Comparison

CTA Transit Tracker vs Stratus

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 buses in real-time. Get live location and arrival information for your routes and stops. Save your favorite stops for quick access to upcoming bus times.

Highlights
  • Real-time CTA bus tracking
  • Live 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

Stratus

Get real-time bus and train departure information for your commute. Track your trip, receive departure alarms, and stay updated on service alerts. This app prioritizes your privacy with an ad-free experience and no account requirement.

Highlights
  • Live departures and arrival times
  • In-trip ride companion with ETA sharing
  • Configurable departure alarms
  • Real-time service alerts and detours
  • Accessibility options for all users
  • Privacy-first design, ad-free
Features
Read full description

Stratus shows every CTA bus, L train and Metra train leaving near you, with each departure time colored by whether you can still catch it. Built by a Chicago commuter. It covers buses too, because most rides aren't on the train. LIVE CTA AND METRA DEPARTURES NEAR YOU • Buses and trains leaving from stations within a configurable travel time. Sort by distance or earliest departure. • Your CTA and Metra favorites stay together at the top of the list. • Every row shows upcoming departure times and how long it takes you to get there, so you don't have to do the math. • Each departure time is colored comfortable, tight or too late. • Pull to refresh, or let it auto-refresh. • Filter by route, transit mode, or whether you can still catch it. FOLLOW YOUR TRIP • Tap any departure to start a trip, and track its progress on a live map with the stops you have left. • Tap any upcoming stop to see its live departures and those nearby. • Share your live ETA* so others can track the progress of your trip. • Live Activities* provide a countdown to departure on your lock screen and Apple Watch. • Configurable Departure Alarm* to notify you exactly when it's time to leave. (Premium features denoted by * ) THE GUIDE • A system map for CTA rail, Metra and bus, with station details, transfers, and live departures. • Fare charts for CTA and Metra, and how to pay for each. • An icon guide explaining every symbol the app uses. • Tutorials for getting started. REAL-TIME SERVICE ALERTS • A banner shows when something affects a nearby route, such as a delay or a reroute. • Tap through to view full alert detail. • Following a trip accounts for detours. ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS • Filter departures to exclude CTA and Metra rail stations without elevator access from the street to the platform. • Integration with CTA and Metra service alerts provides real-time station accessibility status. • VoiceOver coverage across the departure feed, following a trip, and toolbars. • Supports Dynamic Type text sizing. HOW STRATUS IS BUILT • Ad-free and no account required. • Your location never leaves your phone. To get departures, Stratus sends only stop and station IDs. • We don't track you. We only collect anonymous crash and usage telemetry. FREE includes live departures, following a trip on the live map, the Guide, one favorite, real-time alerts, and accessibility features. PREMIUM ($1.99/month or $14.99/year — 14-day free trial) unlocks widgets, Live Activities (lock screen and Apple Watch), Dynamic Island, departure alarms, a heads-up before your stop, up to 5 favorites, trip sharing, and offline CTA rail schedules. Stratus is independently developed by CloudPath, LLC. It is not made, endorsed, sponsored or operated by, or affiliated with, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) or Metra. Data provided by CTA and Metra. Terms of Use: https://ridestratus.com/terms/

Screenshots

CTA Transit Tracker4 screens
Stratus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CTA Transit Tracker at none against Stratus's 2. CTA Transit Tracker also leads on ratings volume (233 vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). Stratus's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On price 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. Stratus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. CTA Transit Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stratus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CTA Transit Tracker has 233 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of CTA Transit Tracker's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stratus's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CTA Transit Tracker ships an update every 3 months, Stratus every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
CTA Transit Tracker versus Stratus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCTA Transit TrackerStratus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (233 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings233 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB114 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer婧嘉 郭CloudPath, LLC

Customer experience

CTA Transit Tracker

All ratings233 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Stratus

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

CTA Transit Tracker

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Stratus

Subscriptions2
  • Stratus Transit14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Stratus Transit14 Days trial$14.991 Year

Questions

Is CTA Transit Tracker free?
CTA Transit Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stratus free?
Stratus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CTA Transit Tracker or Stratus?
Stratus is rated higher. CTA Transit Tracker averages 4.6 out of 5 from 233 ratings, while Stratus averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do CTA Transit Tracker or Stratus have ads?
CTA Transit Tracker shows ads; Stratus does not.
Which is updated more often, CTA Transit Tracker or Stratus?
CTA Transit Tracker ships an update every 3 months, and Stratus every 4 days. Most recently, CTA Transit Tracker was updated on November 4, 2026 and Stratus on October 31, 2026.

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