Comparison

EL Tracker vs UIowa Bus

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

Head to head
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.

About

UIowa Bus

Features
Read full description

Never miss a bus again. UIowa Bus gives you accurate, real-time arrival times for every bus across the DART transit service. Whether you’re commuting to work, heading to class, or exploring, you’ll always know exactly when the next bus is arriving. Features: • Live Bus Map: Follow buses as they approach your station in real time. • Nearby Stops: Instantly find the closest bus stops around you. • Favorites: Save your most-used stops for one-tap access. • Interactive Map: Search the full stop/route map and explore every line and station across the city. • Accurate ETAs: Reliable predictions so you’ll always know when to head out. • Clean User Experience: Simple, fast, and easy to use. Stay on top of your commute with the best bus tracking app for the Des Moines area. Download UIowa Bus today and take the guesswork out of public transit.

Screenshots

EL Tracker4 screens
UIowa Bus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: EL Tracker at none against UIowa Bus's shown. EL Tracker also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EL Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, UIowa Bus every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
EL Tracker versus UIowa Bus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEL TrackerUIowa Bus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (83 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings83 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB15 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDavit KhachatryanRishi Masand

In-app purchases

None

EL Tracker

No in-app purchases

None

UIowa Bus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EL Tracker free?
EL Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is UIowa Bus free?
UIowa Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EL Tracker or UIowa Bus have ads?
UIowa Bus shows ads; EL Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, EL Tracker or UIowa Bus?
EL Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, and UIowa Bus every 6 days. Most recently, EL Tracker was updated on October 21, 2026 and UIowa Bus on October 25, 2026.

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