# Amtrak vs CTrail eTix

The clearest difference is rating: Amtrak at 4.7 against CTrail eTix's 1.6. Amtrak also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (216K vs 173). CTrail eTix's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amtrak has 216K ratings behind it against 173, 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 6% of CTrail eTix's.

Amtrak ships an update monthly, CTrail eTix every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amtrak | CTrail eTix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amtrak/id405074003/reviews)** | [1.6 (173 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ctrail-etix/id1467982541/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 173 |
| Positive reviews | **30.3% of reviews** | 6.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#21** | — |
| Size | 145 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Amtrak](https://appshunter.io/developer/405074008) | [CTrail Connecticut Department of Transportation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467982540) |

## What reviewers say

### Amtrak

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amtrak/id405074003)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Digital eTickets, Ticket purchasing, Train status checks, Station information, Account management, Apple Wallet integration

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Helpful for tracking delays and notifications
- 🚂 Positive travel experience overall
- 💻 Reliable for booking and managing trips

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 🕰️ Lack of real-time updates on train status
- 📱 Unintuitive and confusing app interface
- 💳 Issues with booking and payment functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to modify or cancel reservations
- Inconsistent behavior when booking multi-leg trips
- Problems with logging in and accessing account information

**Requested features**

- 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


### CTrail eTix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ctrail-etix/id1467982541)

Purchase mobile rail tickets for Hartford Line and Shore Line East customers directly from your smartphone. Avoid lines and cash transactions by buying daily parking and various ticket types, including monthly bus add-ons for CTtransit users.

**Highlights:** Purchase mobile rail tickets, Buy daily parking, Save tickets for later, Receive email receipts, Add CTtransit bus passes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Functional for ticket purchase
- 👍 Easy to download
- 👍 Straightforward and accessible design (rare)
- 👍 Text is big and does the job (rare)
- 👍 Large buttons are useful (rare)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Atrocious UI/UX
- 👎 Outdated interface/looks from another decade
- 👎 Unusable/broken app
- 👎 Impossible to create account
- 👎 Password reset issues

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot create an account
- Password reset functionality broken
- Email already in use error when creating account, but no account found for password reset
- App crashes frequently
- Purchased tickets disappear from the app

**Requested features**

- Modernize the app's UI/UX
- Add train schedules to the app
- Improve password management (copy/paste, password managers)
- Add Apple Wallet support
- Add Dynamic Island support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amtrak free?

Amtrak is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CTrail eTix free?

CTrail eTix is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Amtrak or CTrail eTix?

Amtrak is rated higher. Amtrak averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while CTrail eTix averages 1.6 from 173 ratings.

### Do Amtrak or CTrail eTix have ads?

Neither Amtrak nor CTrail eTix shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Amtrak or CTrail eTix?

Amtrak ships an update monthly, and CTrail eTix every 6 months. Most recently, Amtrak was updated on September 25, 2026 and CTrail eTix on September 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*