# Caltrain Live vs SamTrans Ride Plus

The clearest difference is rating: SamTrans Ride Plus at 5.0 against Caltrain Live's 4.4. SamTrans Ride Plus also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). Caltrain Live's advantage is ratings volume (16 vs 2). 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.

SamTrans Ride Plus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caltrain Live has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Caltrain Live ships an update every 3 months, SamTrans Ride Plus monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Caltrain Live | SamTrans Ride Plus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caltrain-live/id6474943481/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samtrans-ride-plus/id6740246845/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 25 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jackson Loeffler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1722867224) | [RideCo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1097869971) |

## What reviewers say

### Caltrain Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caltrain-live/id6474943481)

Access real-time Caltrain information, including train status, service disruptions, and timetables with offline access. Plan trips with live data and receive instant alerts for your commute.

**Highlights:** Real-time train status and alerts, Offline timetable access, Trip planner with live data, Service disruption monitoring, Pinned train status, Station announcements

**In-app purchases:** none


### SamTrans Ride Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samtrans-ride-plus/id6740246845)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Caltrain Live free?

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

### Is SamTrans Ride Plus free?

SamTrans Ride Plus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Caltrain Live or SamTrans Ride Plus?

SamTrans Ride Plus is rated higher. Caltrain Live averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while SamTrans Ride Plus averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Caltrain Live or SamTrans Ride Plus have ads?

Neither Caltrain Live nor SamTrans Ride Plus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Caltrain Live or SamTrans Ride Plus?

Caltrain Live ships an update every 3 months, and SamTrans Ride Plus monthly. Most recently, Caltrain Live was updated on September 19, 2026 and SamTrans Ride Plus on September 20, 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.*