SAM Transit vs SamTrans Ride Plus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SAM Transit
Plan and navigate your trips within the Sioux Falls Area using public transit and on-demand rideshare. Get real-time arrival information and track your vehicle for a seamless travel experience.
- Trip planning with transit options
- On-demand rideshare booking
- Live bus arrival times
- Real-time vehicle tracking
- Wheelchair accessible vehicle option
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SAM Transit is your go-to app for getting around the Sioux Falls Area. Simply tell the app where you want to go and we’ll share the best trip options to get there. You can navigate your city with bus, on demand rideshare or a combination of travel options. HOW IT WORKS: - Easily plan travel with Sioux Area Metro services. - Enter your pickup and dropoff locations and we’ll tell you the best journey available at that time. - Book SAM On Demand rides directly in the app for you and any additional passengers. - Never miss your ride with live arrival times for your bus and vehicle tracking for your SAM On Demand journey. - If you’re riding on demand, there may be others on board, or you may make a few additional stops along the way! RELIABLE: Track your ride as the driver is on their way to you, and while you’re on the vehicle too. OUR VEHICLES: SAM Transit is wheelchair accessible! If you require a wheelchair, simply toggle on “Wheelchair accessibility” in the “Account” tab of your app! When you request a ride, you’ll be matched with a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Questions? Reach out at +1(605) 367-7151. Loving your experience so far? Give us a 5-star rating.
SamTrans Ride Plus
Plan and book shared transit rides by selecting pickup and drop-off locations. Receive real-time updates on your vehicle's arrival and track its progress on a map. Easily manage multiple bookings, cancellations, and schedule rides in advance.
- Set pickup/drop-off points on map or by address
- Plan trips with date and time
- Real-time vehicle tracking
- In-app pickup notifications
- Book multiple rides
- Schedule rides in advance
- Cancel or change bookings
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Select a transit stop, a public place, an address or tap directly on the map to set your pickup/drop-off points. Set your trip date and departure/arrival time and let Ride Plus provide you with the best route for your destination. In-app notifications will keep you posted on the exact time of pickup. You will be able to track the vehicle in real-time on the map and see the remaining time before pickup. Once onboard, sit back and relax. Ride Plus will get you to your destination as quickly as possible. Since Ride Plus is a transit rideshare service, you will share your trip with fellow riders. From your phone you can easily: book multiple rides at a time, change or cancel a ride, schedule them in advance and save them to your phone's calendar. You will also have access to useful information about our service and tips on how to use it efficiently. Like it? Rate it! Have a question? Send us an email at rideplus@samtrans.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: SamTrans Ride Plus at free against SAM Transit's free with in-app purchases. SamTrans Ride Plus also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). SAM Transit's advantage is ratings volume (261 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SamTrans Ride Plus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SAM Transit has 261 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SAM Transit | SamTrans Ride Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (261 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 261 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Via Transportation, Inc. | RideCo Inc. |
Customer experience
SAM Transit
SamTrans Ride Plus
In-app purchases
SAM Transit
No in-app purchases
SamTrans Ride Plus
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SAM Transit free?
Is SamTrans Ride Plus free?
Which has better reviews, SAM Transit or SamTrans Ride Plus?
Do SAM Transit or SamTrans Ride Plus have ads?
Which is updated more often, SAM Transit or SamTrans Ride Plus?
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