# ANC Explorer vs SmarTrip

The clearest difference is rating: ANC Explorer at 3.0 against SmarTrip's 2.5. ANC Explorer also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 11%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). SmarTrip's advantage is chart position (#197 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

ANC Explorer holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 55 and 57 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of ANC Explorer's written reviews are positive against 11% of SmarTrip's.

ANC Explorer ships an update every 2 months, SmarTrip every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ANC Explorer | SmarTrip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anc-explorer/id562937243/reviews)** | [2.5 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 55 | **57** |
| Positive reviews | **38.5% of reviews** | 10.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#197** |
| Size | 143 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arlington National Cemetery](https://appshunter.io/developer/562937246) | [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257235533) |

## What reviewers say

### ANC Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anc-explorer/id562937243)

Discover gravesites and points of interest within a cemetery. Get directions, capture marker photos, and receive important notifications. Create custom walking tours by saving favorite locations.

**Highlights:** Locate gravesites and points of interest, Generate marker and monument photos, Step-by-step directions, Emergency and event notifications, Save favorite places, Create custom walking tours

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📍 Accurate grave location finding
- 🗺️ Easy navigation to graves
- 📸 Photo of headstone available
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- ⏱️ Saves time searching

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Very slow performance
- ❌ Search feature unreliable
- 🚫 No back button
- 📉 Inconsistent performance
-  unresponsive app

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to delete duplicate entries in My Content
- Start Tour function doesn't work
- Search yields zero results
- No back button
- Directions are horrible

**Requested features**

- Add a back button
- Include a north arrow
- Improve reliability of directions
- Enhance customer service for tech support
- Update notable graves list


### SmarTrip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your SmarTrip card and account with this optional tool. Register your card for balance protection, check benefits, set up auto-reload, or purchase transit passes. It can also be added to Apple Wallet for easy tap-to-pay.

**Highlights:** Manage SmarTrip card and account, Add SmarTrip to Apple Wallet, Register card for balance protection, Check SmartBenefits, Setup Auto-Reload, Buy unlimited transit passes

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for commuting
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Apple Wallet
- 🚀 Straightforward account setup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable card reading at turnstiles
- 🐛 Delayed balance updates
- 🐛 Buggy app functionality
- 🔒 Excessive personal information required
- 🔒 Difficult to recover account

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to activate account due to missing activation email
- Password reset process not working
- Inconsistent behavior when adding value to card

**Requested features**

- Ability to transfer balance between cards
- Real-time balance updates
- Improved trip planning tools
- Apple Watch support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ANC Explorer free?

ANC Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SmarTrip free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ANC Explorer or SmarTrip?

ANC Explorer is rated higher. ANC Explorer averages 3.0 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while SmarTrip averages 2.5 from 57 ratings.

### Do ANC Explorer or SmarTrip have ads?

Neither ANC Explorer nor SmarTrip shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ANC Explorer or SmarTrip?

ANC Explorer ships an update every 2 months, and SmarTrip every 5 months. Most recently, ANC Explorer was updated on October 13, 2026 and SmarTrip on October 12, 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.*