Comparison

MBTA mTicket vs TransLoc

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

Head to head
About

MBTA mTicket

Purchase Commuter Rail and Ferry tickets instantly from your smartphone. This app acts as a mobile ticket office, allowing you to buy single, round-trip, and 10-ride tickets securely. Your phone becomes your ticket, and purchased tickets are stored within the app for easy access and transfer.

Highlights
  • Secure ticket purchasing
  • Smartphone as ticket
  • Ticket transferability
  • View schedules and alerts
  • Purchase 10-ride tickets
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Buy a ticket anywhere, anytime - in seconds. The Official MBTA mTicket App is like a ticket office in your pocket. Your smartphone is your ticket! With the new MBTA mTicket App for Commuter Rail and Ferry, you can securely purchase MBTA Commuter Rail and Ferry Single Ride, Round-Trip, and 10 Ride tickets in seconds. Purchasing a ticket is easy: select your trip & ticket type, enter your payment card information and your smartphone is your ticket! Never lose your ticket again! Once you purchase your ticket, it will always stick in My Tickets. Need to replace your phone? No problem -- we can easily transfer any purchased ticket. Want to check your schedule or service updates? You can check schedules and T-Alerts right from inside the app! We are making the app better everyday! Let us know what you think at www.mbta.com/mticket Features: ● Secure ticket purchasing with your credit or debit card ● Your smartphone is your ticket ● Never worry about zones again -- just select your origin and destination to purchase ● Never lose your ticket -- tickets can be easily transferred if your phone is lost or stolen ● Check Commuter Rail schedules, maps, and service alerts ● Brand new offers from JustRide and the MBTA

About

TransLoc

This app helps you navigate your commute, errands, and campus travel. It combines public transit routes, trip planning, and ride-sharing options with real-time arrival predictions. Get where you need to go efficiently and affordably.

Highlights
  • Public transit tracking
  • Trip planner
  • Ride-sharing integration
  • Bus schedules and arrival times
  • Favorite stops
  • Payment options (where available)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

TransLoc is your personal assistant for getting to work on time, spending the day running errands or hopping around campus for classes. TransLoc is the only app with public transit options, a trip planner, ride-sharing and bus schedules. Not sure how to get from point A to point B? No problem! Use the trip planner to find the best public transit routes, times and services to fit your schedule. You can even favorite the bus stops you use the most to always have arrival predictions at your fingertips. Wondering if you have time to grab a coffee before getting on the bus? With TransLoc, you’ve also got access to scheduled and estimated arrival times…perfect for those mornings when a 5-minute coffee run is essential. Where available, you can even bring the bus stop to you! TransLoc connects you to nearby ride-sharing services offered by your city or campus. Best of all, it’s cheaper than most private ride-hailing apps! Get to where you want to go for less than the other apps want you to pay. ALL YOU NEED TO GET AROUND • Quick access to the transit options nearest you • Stay in the know with scheduled and estimated arrival times • You can even pay with TransLoc (where available) CHEAPER RIDESHARING • Enjoy the same ride-sharing experience you’re used to at a price that’s about the same as a bus ticket GET TO YOUR DESTINATION SAFELY • TransLoc makes it easier to find and use public transit options near you • Your city or campus runs the microtransit and ridesharing services, which are easy to spot and safe to ride on BETTER & SMARTER • Your TransLoc app is constantly updated with great features and enhancements. • We’d love to hear your ideas on how to make the TransLoc app even better. Just use the feedback option within the app.

Screenshots

MBTA mTicket4 screens
TransLoc4 screens

Verdict

The call

MBTA mTicket and TransLoc both sit at 2.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 27% of MBTA mTicket's written reviews are positive against 7% of TransLoc's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.6 for MBTA mTicket against 2.5 for TransLoc. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 644 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 27% of MBTA mTicket's written reviews are positive against 7% of TransLoc's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MBTA mTicket ships an update every 3 months, TransLoc every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
MBTA mTicket versus TransLoc: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMBTA mTicketTransLoc
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (644 ratings) — better2.5 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews27.4% of reviews — better6.8% of reviews
Number of ratings6441.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#106 — better#143
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB108 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMBTATransLoc Inc.

Customer experience

MBTA mTicket

All ratings644 ratings
Positive36.0%
Neutral8.4%
Negative55.6%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive27.4%
Neutral10.5%
Negative62.1%

TransLoc

All ratings1,562 ratings
Positive36.2%
Neutral2.7%
Negative61.1%
Written reviews148 reviews
Positive6.8%
Neutral4.1%
Negative89.2%

Bugs and requests

MBTA mTicket

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues, unable to create account
  • Tickets disappearing, money stolen
  • Brightness settings not resetting
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Apple Wallet
  • Integrate with mobile wallets
  • Improve navigation and ticket management
  • Add real-time train schedule updates
  • Allow changing account details

TransLoc

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

MBTA mTicket

No in-app purchases

None

TransLoc

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MBTA mTicket free?
MBTA mTicket is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TransLoc free?
TransLoc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MBTA mTicket or TransLoc?
MBTA mTicket is rated higher. MBTA mTicket averages 2.6 out of 5 from 644 ratings, while TransLoc averages 2.5 from 1.6K ratings.
Do MBTA mTicket or TransLoc have ads?
Neither MBTA mTicket nor TransLoc shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MBTA mTicket or TransLoc?
MBTA mTicket ships an update every 3 months, and TransLoc every 2 months. Most recently, MBTA mTicket was updated on September 24, 2026 and TransLoc on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, MBTA mTicket or TransLoc?
MBTA mTicket currently peaks at #106 in the App Store charts, and TransLoc at #143. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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