# NJ TRANSIT vs Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker

The clearest difference is rating: NJ TRANSIT at 4.8 against Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker's 3.3. NJ TRANSIT also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker's advantage is review sentiment (23% vs 10%). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NJ TRANSIT asks for nothing beyond the download.

NJ TRANSIT holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NJ TRANSIT has 270K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 10% of NJ TRANSIT's written reviews are positive against 23% of Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NJ TRANSIT | Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (270K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nj-transit/id589549928/reviews)** | [3.3 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-cta-train-bus-tracker/id1561708722/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **270K** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews | **23.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#75** | — |
| Size | 90 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [NEW JERSEY TRANSIT CORPORATION](https://appshunter.io/developer/589549971) | [Manish Chawla](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560330628) |

## What reviewers say

### NJ TRANSIT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nj-transit/id589549928)

**Currently charting:** #75 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Plan your trips across New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia with real-time transit information. Purchase and display mobile tickets and passes securely. Receive instant alerts for rail, bus, and light rail services.

**Highlights:** Mobile ticketing and passes, Real-time arrival/departure info, Trip planning for rail, bus, light rail, Push notifications for travel alerts, Secure mobile wallet for cash value, Station-to-station schedule lookup

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Convenient ticket purchase
- 👍 Helpful features like Departure Vision

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable app performance
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🐛 Inaccurate schedule information
- 🐛 Inconsistent ticket activation
- 👎 Poor customer service

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues due to expired verification codes
- Inability to save trip plans or favorite stops
- Ticket purchases not always reflected in app
- App logging users out unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Integrate with mobile wallet
- Add live bus/train tracking
- Improve service disruption notifications
- Simplify ticket purchase and activation
- Provide interactive station/route maps


### Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-cta-train-bus-tracker/id1561708722)

Navigate Chicago's public transit with real-time bus and train tracking. Plan your journeys with detailed route information, departure and arrival times, and an offline rail map. Enjoy personalized day and night modes for a seamless travel experience.

**Highlights:** Live CTA bus tracking, Metra train time tracker, Offline Chicago rail map, Journey planner, Departure & arrival timings, Day & night modes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy us a coffee to remove ads | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NJ TRANSIT free?

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

### Is Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker free?

Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NJ TRANSIT or Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker?

NJ TRANSIT is rated higher. NJ TRANSIT averages 4.8 out of 5 from 270K ratings, while Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker averages 3.3 from 18 ratings.

### Do NJ TRANSIT or Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker have ads?

Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker shows ads; NJ TRANSIT does not.

### Which is updated more often, NJ TRANSIT or Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker?

NJ TRANSIT ships an update every 6 weeks, and Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker every 6 weeks. Most recently, NJ TRANSIT was updated on October 29, 2026 and Chicago CTA Train Bus Tracker on October 24, 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.*