Comparison

Caltrain Live vs VTA Schedule & Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Caltrain Live

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
Read full description

Caltrain Live lets you quickly access all the latest information you need for your Caltrain commute. You can pin a train to quickly access its status and alerts, monitor construction and service disruptions along the corridor, and get the latest timetable with offline access all in one place. - Includes a fast, simple UI with no ads, popups or tracking. - Get a copy of the latest timetable with automatic updates and offline access. - The built-in trip planner includes live data, special event trains, and holiday timetable support. - Monitor trains in realtime and get easy access to trains you care about. - See single tracking events across the corridor and for each station. - Read station announcements. - Train data includes per-stop delays, calculated stop bypass times, and relevant alerts. - Realtime data is fast, uses minimal mobile data, refreshes every 30 seconds, includes departure times to-the-second, alerts from 511, and more.

About

VTA Schedule & Tracker

Features
Read full description

Plan direct VTA light rail trips with reported and schedule-estimated train positions, departure countdowns, timetables, fares, and service alerts in one fast map. Built for daily Bay Area commuters and occasional riders, Delayta: VTA covers the Blue, Green, and Orange lines, including special-event service. FEATURES • See reported trains and schedule-based estimates on a rail-following map • Find direct trips between stations served by the same line • Choose which lines you see from the gear menu; the map and timetable follow, and the choice sticks between launches • Browse timetables by line, direction, and service day • Check real-time delay updates and trip progress when available • See active light-rail alerts without bus-alert clutter • Find the closest station and view a walking route • Save Home and Work for faster commute planning • Review stop-by-stop details, trip duration, and VTA fare information • Choose 12- or 24-hour time SCHEDULES THAT STAY CURRENT A full timetable ships inside the app, so trip planning works offline. Each time you open Delayta it checks for a newer VTA schedule and swaps it in automatically, so timetable changes reach you without waiting for an app update. Settings shows which schedule you are on and when it was published. NO ADS. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. NO CATCH. Delayta: VTA is free, with no account, no tracking, and no paywall. An optional tip jar is there if you want to support development. Map positions combine reported vehicle locations with schedule-based estimates, so not every train has a live GPS report. Real-time updates, alerts, walking directions, and schedule refreshes require a network connection and may be delayed, incomplete, or unavailable. Schedule data provided by VTA. Real-time data provided by 511.org. Delayta: VTA is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, or 511.org.

Screenshots

Caltrain Live4 screens
VTA Schedule & Tracker3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Caltrain Live at none against VTA Schedule & Tracker's 3. Caltrain Live also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). VTA Schedule & Tracker's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 months). On price, ads 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. VTA Schedule & Tracker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Caltrain Live asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Caltrain Live ships an update every 3 months, VTA Schedule & Tracker daily. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Caltrain Live versus VTA Schedule & Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCaltrain LiveVTA Schedule & Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (16 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJackson LoefflerJonathan Ng

In-app purchases

None

Caltrain Live

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

VTA Schedule & Tracker

One-time3
  • Buy Me a Boba$1.99
  • Buy Me Lunch$4.99
  • Generous Supporter$9.99

Questions

Is Caltrain Live free?
Caltrain Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VTA Schedule & Tracker free?
VTA Schedule & Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Caltrain Live or VTA Schedule & Tracker have ads?
Neither Caltrain Live nor VTA Schedule & Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Caltrain Live or VTA Schedule & Tracker?
Caltrain Live ships an update every 3 months, and VTA Schedule & Tracker daily. Most recently, Caltrain Live was updated on October 6, 2026 and VTA Schedule & Tracker on October 7, 2026.

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