Amtrak vs Metrolink
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Amtrak
Book train tickets, manage your account, and access travel information on the go. Show your eTicket digitally and save payment details for quick purchases. Find station info and check train status easily.
- Digital eTickets
- Ticket purchasing
- Train status checks
- Station information
- Account management
- Apple Wallet integration
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Discover the convenience of traveling with Amtrak. With the Amtrak app you can get simple and intuitive access to all the travel information you need, whenever you need it. • Show your eTicket while onboard, including multi-ride and monthly passes - no need to print • Purchase one-way, roundtrip, multi-ride and monthly tickets with dollars or Amtrak Guest Rewards points • Check train status • Find station information • Edit and manage your account profile • Save credit cards for quick checkout • Send your eTicket to Apple Wallet • And so much more... With the Amtrak app, you can do it all right from your smart device.
Metrolink
Purchase and manage Metrolink train tickets directly from your smartphone. Buy various ticket types, activate them before boarding, and store them in a digital wallet. Easily transfer tickets to a new device if needed.
- Mobile ticket purchasing
- Digital ticket wallet
- Ticket transfer to new device
- Secure payment processing
- Various ticket types available
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The official Metrolink App is like having a ticket machine in your pocket. Your device is your ticket! Buy a ticket anywhere, anytime - in seconds. With the Metrolink App, you can securely purchase Metrolink One-Way, Round-Trip tickets, 7-Day, Monthly and Weekend Day Passes in seconds. Purchasing a ticket is easy: select your trip & ticket type, enter your payment card information, activate your ticket prior to boarding and your device is your ticket. Never lose your ticket again! Once you purchase your ticket, it will always be in your ticket wallet. Need to replace your phone? No problem - you can easily transfer any purchased ticket to a new device. Riders who use the Corporate Quick Card and riders who transfer to Metro Rail should continue to use paper tickets from Metrolink’s Ticket Vending Machines. Metrolink will be implementing a variety of enhancements to enable these users to use mobile ticketing in the future. We are making the app better every day! Visit www.metrolinktrains.com/app for more information. Features: ● Onboarding screen updated
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Amtrak at 4.7 against Metrolink's 2.5. Amtrak also leads on ratings volume (222K vs 371) and review sentiment (30% vs 14%). Metrolink's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Amtrak holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amtrak has 222K ratings behind it against 371, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Amtrak's written reviews are positive against 14% of Metrolink's.
Amtrak ships an update monthly, Metrolink every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Amtrak | Metrolink |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (222K ratings) — better | 2.5 (371 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 30.5% of reviews — better | 13.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 222K — better | 371 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #21 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 145 MB | 68 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Amtrak | Southern California Regional Rail Authority |
Customer experience
Amtrak
Metrolink
User reviews
Amtrak
From 222K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Helpful for tracking delays and notifications
- 🚂 Positive travel experience overall
- 💻 Reliable for booking and managing trips
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 🕰️ Lack of real-time updates on train status
- 📱 Unintuitive and confusing app interface
- 💳 Issues with booking and payment functionality
Metrolink
From 371 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy ticket purchasing
- 👍 Convenient for commuters
- 💡 Supports LAX FlyAway tickets
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🔍 Lack of schedule/route information
- ⏰ Tickets expire too quickly
- 💰 Unclear ticket restrictions
- 🤯 Confusing user interface
Bugs and requests
Amtrak
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to modify or cancel reservations
- Inconsistent behavior when booking multi-leg trips
- Problems with logging in and accessing account information
Requested features
4 requests- Add more detailed train information (amenities, quiet cars, etc.)
- Improve trip planning and itinerary management features
- Integrate with mobile wallets for easier ticketing
- Provide better communication during service disruptions
Metrolink
Reported bugs
4 issues- Ticket barcodes not scanning properly
- Inability to update billing address
- Tickets not syncing across devices
- Payment issues causing lost funds
Requested features
5 requests- Integrate with Apple Wallet
- Add real-time service alerts
- Allow advance ticket purchases
- Provide detailed station/route info
- Implement better password/account management
In-app purchases
Amtrak
No in-app purchases
Metrolink
No in-app purchases
