# Transit Stop vs Chicago CTA Bus Tracker

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 iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). Transit Stop's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 37 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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 32K ratings behind it against 184, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 52% 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 3 months, Chicago CTA Bus Tracker every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Transit Stop | Chicago CTA Bus Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (32K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transit-stop-cta-tracker/id414569920/reviews)** | [4.2 (184 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-cta-bus-tracker/id1369778129/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **32K** | 184 |
| Positive reviews | 51.8% of reviews | **59.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 37 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#152** | — |
| Size | 41 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kramer Concepts, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/401439615) | [Naiara Albaina](https://appshunter.io/developer/1225698348) |

## What reviewers say

### Transit Stop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transit-stop-cta-tracker/id414569920)

**Currently charting:** #152 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Real-time arrival estimates, Apple Watch integration, Location map view, Individual vehicle tracking, Save favorite stops, View multiple routes, CTA service alerts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate for trains and buses
- 🚀 99% accuracy on time rate
- 👍 Intuitive UI
- 👍 Excellent paired with Apple Watch
- 👍 Favorite transit app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate arrival times
- 🐛 Crashes on iPad
- 🐛 Turns off audio when app is open
- 🐛 Unreliable, with ghost buses and delayed updates
- 👎 Poor user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after updates
- Stops not recognized when searching
- Inconsistent accuracy, especially for certain routes

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-cta-bus-tracker/id1369778129)

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.

**Highlights:** Live bus tracking, Route and direction selection, Stop arrival predictions, Save favorite stops, Fast and easy to use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- ✅ Accurate time estimations
- 👍 Helpful for planning trips
- 👍 User-friendly for seniors

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App doesn't update or refresh
- 🐛 Home page sometimes doesn't load
- 🐛 Inconsistent loading
- 🐛 No train tracking available
- 🐛 Ads are intrusive and annoying

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't update
- App doesn't refresh
- Home page doesn't load
- No information available when searching
- App freezes sometimes

**Requested features**

- Ability to rearrange favorites
- Add a refresh button
- Improve user-friendliness on the go
- Add train tracking
- Fix discrepancy between app and website


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Transit Stop free?

Transit Stop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chicago CTA Bus Tracker free?

Chicago CTA Bus Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Transit Stop or Chicago CTA Bus Tracker?

Transit Stop is rated higher. Transit Stop averages 4.6 out of 5 from 32K ratings, while Chicago CTA Bus Tracker averages 4.2 from 184 ratings.

### Do Transit Stop or Chicago CTA Bus Tracker have ads?

Both Transit Stop and Chicago CTA Bus Tracker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Transit Stop or Chicago CTA Bus Tracker?

Transit Stop ships an update every 3 months, and Chicago CTA Bus Tracker every 37 months. Most recently, Transit Stop was updated on September 26, 2026 and Chicago CTA Bus Tracker on September 4, 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.*