RideMETRO vs iStall
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RideMETRO
Plan your journeys and purchase fares for Houston's bus and rail transit. Get real-time arrival information, view nearby routes, and receive trip notifications.
- Trip planning
- Fare payment
- Real-time bus arrivals
- Scheduled train arrivals
- Nearby route information
- Trip notifications
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The official RideMETRO app allows you to plan trips and pay for rides on bus and rail services operated by METRO public transit in Houston, Texas. By allowing the app to access your location, you’ll see: • Nearby bus and rail routes • Real-time arrival estimates for nearby buses • Scheduled arrival times for nearby trains You can even choose to receive onscreen notifications or pulse vibrations at key points during your trip. For further assistance, please call or text METRO Customer Service at 713-635-4000, or visit our website at RideMETRO.org
iStall
This app allows users to register vehicles for guest and paid parking at various locations across North America. It features a map of parking spots and a simple process to enter location IDs for a secure, tow-free parking experience.
- Visitor parking registration
- Pay parking registration
- Map of parking locations
- Vehicle registration
- Location ID entry
- Tow-truck free visits
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iStall provides access to visitor and pay parking registration for Apartments, Condominiums, Commercial Venues, and Private Properties around North America. An easy to install application provides you with a clear map of possible parking locations, but most importantly - a quick and easy way to register your vehicle in guest parking at hundreds of possible locations! Just look for the iStall sign in the visitor stall you require - or the Parking lot you've entered. Enter the Location ID from the bottom of the sign into iStall and you're on the way to a safe, tow-truck free visit.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: RideMETRO at 2.1 against iStall's 1.3. RideMETRO also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and chart position (#111 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RideMETRO holds the better App Store score, 2.1 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RideMETRO has 152 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of RideMETRO's written reviews are positive against 5% of iStall's.
RideMETRO ships an update every 2 months, iStall every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RideMETRO | iStall |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (152 ratings) — better | 1.3 (20 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews — better | 5.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 152 — better | 20 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #111 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County | iStall Inc. |
Customer experience
RideMETRO
iStall
In-app purchases
RideMETRO
No in-app purchases
iStall
No in-app purchases
