Transit Stop vs Chicago ETAs
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
Transit Stop: CTA Tracker gives you quick and easy access to bus and train (‘L’) arrival time estimates for your favorite Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) stop. ------------ Features Include: ~ Apple Watch integration - view estimated arrival times for the stops you've saved on your wrist! ~ Estimated Bus & Train Arrival Times - Includes arrival time estimates in minutes (e.g. 4 minutes) and time (e.g. 12:14pm) along with the route name, bus ID or train run number, distance to stop, direction of travel, destination and a time stamp when the estimated arrival times were last refreshed. ~ Location Map - In addition to the list of estimated arrival times you can view bus and trains locations and route patterns on a map. ~ Individual Vehicle Tracking - View estimated arrival times for upcoming stops for specific bus or train vehicles by tapping the row of the estimated arrival time of interest. ~ Save Stops - Ability to save the stops you use everyday for quick and easy access while you're on the go. ~ View Multiple Routes - Toggle the estimated arrival times to display only your selected route or you can view all the routes that service a particular stop. ~ CTA Service Alerts – View CTA route service alerts for whichever bus route or train line you're tracking. ~ Refresh – Estimated arrival times can be manually refreshed giving you the flexibility to update the arrival times exactly when you need them. ~ Real Time Tracking Data - Bus routes, train lines, stops and estimated arrival times are all provided directly from the CTA bus and train tracking systems. ------------ Transit Stop is not affiliated with the CTA.
Chicago ETAs
This app provides real-time arrival estimates for Chicago's public transit system. It allows users to track specific departures on their lock screen, save favorite stops, and find nearby locations. Detailed route information is also available.
- Real-time arrival times
- Lock screen tracking
- Favorite stops
- Nearby stops finder
- Detailed route information
Read full descriptionHide full description
Key Features: - Real-Time Arrival Times: Get up-to-the-minute updates for CTA buses and trains. - Lock Screen Tracking: Show live ETAs for busses and trains on lock screen to conveniently track specific departures. - Favorite Stops: Save your frequently used stops for quick access to arrival times. - Nearby Stops: Easily find nearby bus and train stops based on your current location. - Detailed Route Info: Look up specific buses and trains to view route details and schedules. This app is not affiliated with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), though displays data provided publicly by the CTA.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chicago ETAs at none against Transit Stop's 1. Chicago ETAs also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Transit Stop's advantage is ratings volume (32K vs 1) and chart position (#144 vs unranked). On price 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 ETAs asks for nothing beyond the download.
Chicago ETAs holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Transit Stop has 32K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Transit Stop ships an update every 3 months, Chicago ETAs fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Transit Stop | Chicago ETAs |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (32K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 32K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #144 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kramer Concepts, LLC | Emil Mikkelsen |
Customer experience
Transit Stop
Chicago ETAs
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 ETAs
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Transit Stop
- Remove Ads$3.99
Chicago ETAs
No in-app purchases









