# Cal vs Railside

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Railside at none against Cal's 1. Railside also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Cal's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Railside asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cal against 5.0 for Railside. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cal | Railside |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cal-ride/id6443437087/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railside-train-tracker/id6782654346/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 45 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [XenaTech Software Integration Services, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1645917692) | [GovLense LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829206174) |

## What reviewers say

### Cal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cal-ride/id6443437087)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cal-Ride Pro | $4.99 | per year |


### Railside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railside-train-tracker/id6782654346)

This app provides real-time Amtrak train status, including delays and current location. It offers a clear, at-a-glance overview of your train's progress before, during, and after your journey.

**Highlights:** Live Amtrak train data, Delay information, Current train location, Pre-ride status, During-ride updates, Post-ride information

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cal free?

Cal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Railside free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cal or Railside?

Cal and Railside are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Cal or Railside have ads?

Cal shows ads; Railside does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cal or Railside?

Cal ships an update every 10 days, and Railside every 10 days. Most recently, Cal was updated on September 25, 2026 and Railside on September 19, 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.*