Google Maps vs NYC Bus & Subway Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Google Maps
Navigate your world with real-time traffic, turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling, and public transport. Discover millions of businesses and places with photos and reviews. Plan trips with Street View, Immersive View, and offline maps.
- Real-time GPS navigation
- Live traffic data
- Public transport updates
- Business and place discovery
- Street View and Immersive View
- Offline maps
- User reviews and photos
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Explore and navigate the world with confidence using Google Maps. Find the best routes with live traffic data and real-time GPS navigation for driving, walking, cycling, and public transport. Discover over 250 million businesses and places - from restaurants and shops to everyday essentials – with photos, reviews, and helpful information. Navigate the world, the way you want: • Get to where you need to go with fuel-efficient route options • Find the best route with real-time, turn-by-turn voice, and on screen navigation • Save time with automatic rerouting based on live traffic, incidents, and road closures • Catch the bus, train, and ride-share effortlessly, with real-time updates • Find bike or scooter rentals to get around more easily Plan trips and experiences effortlessly: • Preview an area before you go (e.g. parking, entrances) with Street View • Use Immersive View to experience what landmarks, parks and routes look like, and even check the weather so you can be ready in advance • Create custom lists of your favorite saved places and share with others • Order delivery and takeout, make reservations, and book hotels • Don't get lost with offline maps in an area with bad signal • Search for local places and things to do, and decide based on user reviews and photos Discover and explore like a local: • Explore with confidence knowing 500 million users contribute and keep the map up to date each year • Avoid the crowds by seeing how busy a place is before you get there • Use Lens in Maps to see walking directions overlaid on the real world • Filter restaurants by cuisine, hours, price, rating and more • Ask questions about a place, from dishes to parking, and get quick answers Some features not available in all countries or cities Navigation isn't intended to be used by oversized or emergency vehicles
NYC Bus & Subway Tracker
Navigate New York City's public transit with real-time MTA bus schedules and precise GPS tracking. This app offers a reliable and convenient tool to stay updated on bus locations and arrival times for a hassle-free commute.
- Real-time MTA bus schedules
- Precise GPS tracking
- Monitor bus locations
- Supports MTA Express, Local, Limited, and SBS services
- Utilizes free MTA Bus Time data feed
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Spend less time waiting and know what is coming next. NYC Bus & Subway Tracker puts nearby stops, live arrivals, route maps and service alerts in one clear app. Open the map for transit around you, search any supported route, or jump straight to the stops and lines you saved. LIVE ARRIVALS NEAR YOU • Find nearby bus and subway stops on an interactive map • Check live and scheduled arrival times by route and destination • See multiple upcoming departures at a glance • Refresh arrival information whenever you need it BUS, SUBWAY AND COMMUTER RAIL • Search New York City bus and subway routes • Browse LIRR and Metro-North services • Explore each route on the map • Switch travel direction to see the correct stops and vehicles • Search for a specific stop within a route SERVICE INFORMATION THAT MATTERS • View alerts attached to affected routes and stops • Distinguish live predictions from scheduled departures • See route colors and service details in a familiar layout BUILT FOR YOUR DAILY COMMUTE • Save frequently used routes and stops • Return to your favorites without searching again • Choose light, dark or system appearance • Continue browsing routes and saved items when location is unavailable NYC PRO Upgrade to NYC Pro to unlock: • Full 7-day schedules • Live vehicle positions on route maps when data is available • An ad-free experience across both app experiences Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled through your App Store account. Available plans, prices and terms are shown before purchase. Previous purchases can be restored from the app. Arrival times, schedules, alerts and vehicle positions depend on public transit data availability and may change. Always follow posted signs and transit agency guidance. NYC Bus & Subway Tracker is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) or any government agency. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Google Maps at every 6 days against NYC Bus & Subway Tracker's every 2 months. Google Maps also leads on ratings volume (7.4M vs 172) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). NYC Bus & Subway Tracker's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Google Maps sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $0.89 per month and NYC Bus & Subway Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Google Maps holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Maps has 7.4M ratings behind it against 172, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Google Maps ships an update every 6 days, NYC Bus & Subway Tracker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Google Maps | NYC Bus & Subway Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (7.4M ratings) — better | 4.5 (172 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 43.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7.4M — better | 172 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #1 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 466 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 婧嘉 郭 | |
Customer experience
Google Maps
NYC Bus & Subway Tracker
Bugs and requests
Google Maps
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to save/access favorite locations
- Frequent crashes or freezes
- Incorrect address/location detection
- Voice navigation issues
Requested features
5 requests- Option to avoid tolls or specify vehicle type
- Ability to manually edit/update maps
- Better integration with public transit
- Improved offline functionality
- More customization options for routes
NYC Bus & Subway Tracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Google Maps
- 30 GB$0.891 Month
- 30 GB1 Month trial3 variants$0.891 Month
- 100 GB2 variants$1.991 Month
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- 100 GB1 Month trial2 variants$1.991 Month
- 200 GB1 Month trial2 variants$2.991 Month
- 200 GB2 variants$2.991 Month
- Google AI Plus (400 GB)2 variants$4.991 Month
- Google AI Plus (2 TB)2 variants$9.991 Month
- Google AI Plus (2 TB)1 Month trial2 variants$9.991 Month
- Google AI Pro (5 TB)$19.991 Month
- 100 GB1 Year trial$19.991 Year
- 100 GB1 Month trial$19.991 Year
- 100 GB$19.991 Year
- Google AI Pro (2 TB)$19.991 Month
- 200 GB1 Year trial$29.991 Year
- 200 GB1 Month trial$29.991 Year
- 200 GB$29.991 Year
- 10 TB$49.991 Month
- 2 TB1 Month trial$99.991 Year
- 20 TB$99.991 Month
- 2 TB1 Year trial$99.991 Year
- Google AI Ultra (30 TB)2 variants$249.991 Month
NYC Bus & Subway Tracker
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Yearly$19.991 Year
- lifetime$89.99
Questions
Is Google Maps free?
Is NYC Bus & Subway Tracker free?
Which has better reviews, Google Maps or NYC Bus & Subway Tracker?
Do Google Maps or NYC Bus & Subway Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Google Maps or NYC Bus & Subway Tracker?
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