UMass BusTrack vs FRTA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UMass BusTrack
Track buses in real-time and access full PVTA schedules offline. Get notifications for upcoming arrivals and save your favorite stops. Premium features offer an ad-free experience and enhanced real-time data on widgets and smartwatches.
- Real-time bus tracking on map
- Offline PVTA schedules
- Bus stop and route details
- Favorite stops
- Arrival time reminders
- PDF schedules
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Get around UMass Amherst and the Pioneer Valley with confidence. BusTrack is the ultimate real-time PVTA bus tracker, offline schedule, and arrival alert app. Stop guessing. Start knowing. INTRODUCING SMART TRACK & SMART COMMUTE • Smart Track (Live Activities): Pin live PVTA departure counts directly to your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island with a single tap. • Smart Commute (Automated): Set your daily schedule, and BusTrack automatically displays live countdowns on your Lock Screen before you even leave your dorm. CORE FEATURES (100% Free) • Real-Time GPS Tracking: Watch PVTA buses move live on the map. • Complete Offline Schedules: Access all timetables instantly, even without cell service. • Smart Search & Favorites: Instantly find nearby stops and save your daily routes. • Full Trip Insights: View all stop sequences and exact arrival predictions. • Custom Bus Alarms: Get notified before your bus arrives so you never have to sprint to class. • PDF Route Maps: Keep official PVTA network maps in your pocket. • Apple Watch App: Check offline bus schedules straight from your wrist. BUSTRACK PRO (Try 14 Days Free!) Unlock features designed for regular commuters and support independent development: • Smart Track: Live departure counts on Lock Screen & Dynamic Island.* • Smart Commute: Automated Lock Screen countdowns for your routine.* • Live Apple Watch Arrivals: Real-time bus predictions on your wrist. • Advanced Directions: Seamless multi-leg transit routing across the PVTA network. • 100% Ad-Free Experience: Zero distractions, pure speed. • Support Indie Dev: Fuel future updates and keep BusTrack independent. Designed with love for the UMass community. Disclaimer: BusTrack is an independent application and is not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA). Transit data is sourced from public PVTA feeds. *Smart Track and Smart Commute require a compatible device. Subscription Information: Try BusTrack Pro free for 14 days. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://umassbustrack.com/privacy.php Terms of Service: https://umassbustrack.com/tos.php
FRTA
This app offers a flexible and convenient way to manage your rides within Franklin County and the North Quabbin region. View upcoming and past trips, receive accurate ETAs, and easily access your account 24/7.
- Manage trips with flexibility
- View upcoming and completed trips
- Easily cancel trips
- Passenger notifications with ETAs
- 24/7 account access
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FRTA is a new ride-share service that will help residents travel more easily within Franklin County and the North Quabbin region by offering: -Flexibility to manage trips *View upcoming and completed trips *Easily cancel trips -Convenient Trip Details View *Passenger notifications with accurate vehicle ETAs -Simple Mobile Interface *24/7 access to account profiles, settings, and reservations
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: FRTA at 100% against UMass BusTrack's 42%. FRTA also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). UMass BusTrack's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume 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. UMass BusTrack sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. FRTA asks for nothing beyond the download.
UMass BusTrack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 42% of UMass BusTrack's written reviews are positive against 100% of FRTA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
UMass BusTrack ships an update every 3 weeks, FRTA every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | UMass BusTrack | FRTA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) — better | 3.5 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 42.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 140 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Görkem Güclü | Franklin Regional Transit Authority |
Customer experience
UMass BusTrack
FRTA
Bugs and requests
UMass BusTrack
Reported bugs
10 issues- No routes showing on map after updates
- Arrival times not displaying at stops
- Widget not working on iOS
- App crashes with iOS 13 compatibility issues
- Bus times completely missing from interface
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- Stops not appearing on map
- Ad permission issues causing unwanted redirects
- App fails to load route data intermittently
- Incorrect bus arrival time ordering
- GPS showing inaccurate walking distances
Requested features
8 requests- Dark mode theme option
- More frequent location updates
- Screen reader support for stop information
- Search buses by route number directly
- Visual route maps showing bus paths
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- Chronological bus arrival list view
- Exact arrival times instead of minutes remaining
- Ability to refresh and see precise bus locations
FRTA
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
UMass BusTrack
- Pro monthly subscription$1.991 Month
- Pro yearly subscription14 Days trial$16.991 Year
- Premium Features$199.99
FRTA
No in-app purchases
