Comparison

Minnesota 511 vs Metro Transit

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Trip Planner
  • Real-time departure information (NexTrip)
  • Mobile ticket purchasing
  • Store multiple tickets
  • Secure payment options
Read full description

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

Minnesota 5114 screens
Metro Transit3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Minnesota 511 versus Metro Transit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMinnesota 511Metro Transit
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (1.6K ratings) — better1.6 (355 ratings)
Positive reviews16.3% of reviews — better13.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better355
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMinnesota Department of TransportationMetropolitan Council

Customer experience

Minnesota 511

All ratings1,579 ratings
Positive32.6%
Neutral6.8%
Negative60.5%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive16.3%
Neutral5.8%
Negative77.9%

Metro Transit

All ratings333 ratings
Positive12.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative85.3%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive13.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative82.8%

User reviews

Minnesota 511

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

Minnesota 511

No in-app purchases

None

Metro Transit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Minnesota 511 free?
Minnesota 511 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Metro Transit free?
Metro Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Minnesota 511 or Metro Transit?
Minnesota 511 is rated higher. Minnesota 511 averages 2.5 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Metro Transit averages 1.6 from 355 ratings.
Do Minnesota 511 or Metro Transit have ads?
Neither Minnesota 511 nor Metro Transit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Minnesota 511 or Metro Transit?
Minnesota 511 ships an update every 2 months, and Metro Transit every 3 months. Most recently, Minnesota 511 was updated on November 1, 2026 and Metro Transit on October 24, 2026.

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