Transit Stop vs ChiTrack
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.
ChiTrack
This app provides real-time Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train arrival information directly from the official API. It offers a streamlined experience with automatic updates for favorite stops and a glance-friendly design for quick readability.
- Real-time CTA train arrivals
- Official API data source
- Direction-specific train filtering
- Automatic home/favorite stop refresh
- Glance-friendly design
- Search any station
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Taking the train to work just got a whole lot easier! ChiTrack is the easiest, fastest, and most reliable Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train tracker for your everyday commute. ----------------- What makes ChiTrack different: - Official, real‑time arrival data: Direct data from the CTA API, unlike Google or Apple Maps - Your direction only: Choose Belmont → Loop (or any stop + direction) and skip irrelevant trains. - Zero‑tap arrivals: Open the app and home + favorite stops refresh automatically. - Glance‑friendly design: Large, clean arrival times you can read in a second. - Search any station: Full coverage when your routine changes. Made by a Chicagoan, for Chicagoans who ride the L every day. ----------------- ChiTrack: Chicago CTA Tracker is not affiliated with the CTA or Ventra. All arrival times come from the public CTA Train Tracker API. Ventra® is a registered trademark of the Chicago Transit Authority / Cubic Transportation Systems. ChiTrack is an independent product and is neither endorsed by nor connected to CTA or Cubic.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Transit Stop at Free against ChiTrack's $0.99. Transit Stop also leads on ratings volume (33K vs 8) and chart position (#148 vs unranked). ChiTrack's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On 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
Transit Stop is free to download; ChiTrack costs $0.99 up front. Transit Stop sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ChiTrack asks for nothing beyond the download.
ChiTrack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Transit Stop has 33K ratings behind it against 8, 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 78% of ChiTrack's.
Transit Stop ships an update every 2 months, ChiTrack every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Transit Stop | ChiTrack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (33K ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33K — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #148 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kramer Concepts, LLC | Declan Kramper |
Customer experience
Transit Stop
ChiTrack
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
ChiTrack
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Transit Stop
- Remove Ads$4.99
ChiTrack
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Transit Stop free?
Is ChiTrack free?
Which has better reviews, Transit Stop or ChiTrack?
Do Transit Stop or ChiTrack have ads?
Which is updated more often, Transit Stop or ChiTrack?
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