Minnesota 511 vs Metro Transit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Minnesota 511
Access real-time traffic and road condition information for Minnesota highways. Get audio alerts, view maps with event icons, and check winter road conditions, incidents, and closures. Includes camera feeds, construction updates, and rest area information.
- Real-time traffic information
- Audio notifications
- Interactive map with event icons
- Winter road conditions
- Road closures and incidents
- Roadwork and construction updates
- Camera images and live video
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Minnesota 511 is the Minnesota Department of Transportation's traveler information resource. The 511MN app provides statewide, real-time traffic information for Minnesota highways and interstates, including: - Hands-free, audio notifications of traffic events while you drive - Zoom-enabled map with selectable event icons - Near real-time updates on winter road conditions, traffic incidents, and road closures - Roadwork and construction - Travel time delays associated with traffic reports (look for the orange glowing icons) - Current traffic speeds - Roadside camera images and live video capabilities - Road weather information - Snow plow camera images - Electric vehicle charging locations - Rest area locations including real-time truck parking availability for select state-run rest areas - Electronic roadway sign messages Learn about Minnesota's Law on wireless communication devices in vehicles at https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=169.475 The MnDOT privacy policy can be found at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/information/disclaimer.html#privacy Drive safely! Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Metro Transit
Plan your transit trips, view real-time departure information for buses and trains, and purchase mobile tickets directly from your smartphone. This app simplifies navigating public transportation in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.
- Trip Planner
- Real-time departure information (NexTrip)
- Mobile ticket purchasing
- Store multiple tickets
- Secure payment options
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Make transit trips in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area as mobile as you are with the official Metro Transit app. Now you can plan your trip, see departure information for buses and trains, and buy transit tickets all on the go! Just download the free app, create an account with your method of payment, and get moving. The Metro Transit app is a tool to make riding the bus, METRO system and Northstar in the Twin Cities a little bit easier. After you’ve identified your desired trip and transit departure time, you can buy and use Metro Transit mobile tickets right from your smartphone – it’s like having a ticket machine right in your pocket! KEY FEATURES: Find the right bus, light rail, or train for you through the Trip Planner. See the next available bus, light rail, or train for your desired trip with NexTrip. Pay a single fare or multiple fares for a group of riders, and store multiple tickets on your phone for future use. Simply create an account and enter your credit/debit card information in our secure system. If you’re looking to pay with cash, you can use a pre-paid debit card or pre-paid gift card. HOW IT WORKS: 1. SELECT RIDER TYPE: Adult, Senior/Youth/Medicare, Mobility, Family 2. SELECT SERVICE: Local Bus/METRO, Express Bus, or Northstar 3. SELECT: Station for Northstar or time-based fare for Bus/METRO 4. CHECKOUT: Pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, pre-paid debit or gift card, or Apple Pay COMMON QUESTIONS: Do I need to be connected? An internet connection is required create an account, sign-in and purchase and activate tickets. What if my battery dies? Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times, so be sure to plan ahead! IMPORTANT REMINDERS: • Activate your ticket when you see your bus or train approaching. Your ticket must be activated before boarding a vehicle. • Watch your battery level... Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Minnesota 511 at 2.5 against Metro Transit's 1.6. Minnesota 511 also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 355). Metro Transit's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Minnesota 511 holds the better App Store score, 2.5 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 355 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of Minnesota 511's written reviews are positive against 14% of Metro Transit's.
Minnesota 511 ships an update every 2 months, Metro Transit every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Minnesota 511 | Metro Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (1.6K ratings) — better | 1.6 (355 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 16.3% of reviews — better | 13.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K — better | 355 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Minnesota Department of Transportation | Metropolitan Council |
Customer experience
Minnesota 511
Metro Transit
User reviews
Minnesota 511
From 1.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Live time camera, plow camera views, accidents, road conditions, traffic all in one app
- 👍 Well organized, lots of information to help plan safe traveling
- 👍 Roadworthiness at one's fingertips
- 👍 Good resource, access to all these cameras
Room to improve
- 🐛 App can't remember password
- 🤔 Unclear road condition legend, missing explanation of color codes
- 🤔 Difficult to navigate, not user-friendly for older users
- 🐛 Cameras don't work, app crashes, issues with updates
- 🤔 Incomplete and not up-to-date, missing major road conditions and closures
Metro Transit
From 355 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Works great
- ✨ Convenient for visiting
- 💳 Supports Apple Pay
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 🚫 Can't purchase tickets
- 🔄 Constant login issues
- 🔍 Lacks key features like trip planning
Bugs and requests
Minnesota 511
Reported bugs
4 issues- App can't remember password
- Cameras don't work, app crashes
- Issues with updates, app not functioning properly
- Incomplete and inaccurate road condition information
Requested features
5 requests- Add road condition legend and explanation of color codes
- Improve user interface and navigation, make it more intuitive
- Provide more accurate and up-to-date road condition information
- Add option to view future road closures and construction projects
- Improve coverage of major roads and highways
Metro Transit
Reported bugs
4 issues- Payment buttons not functioning
- App crashing or getting stuck on loading screens
- Login issues and account problems
- Incompatibility with older devices or OS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Add prompt for first-time users to buy tickets
- Integrate trip planning and schedules into the app
- Allow purchasing multiple tickets at once
- Improve payment flow and reliability
In-app purchases
Minnesota 511
No in-app purchases
Metro Transit
No in-app purchases









