Transit Stop vs EL 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.
EL Tracker
This free Chicago transit app provides real-time departure information with customizable widgets and smart delay calculations. It offers tailored alerts, Siri integration, and accessibility features for low-vision users and multiple languages.
- Customizable departure widgets
- SmartWalk delay calculation
- Siri support
- Low-vision accessibility
- Multiple language support
- Tailored push notifications
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EL Tracker is an app by CTA riders, for CTA riders. We are the only completely free Chicago transit app that offers: - Customizable widgets displaying departures, with SmartWalk delay - Siri support and low-vision accessibility - Multiple languages (including Spanish and Polish) - Tailored alerts with push notifications We are Chicagoans, who were irritated by the lack of a simple Chicago transit app. One night, we said, "Why can't I have a widget that shows me when the train is coming?" And from there, EL Tracker was born. We strive to create technology that has a positive impact on the lives of everyday Chicagoans. We also want to make traveling around the city as accessible as possible, which is why we provide low-vision support, ADA accessibility notations, elevator outage push notifications, and multiple languages. EL Tracker is not an official CTA app, nor are we endorsed by the CTA.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: EL Tracker at 90% against Transit Stop's 51%. EL Tracker also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Transit Stop's advantage is ratings volume (33K vs 83) and chart position (#142 vs unranked). On price 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. EL Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
EL Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Transit Stop has 33K ratings behind it against 83, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Transit Stop's written reviews are positive against 90% of EL Tracker's.
Transit Stop ships an update every 2 months, EL Tracker every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Transit Stop | EL Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (33K ratings) | 4.9 (83 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.3% of reviews | 90.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33K — better | 83 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #142 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Kramer Concepts, LLC | Davit Khachatryan |
Customer experience
Transit Stop
EL 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
EL Tracker
From 83 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔥 Reliable and intuitive app
- 🖼️ Gorgeous and customizable UI
- 🔍 Detailed CTA information and train arrival times
- 🔌 Convenient widget feature with nearby station and arrival updates
- 🗺️ Helpful map view
Room to improve
- ⚠️ Widget sometimes doesn't update automatically
- 🔍 Widget doesn't open directly to the displayed station
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
EL Tracker
No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.
In-app purchases
Transit Stop
- Remove Ads$4.99
EL Tracker
No in-app purchases
