Comparison

Gautrain vs Places4Me

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

Head to head
About

Gautrain

Manage your Gautrain travel with this official app. Check card balances, top up fares, plan journeys with real-time bus tracking, and find station information. Access travel history and manage your transit cards easily.

Highlights
  • Access Gautrain Card balances
  • Top-up prepaid balances
  • Real-time journey planning
  • Live Gautrain bus tracking
  • Journey fares and schedules
  • Find nearest bus and station
  • Link multiple Gautrain Cards
Features
Read full description

Gautrain – for people on the move. The official Gautrain app – everything you need to know about the Gautrain. With the new Gautrain App, you get all the travel information you need, when you need it. Features include: • access Gautrain Card balances • top-up prepaid balances and purchase fare products via secure payments • real-time journey planning, station to station, or search for any address in Gauteng, with the option to add public transport operators in Gauteng to extend your journey options beyond the Gautrain network • live Gautrain bus tracking, plotted on your journey map • journey fares and schedules, with the option to request journey information up to seven days ahead • find nearest bus and station features, with routing instructions • link multiple Gautrain Cards to a profile • view balance and travel history for transit cards • log and manage claims online • block Gautrain Cards. • check expiry date and more… The Gautrain system provides you with a safe, comfortable and reliable train service, a dedicated bus system, as well as drop-off and parking facilities at all stations (except at OR Tambo International Airport). These services are fully integrated and may be used separately or jointly by transferring from one to another. The services are all accessed by means of your Gold Card. Additional services include car rental facilities at Johannesburg Park Station, Sandton- and Pretoria Stations. DISCLAIMER: Due to the large possibility of different routings, the fare calculator gives only indicative prices and not always the exact amount. The indicative price shall not be binding and/or enforceable against the Gauteng Provincial Government (including the Gauteng Management Agency (Pty) Ltd) and/or Bombela Concession Company and/or Bombela Operating Company (Pty) Ltd. The timetables are only indicative and can change without prior notice.

About

Places4Me

Features
Read full description

Click a start and end point on a map and find places of interest in the area. Use the default search or specify a search term in common language. Connect to the place website if available, receive directions to the place.

Screenshots

Gautrain4 screens
Places4Me4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Gautrain at Free against Places4Me's $1.99. Gautrain also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 28 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Gautrain is free to download; Places4Me costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gautrain ships an update every 2 months, Places4Me every 28 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Gautrain versus Places4Me: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGautrainPlaces4Me
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating1.6 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews16.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 28 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAfriGIS Pty LtdJohn Grauel

In-app purchases

None

Gautrain

No in-app purchases

None

Places4Me

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Gautrain free?
Gautrain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Places4Me free?
Places4Me costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Gautrain or Places4Me have ads?
Neither Gautrain nor Places4Me shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gautrain or Places4Me?
Gautrain ships an update every 2 months, and Places4Me every 28 months. Most recently, Gautrain was updated on November 7, 2026 and Places4Me on November 3, 2026.

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