Comparison

QuickTrain vs Chicago CTA Metro Map

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

Head to head
About

QuickTrain

Get real-time arrival estimates for Chicago Transit Authority El trains. Quickly find the next train to your destination or the first train arriving at a specific location. Manual mode is available for areas without GPS.

Highlights
  • Real-time train arrival estimates
  • Location-based tracking
  • Manual station selection
  • Favorite station shortcuts
  • CTA El Train Tracker API integration
Features
Read full description

Quick! When is the next CTA El train coming to your station? QuickTrain will determine your location and let you know using the Chicago Transit Authority's El Train Tracker API, giving you real time estimates on when you train will arriving. Standing at the bottom of a station to see which train to take? Use QuickTrain to determine which train will be showing up first to that location. Underground where there is no GPS signal? Use the intuitive manual mode to find your station in under two touches. Consistently use the same stations? Set favorites to have a shortcut to the stations you use most.

About

Chicago CTA Metro Map

Navigate Chicago's CTA transit system with ease. This app offers interactive maps, real-time train departures, and offline journey planning to help you get around the city efficiently. Save your favorite routes and enjoy a step-by-step guide for stress-free travel.

Highlights
  • Interactive L train maps
  • Offline journey planner
  • Real-time departure boards
  • Step-by-step navigation
  • Save favorite routes
  • Ad-free VIP option
Features
Read full description

Chicago L Metro Map is the navigation app that makes travelling by CTA transit in Chicago simple From the Bean to the Willis Tower, cheering on the Chicago Cubs or rooting for the Chicago Bears, whether you’re a Chicago native on your commute to work or sightseeing fresh from O'Hare International Airport, we’ll show you the best way to get where you’re going in Chicago. We make taking the L easy. You’ll be a Ventra tapping pro in no time Tap, tap, tap! Pan and zoom your way across Chicago with ease using our simple, interactive maps. We’ll even show your route on the map Plan journeys, sharpish Search for stations and find your way using the world’s fastest route planner No internet? No problem Maps and journey planning even work offline Regular map updates Auto-magic updates keep our maps always up-to-date and box fresh Every step of the way A step-by-step guide means you’ll never get lost again Save your faves From finding your way back home to taking the stress out of commuting and all the places in between. Your personal Shortcuts are never more than a swipe away See the next trains Departure Boards take the guesswork out of travelling. No more wasted time stuck on crowded platforms Chicago L Metro VIP features: An ad-free experience Proper VIP treatment, with no ads, ever Priority support Problem with the app? We’ll be there to help you out We’re the world's number one for transit apps. Check out our world-famous Tube Map London, New York Subway Map, and Paris Metro Map apps today Visiting Boston, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C. soon? We’ve got you covered there, too. Take our apps with you, just search Mapway on the App Store Chicago L Metro VIP available as an in-app subscription: $1.99 monthly or $4.99 annually, or as a one-off purchase of $12.99. Prices may vary by location. Cancel at any time, for any reason. Payment will be charged to your 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. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, at the cost of your chosen price tier. Subscriptions can be managed, and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings in your iTunes Account. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased, where applicable. Privacy Policy: https://mapway.ai/chicagometroios/privacy Terms of use: https://mapway.ai/chicagometroios/terms

Screenshots

QuickTrain4 screens
Chicago CTA Metro Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: QuickTrain at 87% against Chicago CTA Metro Map's 33%. QuickTrain also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Chicago CTA Metro Map's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.6 vs 4.0). On update cadence, 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

Chicago CTA Metro Map is free to download; QuickTrain costs $0.99 up front. QuickTrain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chicago CTA Metro Map sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chicago CTA Metro Map holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chicago CTA Metro Map has 153 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 87% of QuickTrain's written reviews are positive against 33% of Chicago CTA Metro Map's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

QuickTrain ships an update every 3 months, Chicago CTA Metro Map every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
QuickTrain versus Chicago CTA Metro Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQuickTrainChicago CTA Metro Map
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (8 ratings)4.6 (153 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings8153 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB162 MB
Age rating4++4
DevelopersushiGrassMapway Inc.

Customer experience

QuickTrain

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive87.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.0%

Chicago CTA Metro Map

All ratings153 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative58.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

QuickTrain

One-time1
  • Tip$0.99
16 purchases

Chicago CTA Metro Map

Subscriptions16
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access$1.991 Month
Show 13 more
  • VIP Monthly$2.491 Month
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$8.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial2 variants$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is QuickTrain free?
QuickTrain costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Chicago CTA Metro Map free?
Chicago CTA Metro Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, QuickTrain or Chicago CTA Metro Map?
Chicago CTA Metro Map is rated higher. QuickTrain averages 4.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Chicago CTA Metro Map averages 4.6 from 153 ratings.
Do QuickTrain or Chicago CTA Metro Map have ads?
Chicago CTA Metro Map shows ads; QuickTrain does not.
Which is updated more often, QuickTrain or Chicago CTA Metro Map?
QuickTrain ships an update every 3 months, and Chicago CTA Metro Map every 5 months. Most recently, QuickTrain was updated on September 30, 2026 and Chicago CTA Metro Map on October 1, 2026.

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