Comparison

TrainsFYI vs Headway

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

Head to head
About

TrainsFYI

Explore active trains worldwide on a real-time map. Follow individual train journeys, see routes and stops, and browse by transit network. Coverage is expanding to more countries and rail systems.

Highlights
  • Live train position updates
  • Follow individual train journeys
  • View routes and stops
  • Browse by transit network
  • Worldwide coverage
Features
Read full description

Track passenger trains across the globe, and see where your train is right now. TrainsFYI is your real-time map and tracker for passenger rail. Whether you are a transit fan, traveler, or just curious, you can explore active trains and follow their journeys. Whether you are checking your Amtrak route, following the New York MTA Subway, tracking BART across the Bay Area, or just exploring rail activity worldwide, TrainsFYI makes it fun and easy to see where the trains are right now. FEATURES: • Interactive Map — Watch train positions update live across the world. • Follow Individual Trains — See routes, stops, and estimated arrival times. • Browse by Network — Explore 140+ supported transit agencies. • Zoom Anywhere — From your local station to cross-country journeys. SUPPORTED US NETWORKS: Amtrak, MTA New York City Subway, BART, Caltrain, Metra, Chicago Transit Authority, NJ Transit, Long Island Railroad, Metro-North Railroad, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Metrolink, LA Metro, Sound Transit, TriMet, SEPTA, SunRail, Brightline, RTD Light Rail, Valley Metro Rail, San Diego MTS, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Tri-Rail, ACE, MetroLink, ION Light Rail, South Shore Line, Metro Transit, KCATA, EMBARK, VTA Light Rail, San Francisco Muni, Virginia Railway Express, MARC, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, MARTA, Maryland Metro, and more. SUPPORTED CANADIAN NETWORKS: VIA Rail, GO Transit, Toronto Transit Commission, TransLink SkyTrain, STM (Société de transport de Montréal), Réseau Express Métropolitain, Exo, OC Transpo, UP Express, Edmonton Transit Service, Calgary Transit CTrain, and more. MORE NETWORKS WORLDWIDE: ScotRail, LNER, Elizabeth line, London Overground, Great Western Railway, Eurostar, SNCF, DB Fernverkehr, S-Bahn Berlin, S-Bahn München, SL, SJ, Renfe, Sydney Trains, Sydney Metro, Yarra Trams, Auckland Transport, Indian Railways, and more. COUNTRIES COVERED: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, Spain, Argentina, India, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mexico, Egypt, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, and more. COMING SOON: We are expanding coverage to more countries and networks, including major rail systems in Europe and Asia. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Headway

Track passenger trains from nine U.S. railroads in real-time on a single map. See live positions, delay status, and scheduled times for your commute or travel. Bookmark favorite trains and stations for quick access.

Highlights
  • Live train positions on map
  • Real-time delay status
  • Detailed train route information
  • Station departure boards
  • Bookmark trains and stations
  • Filter and sort by route/line
  • Dark Mode and Dynamic Type
Features
Read full description

Headway puts live passenger trains from 21 U.S. rail agencies on one map. Whether you're catching the Acela home, riding the LIRR out to Montauk, or waiting on a Metro-North train upstate, you'll see exactly where your train is and whether it's on schedule. AGENCIES COVERED Amtrak (nationwide), Brightline, Caltrain, Metra, Metrolink, MARC, SEPTA Regional Rail, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), MBTA Commuter Rail, MBTA Subway, WMATA Metrorail, Tri-Rail, RTD Denver, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Metro-North, NJ Transit, Staten Island Railway, Austin CapMetro Rail, Utah FrontRunner, Chicago South Shore Line, and Nashville WeGo Star. Choose which ones you follow in Settings. WHAT YOU CAN DO • See every active train across the agencies you follow, updating in near real time • See a train's live speed as it moves, where the agency reports it • Check any train's 7-day on-time record and typical delay • Color-coded delay status at a glance — green, yellow, orange, red • Tap any train for its full route, stops, scheduled vs. actual times, and live position • Browse stations with live departure boards — what's coming, and when • Bookmark your regular trains and stations for one-tap status checks • Filter and sort by route, line, or delay • Search by train number or route name • Choose between standard, satellite, and hybrid Apple Maps • Full Dark Mode and Dynamic Type support HEADWAY PRO Save a trip with your boarding and arrival stops and Headway keeps you posted: a Live Activity on your Lock Screen that follows your part of the journey, a heads-up before your stop, a note when you arrive, and delay alerts for the train you're on. Pro is an auto-renewable subscription, $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year, billed to your Apple Account and managed in your Apple subscription settings. Live tracking of a whole train, the map, departure boards and search stay free. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://axismaps.ai/headway/privacy PRIVACY Your location stays on your device — if you grant location permission, your position is rendered locally and never leaves your phone. An account is optional and only needed for Pro and for syncing saved trips between your devices. Headway has no third-party analytics and no advertising. If the app crashes, it sends Apple's anonymous diagnostic report to help us fix bugs — no identity, no location, no usage history. Full policy at axismaps.ai/headway/privacy. ABOUT THE DATA Train positions, schedules, and delays come from each agency's public real-time feed. Headway doesn't alter train positions or times — what you see is what the agency is publishing. Headway is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these agencies.

Screenshots

TrainsFYI4 screens
Headway4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Headway at 100% against TrainsFYI's 57%. Headway also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium). TrainsFYI's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (93 vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads 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. TrainsFYI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Headway sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TrainsFYI holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TrainsFYI has 93 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of TrainsFYI's written reviews are positive against 100% of Headway's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TrainsFYI ships an update monthly, Headway every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
TrainsFYI versus Headway: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrainsFYIHeadway
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (93 ratings) — better4.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings93 — better5
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRadical SlothNick Faughey

Customer experience

TrainsFYI

All ratings89 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative35.7%

Headway

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

TrainsFYI

Subscriptions2
  • TrainsFYI Pro - Monthly$8.991 Month
  • TrainsFYI Pro - Annual$89.991 Year
5 purchases

Headway

Subscriptions2
  • Headway Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Headway Pro (1 Year)$19.991 Year
One-time3
  • Small tip$1.99
  • Medium tip$4.99
  • Large tip$9.99

Questions

Is TrainsFYI free?
TrainsFYI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Headway free?
Headway is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TrainsFYI or Headway?
TrainsFYI is rated higher. TrainsFYI averages 4.6 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while Headway averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.
Do TrainsFYI or Headway have ads?
Neither TrainsFYI nor Headway shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TrainsFYI or Headway?
TrainsFYI ships an update monthly, and Headway every 3 weeks. Most recently, TrainsFYI was updated on October 30, 2026 and Headway on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons