Comparison

CTA Transit Tracker vs EL Tracker

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

Head to head
About

CTA Transit Tracker

Track Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses in real-time. Get accurate arrival predictions for your chosen routes and stops. Save your favorite locations for quick access to upcoming bus times.

Highlights
  • Real-time CTA bus tracking
  • Accurate arrival predictions
  • Save favorite stops
  • User-friendly interface
  • Fast information retrieval
Features
Read full description

"CTA Transit Tracker" is a dedicated real-time bus tracking app designed for residents and visitors in the Chicago area. This app allows you to effortlessly access real-time location and arrival information for Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses. Simply choose your route, direction, and stop to view the next bus arrivals. Additionally, you can save your frequently used stops for quick, one-touch access to upcoming bus arrivals. Key Features: Real-time tracking for CTA buses Save an unlimited number of favorite stops User-friendly interface Fast and efficient information retrieval CTA Transit Live Tracker utilizes data feeds from CTA Bus Time, ensuring accurate and reliable public transit information to enhance your commuting experience in Chicago. If you have any questions, please contact email: wuchaoyu1991@gmail.com

About

EL Tracker

This free Chicago transit app provides real-time departure information with customizable widgets and smart delay calculations. It offers tailored alerts, Siri integration, and accessibility features for low-vision users and multiple languages.

Highlights
  • Customizable departure widgets
  • SmartWalk delay calculation
  • Siri support
  • Low-vision accessibility
  • Multiple language support
  • Tailored push notifications
Features
Read full description

EL Tracker is an app by CTA riders, for CTA riders. We are the only completely free Chicago transit app that offers: - Customizable widgets displaying departures, with SmartWalk delay - Siri support and low-vision accessibility - Multiple languages (including Spanish and Polish) - Tailored alerts with push notifications We are Chicagoans, who were irritated by the lack of a simple Chicago transit app. One night, we said, "Why can't I have a widget that shows me when the train is coming?" And from there, EL Tracker was born. We strive to create technology that has a positive impact on the lives of everyday Chicagoans. We also want to make traveling around the city as accessible as possible, which is why we provide low-vision support, ADA accessibility notations, elevator outage push notifications, and multiple languages. EL Tracker is not an official CTA app, nor are we endorsed by the CTA.

Screenshots

CTA Transit Tracker4 screens
EL Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: EL Tracker at 90% against CTA Transit Tracker's 0%. EL Tracker also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). CTA Transit Tracker's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

EL Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 182 and 83 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of CTA Transit Tracker's written reviews are positive against 90% of EL Tracker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CTA Transit Tracker ships an update every 3 months, EL Tracker every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CTA Transit Tracker versus EL Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCTA Transit TrackerEL Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (182 ratings)4.9 (83 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings182 — better83
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB21 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developer婧嘉 郭Davit Khachatryan

Customer experience

CTA Transit Tracker

All ratings143 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

EL Tracker

All ratings83 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative5.0%

In-app purchases

None

CTA Transit Tracker

No in-app purchases

None

EL Tracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CTA Transit Tracker free?
CTA Transit Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is EL Tracker free?
EL Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CTA Transit Tracker or EL Tracker?
EL Tracker is rated higher. CTA Transit Tracker averages 4.6 out of 5 from 182 ratings, while EL Tracker averages 4.9 from 83 ratings.
Do CTA Transit Tracker or EL Tracker have ads?
CTA Transit Tracker shows ads; EL Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, CTA Transit Tracker or EL Tracker?
CTA Transit Tracker ships an update every 3 months, and EL Tracker every 2 weeks. Most recently, CTA Transit Tracker was updated on September 23, 2026 and EL Tracker on September 8, 2026.

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