Transit Stop vs Chicago CTA Bus Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Transit Stop
Get real-time Chicago bus and train arrival estimates for your favorite CTA stops. Track vehicle locations on a map, save frequent stops, and view service alerts. Integrates with Apple Watch for quick access.
- Real-time arrival estimates
- Apple Watch integration
- Location map view
- Individual vehicle tracking
- Save favorite stops
- View multiple routes
- CTA service alerts
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Find your next CTA ride with TransitStop. Check bus and train arrivals, explore stops on a map, and keep the stops you use most close at hand. - Browse nearby CTA bus and train stops on a map. - Check arrivals and service updates, with clear indicators when live tracking or arrival information is limited. - Save favorite stops and organize them into groups that fit your routine. - See nearby stops and the next arrivals for your Favorites. - Check saved stops and arrivals from your Apple Watch. Whether you’re heading out or changing plans, TransitStop helps you see what’s nearby and what’s coming next. TransitStop is not affiliated with the CTA.
Chicago CTA Bus Tracker
Track Chicago CTA buses in real-time. Select your route, direction, and stop to view upcoming bus arrivals. Save favorite stops for quick access to arrival times.
- Live bus tracking
- Route and direction selection
- Stop arrival predictions
- Save favorite stops
- Fast and easy to use
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Live bus tracker for Chicago CTA buses. Simply select a route, direction and stop to see the next bus arrivals. Save your favorite stops to see upcoming arrivals with a single touch. - CTA buses - Save unlimited number of favorites - Easy to use - Fast This is not an official app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chicago CTA Bus Tracker at none against Transit Stop's 1. Chicago CTA Bus Tracker also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Transit Stop's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 37 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). On price, 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. Transit Stop sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chicago CTA Bus Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
Transit Stop holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Transit Stop has 33K ratings behind it against 184, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Transit Stop's written reviews are positive against 60% of Chicago CTA Bus Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Transit Stop ships an update every 2 months, Chicago CTA Bus Tracker every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Transit Stop | Chicago CTA Bus Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (33K ratings) — better | 4.2 (184 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 47.9% of reviews | 59.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33K — better | 184 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 37 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #143 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kramer Concepts, LLC | Naiara Albaina |
Customer experience
Transit Stop
Chicago CTA Bus Tracker
User reviews
Transit Stop
From 33K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate for trains and buses
- 🚀 99% accuracy on time rate
- 👍 Intuitive UI
- 👍 Excellent paired with Apple Watch
- 👍 Favorite transit app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate arrival times
- 🐛 Crashes on iPad
- 🐛 Turns off audio when app is open
- 🐛 Unreliable, with ghost buses and delayed updates
- 👎 Poor user interface
Chicago CTA Bus Tracker
From 184 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- ✅ Accurate time estimations
- 👍 Helpful for planning trips
- 👍 User-friendly for seniors
Room to improve
- 🐛 App doesn't update or refresh
- 🐛 Home page sometimes doesn't load
- 🐛 Inconsistent loading
- 🐛 No train tracking available
- 🐛 Ads are intrusive and annoying
Bugs and requests
Transit Stop
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes after updates
- Stops not recognized when searching
- Inconsistent accuracy, especially for certain routes
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to set favorite routes, not just stops
- Geolocation to automatically show nearest stops
- Ability to change names of saved stops
- Nearby stops button
- Default stop when opening the app
Chicago CTA Bus Tracker
Reported bugs
8 issues- App doesn't update
- App doesn't refresh
- Home page doesn't load
- No information available when searching
- App freezes sometimes
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- No real-time info refresh
- Doesn't load consistently
- Takes a while to upload
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to rearrange favorites
- Add a refresh button
- Improve user-friendliness on the go
- Add train tracking
- Fix discrepancy between app and website
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Allow users to refresh current input
In-app purchases
Transit Stop
- Remove Ads$4.99
Chicago CTA Bus Tracker
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Transit Stop free?
Is Chicago CTA Bus Tracker free?
Which has better reviews, Transit Stop or Chicago CTA Bus Tracker?
Do Transit Stop or Chicago CTA Bus Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Transit Stop or Chicago CTA Bus Tracker?
Other comparisons
