Comparison

NY Waterway vs RidePATH

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

NY Waterway

Purchase ferry tickets paper-free and use your phone as your boarding pass. Securely store personal information and payment details for convenient travel across New York Harbor. Access route maps, schedules, and advisories for a seamless journey.

Highlights
  • Paper-free ticket purchasing
  • Phone as ticket
  • Secure encrypted transactions
  • Route maps
  • Schedules
  • Advisories
  • Bus locator
Features
Read full description

Your Phone Is Your Ticket. This app allows users to purchase NY Waterway tickets paper-free from any location and use their phone as a ticket. All personal information and payments are transmitted encrypted and stored securely. NY Waterway has the largest ferry and excursion fleet in the New York Harbor. Since it's launch in 1986, it has served over 65 million passengers. With routes stretching along both the Hudson and East Rivers and a complimentary bus service, NY Waterway is an easy and comfortable way to travel to and from Manhattan. Features: - Secure ticket purchasing - Your phone is your ticket - Route maps - Schedules - Advisories - Bus Locator

About

RidePATH

This app provides real-time train departures, service alerts, and schedules for the PATH train system. Plan your trips with up-to-date information on routes and service changes. Stay informed about news and improvements to the transit service.

Highlights
  • Real-time train departures
  • Customized service alerts
  • Up-to-date service schedules
  • Trip planner
  • News and information on service changes
Features
Read full description

The PATH train is a vital connection between New Jersey and New York, serving millions of riders a year. Download the official RidePATH app for: · Real-time train departures from each station · Service alerts customized to your route and time of day pushed to your screen · Up-to-date service schedules · A trip planner that allows you to see routes based on departure/arrival time · News and information on changes and improvements to PATH Stay informed by downloading the RidePATH app today! PATH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. NOTE: Users will be prompted to accept the Port Authority Privacy Statement. Please refer to the PANYNJ Privacy Statement for data collection and use. https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/privacy-statement-mobile-applications.html Terms of use: https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/terms-of-use-and-license-mobile-apps.html

Screenshots

NY Waterway4 screens
RidePATH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NY Waterway at 4.8 against RidePATH's 2.2. NY Waterway also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 254). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NY Waterway holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NY Waterway has 11K ratings behind it against 254, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of NY Waterway's written reviews are positive against 11% of RidePATH's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
NY Waterway versus RidePATH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNY WaterwayRidePATH
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (11K ratings) — better2.2 (254 ratings)
Positive reviews16.2% of reviews — better11.2% of reviews
Number of ratings11K — better254
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB203 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBytemark, Inc.Port Authority of NY NJ

Customer experience

NY Waterway

All ratings7,887 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews130 reviews
Positive16.2%
Neutral8.5%
Negative75.4%

RidePATH

All ratings240 ratings
Positive27.5%
Neutral4.2%
Negative68.3%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive11.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative83.2%

User reviews

NY Waterway

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Convenient ticket purchase
  • 👍 Friendly ferry crew

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent log-outs
  • 🐛 Unreliable ticket activation
  • 🐛 Inconsistent bus locator
  • 🐛 Buggy app updates
  • 🔒 Security issues with account access

RidePATH

From 254 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Real-time train info
  • 📊 Helpful schedule and trip planning
  • 🌐 Useful alerts and notifications

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate real-time data
  • ⏱️ Slow app performance
  • 🤔 Confusing user interface
  • 🕰️ Outdated schedule information
  • 🚫 Unreliable service updates

Bugs and requests

NY Waterway

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Inability to log in or access tickets
  • Tickets disappearing from user accounts
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Live ferry tracking
  • Improved bus locator
  • Seamless multi-ticket management
  • Support for Apple Pay and other digital wallets
  • Better user account management

RidePATH

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on recent iOS updates
  • Schedule tab not functioning properly
  • Inconsistent real-time data across platforms

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to add more than 2 favorite stations
  • Integration with mobile payment options
  • Improved notifications for service disruptions
  • More detailed route and station information

In-app purchases

None

NY Waterway

No in-app purchases

None

RidePATH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NY Waterway free?
NY Waterway is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RidePATH free?
RidePATH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NY Waterway or RidePATH?
NY Waterway is rated higher. NY Waterway averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while RidePATH averages 2.2 from 254 ratings.
Do NY Waterway or RidePATH have ads?
Neither NY Waterway nor RidePATH shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NY Waterway or RidePATH?
NY Waterway ships an update every 3 months, and RidePATH every 3 months. Most recently, NY Waterway was updated on November 1, 2026 and RidePATH on October 26, 2026.

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