Comparison

Cal vs CalRun

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

Head to head
About

Cal

Provides real-time train tracking and estimated arrival times for specific transit corridors. Access live train status and journey information for multiple commuter rail lines.

Highlights
  • Live train tracking
  • Real-time status updates
  • Estimated arrival times (ETA)
  • Supports CCJPA, SJJPA, ACE, NCTD corridors
  • Station information
Features
Read full description

Tracks live trains and display their status and ETA information for stations within the CCJPA, SJJPA, ACE and NCTD corridors. Terms of Use: https://xt-calpids-production-legal.azurewebsites.net/terms.html

About

CalRun

Features
Read full description

CalRun is a Caltrain schedule and commute companion built for daily riders. Set your home and work stations once, and instantly see every train you can take, color-coded by service type: Local, Limited, and Express. What makes CalRun different: LIVE MAP WITH REAL-TIME TRAIN TRACKING Toggle the live map to watch every active train move along the Caltrain corridor in real time. Trains follow the actual track path with smooth animation, directional arrows, and countdown timers showing time to the next station. Tap Home, Work, or Nearest to snap the map to the station and closest approaching train. PIN YOUR ROUTES Pin your favorite commute trains for instant access at the top of your list. Pinned routes show up on the map with departure and arrival countdowns so you always know exactly when to leave. DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL REMINDERS Never miss your train. Enable per-route reminders that notify you before departure and before arrival, with configurable timing from 1 to 60 minutes. Reminders work even when the app is in the background. COMMUTE STATS AND SERVICE ALERTS View your commute at a glance with stats, pinned route summaries, and live Caltrain service alerts pulled directly from the transit agency. SMART COMMUTE FLOW One tap to flip between your morning and evening commute. Use "Now" mode for real-time results or pick any date to plan ahead with the full weekday and weekend timetable. DESIGNED FOR DAILY RIDERS Dark and light mode. Haptic feedback. Fast launch. No account required. No ads. No tracking. Just your train schedule. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION CalRun offers auto-renewable subscriptions for full access to all features. A 3-day free trial is included with your first subscription. CalRun Pro Monthly: $1.99/month CalRun Pro Yearly: $9.99/year Payment is charged to your Apple ID account after the free trial ends. Subscription auto-renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://iljaherdt.com/calrun/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://iljaherdt.com/calrun/terms Transit data provided by 511.org.

Screenshots

Cal4 screens
CalRun4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: CalRun at none against Cal's shown. Cal's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year and CalRun sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Cal versus CalRun: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalCalRun
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperXenaTech Software Integration Services, LLCIlja Herdt

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cal

Subscriptions1
  • Cal-Ride Pro$4.991 Year
2 purchases

CalRun

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Cal free?
Cal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CalRun free?
CalRun is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cal or CalRun have ads?
Cal shows ads; CalRun does not.

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