# Social Bicycles vs TAP LA

The clearest difference is rating: Social Bicycles at 4.4 against TAP LA's 1.9. Social Bicycles also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (27% vs 12%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Social Bicycles holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Social Bicycles has 6.8K ratings behind it against 856, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Social Bicycles's written reviews are positive against 12% of TAP LA's.

Social Bicycles ships an update every 4 weeks, TAP LA every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Social Bicycles | TAP LA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (6.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/social-bicycles/id641497286/reviews)** | [1.9 (856 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-la/id1505839730/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.8K** | 856 |
| Positive reviews | **27.5% of reviews** | 11.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 49 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MobilityCloud Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496252610) | [Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1353337562) |

## What reviewers say

### Social Bicycles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/social-bicycles/id641497286)

Locate, reserve, and ride shared bicycles using your smartphone. This app allows you to find available bikes on a map, manage your account, and pay for rides. Return bikes to designated hubs or public racks.

**Highlights:** Find bicycles using map, Create account and pay, Reserve bicycles wirelessly, Manage your account, Contact customer support, Sync with Health app

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient bike access
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 💡 Great bike sharing community
- 🚲 Comfortable bikes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and glitches
- ⚠️ Unreliable bike availability
- 💳 Confusing payment system
- 🔑 Difficult bike unlocking process
- 🏪 Uneven bike distribution

**Reported bugs**

- Account login issues
- Incorrect bike charges
- Broken bike sensors
- Unresponsive bike keypads

**Requested features**

- Improved app navigation
- Better bike status information
- Streamlined payment options
- Expanded service area


### TAP LA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-la/id1505839730)

Pay for transit fares across Los Angeles with your mobile device. This app allows you to purchase passes, manage multiple cards, and use touchless payment on numerous bus and train systems. It also offers trip planning and access to multimodal programs.

**Highlights:** Touchless payment, Add TAP card to iPhone/Apple Watch, Purchase transit passes, Manage multiple TAP cards, Add TAP card to Apple Wallet, Trip planning tools, Reduced fare support

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- ✨ Convenient digital tap card
- 💳 Ability to load funds
- 🗺️ Trip planning functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and glitches
- 💰 Charges money without adding funds
- ⏱️ Slow load times and processing
- 🤷‍♀️ Confusing user experience
- 🚫 Doesn't work for tourists/visitors

**Reported bugs**

- Card registration and activation issues
- Disappearing funds and balances
- Inconsistent app performance

**Requested features**

- Allow multiple devices for one account
- Improve reliability of fund loading
- Provide more transparent transaction history
- Integrate with more payment methods


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Social Bicycles free?

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

### Is TAP LA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Social Bicycles or TAP LA?

Social Bicycles is rated higher. Social Bicycles averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.8K ratings, while TAP LA averages 1.9 from 856 ratings.

### Do Social Bicycles or TAP LA have ads?

Neither Social Bicycles nor TAP LA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Social Bicycles or TAP LA?

Social Bicycles ships an update every 4 weeks, and TAP LA every 5 months. Most recently, Social Bicycles was updated on November 10, 2026 and TAP LA on November 11, 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.*