# MBTA See Say vs Harvard Van

The clearest difference is monetization model: MBTA See Say at free against Harvard Van's free with in-app purchases. MBTA See Say also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Harvard Van's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for MBTA See Say against 4.7 for Harvard Van. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 446 and 170 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of MBTA See Say's written reviews are positive against 60% of Harvard Van's.

MBTA See Say ships an update every 3 months, Harvard Van every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MBTA See Say | Harvard Van |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (446 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mbta-see-say/id523210770/reviews) | **[4.7 (170 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvard-van/id1419081124/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **446** | 170 |
| Positive reviews | **67.3% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ELERTS Corp](https://appshunter.io/developer/445885285) | [Via Transportation, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/657777018) |

## What reviewers say

### MBTA See Say

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mbta-see-say/id523210770)

Report suspicious activity discreetly and instantaneously to Transit Police. Send pictures, text messages, and locations. Receive service alerts and BOLO notifications.

**Highlights:** Report suspicious activity, Send photos and text messages, Share location data, Disable camera flash, Receive T-Alerts, View BOLO alerts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast police response times
- 👍 Easy and intuitive user interface
- 📸 Photo attachment capability for reports
- 🔒 Discreet anonymous reporting option
- 📢 Real-time alerts and notifications

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Inconsistent police follow-up on reports
- 🐛 Cumbersome multi-step reporting process
- 📵 Poor cell/texting coverage in subway system
- ❌ Non-functional comment/complaint feature
- 🔄 Confusing navigation and unclear options

**Reported bugs**

- Email validation error preventing login
- Persistent alerts that won't clear
- Shutter sound not disabling in camera
- Comment/complaint option leads nowhere
- Repeated notifications about resolved cases

**Requested features**

- Reduce number of steps in reporting process
- Clearer suspect photos and descriptions
- Batch delete alerts instead of individual dismissal
- Better transit delay information integration
- Less visible app icon on home screen


### Harvard Van

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvard-van/id1419081124)

Book on-demand shuttle rides around the Harvard University campus. Select your pickup and drop-off locations, track your van in real-time, and enjoy a safe and convenient travel experience. Matches riders going in the same direction for efficient routing.

**Highlights:** On-demand shuttle booking, Real-time van tracking, Customized and flexible routing, Campus-wide service area, Estimated pickup ETAs, Safe and convenient travel

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MBTA See Say free?

MBTA See Say is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Harvard Van free?

Harvard Van is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MBTA See Say or Harvard Van?

Harvard Van is rated higher. MBTA See Say averages 4.6 out of 5 from 446 ratings, while Harvard Van averages 4.7 from 170 ratings.

### Do MBTA See Say or Harvard Van have ads?

Neither MBTA See Say nor Harvard Van shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MBTA See Say or Harvard Van?

MBTA See Say ships an update every 3 months, and Harvard Van every 5 weeks. Most recently, MBTA See Say was updated on October 13, 2026 and Harvard Van on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*