to finish that cup of coffee before running to the platform? Want to know when the next train is coming when the platform display is broken? Metro Times does all of this, and more! Metro Times is a must-have for the traveller or commuter alike in DC region. This app gets data directly from Metro's servers to provide the most up-to-date information possible. NOTE: - While underground, location information is often incorrect. - This application is not affiliated with or supported by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
SmarTrip
Manage your SmarTrip card and account with this optional tool. Register your card for balance protection, check benefits, set up auto-reload, or purchase transit passes. It can also be added to Apple Wallet for easy tap-to-pay.
- Manage SmarTrip card and account
- Add SmarTrip to Apple Wallet
- Register card for balance protection
- Check SmartBenefits
- Setup Auto-Reload
- Buy unlimited transit passes
Read full descriptionHide full description
This app is an OPTIONAL tool that allows you to manage your SmarTrip® card and account. This app can NOT be used to pay your transit or parking fares. You do NOT need to setup a SmarTrip account to use SmarTrip in Apple Wallet. Add SmarTrip to Apple Wallet: - Open Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch - Tap “+”, choose “Transit Card”, select “SmarTrip” - In less than a minute you’ll have a new SmarTrip card in your Apple Wallet and be ready to tap to pay for rides or parking anywhere SmarTrip is accepted. If you need to do account management, then: - Install this optional SmarTrip app to register your card for account balance protection, check SmartBenefits, setup Auto-Reload, or buy money-saving unlimited transit passes. Chat with us at WMATA.COM/CHAT or call 888-SMARTRIP (888-762-7874)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Metro Times Washington DC at 96% against SmarTrip's 11%. Metro Times Washington DC also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.5) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). SmarTrip's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads 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
Both are free to download. Metro Times Washington DC sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. SmarTrip asks for nothing beyond the download.
Metro Times Washington DC holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 156 and 57 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Metro Times Washington DC's written reviews are positive against 11% of SmarTrip's.
Metro Times Washington DC ships an update every 2 months, SmarTrip every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Metro Times Washington DC | SmarTrip |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (156 ratings) — better | 2.5 (57 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 96.4% of reviews — better | 10.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 156 — better | 57 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 66 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | William Kendall | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
Customer experience
Metro Times Washington DC
SmarTrip
Bugs and requests
Metro Times Washington DC
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
SmarTrip
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unable to activate account due to missing activation email
- Password reset process not working
- Inconsistent behavior when adding value to card
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to transfer balance between cards
- Real-time balance updates
- Improved trip planning tools
- Apple Watch support
In-app purchases
Metro Times Washington DC
- Jefferson Tip$1.99
- Lincoln Tip$4.99
SmarTrip
No in-app purchases
