onTime Metra, CTA vs CTA Transit Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
CTA Transit Tracker
Track Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses in real-time. Get accurate arrival predictions for your chosen routes and stops. Save your favorite locations for quick access to upcoming bus times.
- Real-time CTA bus tracking
- Accurate arrival predictions
- Save favorite stops
- User-friendly interface
- Fast information retrieval
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"CTA Transit Tracker" is a dedicated real-time bus tracking app designed for residents and visitors in the Chicago area. This app allows you to effortlessly access real-time location and arrival information for Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses. Simply choose your route, direction, and stop to view the next bus arrivals. Additionally, you can save your frequently used stops for quick, one-touch access to upcoming bus arrivals. Key Features: Real-time tracking for CTA buses Save an unlimited number of favorite stops User-friendly interface Fast and efficient information retrieval CTA Transit Live Tracker utilizes data feeds from CTA Bus Time, ensuring accurate and reliable public transit information to enhance your commuting experience in Chicago. If you have any questions, please contact email: wuchaoyu1991@gmail.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: onTime Metra, CTA at 48% against CTA Transit Tracker's 0%. onTime Metra, CTA also leads on ratings volume (876 vs 229). CTA Transit Tracker's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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. onTime Metra, CTA sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. CTA Transit Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
CTA Transit Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 876 and 229 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of onTime Metra, CTA's written reviews are positive against 0% of CTA Transit Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
onTime Metra, CTA ships an update every 2 months, CTA Transit Tracker every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | onTime Metra, CTA | CTA Transit Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (876 ratings) | 4.6 (229 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.5% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 876 — better | 229 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 133 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mobileware Inc. | 婧嘉 郭 |
Customer experience
onTime Metra, CTA
CTA Transit Tracker
Bugs and requests
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
CTA Transit Tracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
onTime Metra, CTA
- onTime Premium$4.991 Year
CTA Transit Tracker
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is onTime Metra, CTA free?
Is CTA Transit Tracker free?
Which has better reviews, onTime Metra, CTA or CTA Transit Tracker?
Do onTime Metra, CTA or CTA Transit Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, onTime Metra, CTA or CTA Transit Tracker?
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