Amtrak vs SEPTA
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.
SEPTA
Plan your entire journey with this transit app. Find nearby stops, get real-time updates, and manage your transit card. It offers a streamlined experience with trip planning and station details.
- End-to-end trip planning
- Real-time transit information
- SEPTA Key Card management
- Nearby stop and station finder
- Station-specific alerts and schedules
- Metro line integration
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SEPTA’s mobile app empowers riders to plan their trip end to end. Find stops and stations nearby, plan a trip, access real-time information, manage your SEPTA Key Card, and more! Improved performance and user experience - A more intuitive experience, now at faster speeds. Think ahead with the new Trip Planner - Plan your next ride without leaving the app. Get all of the Station Details - View station-specific alerts and schedules. Easily load up your SEPTA Key - Add funds and manage your SEPTA Key from the app. Get to know SEPTA Metro! - New letters and colors for our Metro lines fully integrated into the app. Stay in the know with Real-time Info - Get to-the-minute updates about upcoming routes. Find the closest stop with Nearby - Easily view (and favorite) nearby stations and routes. Get assistance from your pocket with Help - Report a concern or contact SEPTA straight rom the app. Improved features for riders with accessibility needs - Including full screen reader compatibility.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: SEPTA at free against Amtrak's free with in-app purchases. Amtrak's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (30% vs 13%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amtrak has 216K ratings behind it against 29K, 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 13% of SEPTA's.
Amtrak ships an update monthly, SEPTA every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.
| Parameter | Amtrak | SEPTA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (216K ratings) — better | 4.4 (29K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 30.4% of reviews — better | 13.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 216K — better | 29K |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #18 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 145 MB | 91 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Amtrak | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority |
Customer experience
Amtrak
SEPTA
User reviews
Amtrak
From 216K 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
SEPTA
From 29K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate real-time tracking
- 👍 Convenient keycard management
- 🚀 Improved user interface design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate schedule information
- 🐛 Unreliable real-time updates
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and find information
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 👎 Removed useful features from previous version
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
SEPTA
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login and password reset issues
- Inconsistent real-time data and schedule information
- Inability to add payment methods or reload transit cards
- Geolocation and mapping features not working properly
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to view full schedule instead of just point-to-point
- Notifications for service changes and delays
- Integration with mobile wallet for digital tickets
- More customization options for saved routes and favorites
In-app purchases
Amtrak
No in-app purchases
SEPTA
No in-app purchases
