Transit Stop vs onTime Metra, CTA
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. - View upcoming stop arrival times. - 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.
onTime Metra, CTA
This app provides live train schedules and real-time updates for commuters. Easily find your next train, track its progress, and receive service notifications. Go paperless and stay on time with convenient access to all necessary schedule information.
- Metra service/outage notification
- Track number lookup
- Paperless schedules
- Countdown to next train
- Holiday and eve schedules
- Weekday and weekend schedules
- Offline schedule access
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Find the next Metra train schedule and more in a New York Minute. onTime is fast and easy to use. It is designed with commuters in mind. With onTime Metra, you can look up the Metra schedule anytime anywhere without having to carry and dig through paper schedules. Find the next train as easy as opening the app. Be on time and be environmental friendly at the same time. FEATURES: - Metra service/outage notification. - Track number - Paperless - Count down to the next train - Holiday and Holiday eve schedules - Weekdays and Weekends - Works on iPhone and iPod Touch without data connection - Latest schedule - Trip duration onTime Premium: – $4.99 USD (or equivalent) per year and may vary from country to country. – Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase – Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period – Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal – Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase – Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Term Of Service: http://www.mobilewareinc.com/legal/ontime_tos.html * Note: onTime App uses transit agencies' schedule data but it is not affiliated with any of the agencies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Transit Stop at 4.6 against onTime Metra, CTA's 4.0. Transit Stop also leads on ratings volume (33K vs 876) and chart position (#161 vs unranked). onTime Metra, CTA's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 and onTime Metra, CTA sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Transit Stop holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Transit Stop has 33K ratings behind it against 876, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 48% and 48% positive.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Transit Stop | onTime Metra, CTA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (33K ratings) — better | 4.0 (876 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 47.9% of reviews — better | 47.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 33K — better | 876 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #161 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 133 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kramer Concepts, LLC | Mobileware Inc. |
Customer experience
Transit Stop
onTime Metra, CTA
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
onTime Metra, CTA
From 876 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate schedules
- 🚀 Helpful for commuting
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Reliable app
- 👍 Useful features
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate real-time information
- 🐛 Unreliable train tracking
- 🔍 Outdated schedules
- 💩 Disruptive ads
- 💩 Buggy app
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
onTime Metra, CTA
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes frequently
- Incorrect train arrival/departure times
- Inability to check-in or track trains
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
Requested features
4 requests- Real-time delay notifications
- Ability to purchase tickets in-app
- Improved user interface
- Better integration with Metra services
In-app purchases
Transit Stop
- Remove Ads$4.99
onTime Metra, CTA
- onTime Premium$4.991 Year





