Comparison

ChiTrack vs Chicago Train & Bus Tracker

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

Head to head
About

ChiTrack

This app provides real-time Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train arrival information directly from the official API. It offers a streamlined experience with automatic updates for favorite stops and a glance-friendly design for quick readability.

Highlights
  • Real-time CTA train arrivals
  • Official API data source
  • Direction-specific train filtering
  • Automatic home/favorite stop refresh
  • Glance-friendly design
  • Search any station
Features
Read full description

Taking the train to work just got a whole lot easier! ChiTrack is the easiest, fastest, and most reliable Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train tracker for your everyday commute. ----------------- What makes ChiTrack different: - Official, real‑time arrival data: Direct data from the CTA API, unlike Google or Apple Maps - Your direction only: Choose Belmont → Loop (or any stop + direction) and skip irrelevant trains. - Zero‑tap arrivals: Open the app and home + favorite stops refresh automatically. - Glance‑friendly design: Large, clean arrival times you can read in a second. - Search any station: Full coverage when your routine changes. Made by a Chicagoan, for Chicagoans who ride the L every day. ----------------- ChiTrack: Chicago CTA Tracker is not affiliated with the CTA or Ventra. All arrival times come from the public CTA Train Tracker API. Ventra® is a registered trademark of the Chicago Transit Authority / Cubic Transportation Systems. ChiTrack is an independent product and is neither endorsed by nor connected to CTA or Cubic.

About

Chicago Train & Bus Tracker

Get accurate, real-time arrival times for Chicago's CTA buses and 'L' trains. Easily find nearby stops, track vehicles on an interactive map, and save your favorite locations for quick access. Never miss your ride again with reliable predictions.

Highlights
  • Real-time CTA bus tracking
  • Live 'L' train tracking
  • Nearby stops and stations
  • Favorite stops and stations
  • Interactive CTA map
  • Accurate ETAs
Features
Read full description

Never miss your ride again. Chicago Train & Bus gives you accurate, real-time arrival times for every CTA bus route and all eight ‘L’ train lines: Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple and Yellow. Whether you’re commuting into the Loop, heading to class, catching the Blue Line to O’Hare or the Orange Line to Midway, you’ll always know exactly when the next bus or train is coming. Features: • Live ‘L’ Train Tracking: Up-to-the-minute arrival predictions, then follow your train on the map as it moves toward your station. • Real-Time CTA Bus Tracking: See live arrival times and watch your bus travel along its route to your stop. • Home Screen Widget: Keep your stop’s next departures on your Home Screen, without opening the app. • Nearby Stops & Stations: Instantly find the closest bus stops and ‘L’ stations around you. • Favorites: Save the stops and stations you use every day for one-tap access. • Full Stop Map: Search and browse every CTA bus stop and train station across the city. • Accurate ETAs: Real predictions straight from CTA’s Bus Tracker and Train Tracker, not just the printed schedule. • Clean User Experience: Minimal, fast, and built to answer one question: when is my bus or train coming? Chicago Train & Bus covers the whole CTA network: the Loop, River North, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, Rogers Park, Pilsen, Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Englewood, Chatham and Beverly, plus Evanston and Oak Park. Download Chicago Train & Bus today and take the guesswork out of your commute.

Screenshots

ChiTrack4 screens
Chicago Train & Bus Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chicago Train & Bus Tracker at Free against ChiTrack's $0.99. Chicago Train & Bus Tracker also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 78%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). ChiTrack's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support 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

Chicago Train & Bus Tracker is free to download; ChiTrack costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ChiTrack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of ChiTrack's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chicago Train & Bus Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChiTrack ships an update every 3 weeks, Chicago Train & Bus Tracker weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ChiTrack versus Chicago Train & Bus Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChiTrackChicago Train & Bus Tracker
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (8 ratings) — better4.7 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings815 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDeclan KramperRishi Masand

Customer experience

ChiTrack

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%

Chicago Train & Bus Tracker

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ChiTrack

No in-app purchases

None

Chicago Train & Bus Tracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChiTrack free?
ChiTrack costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chicago Train & Bus Tracker free?
Chicago Train & Bus Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChiTrack or Chicago Train & Bus Tracker?
ChiTrack is rated higher. ChiTrack averages 5.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Chicago Train & Bus Tracker averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do ChiTrack or Chicago Train & Bus Tracker have ads?
Chicago Train & Bus Tracker shows ads; ChiTrack does not.
Which is updated more often, ChiTrack or Chicago Train & Bus Tracker?
ChiTrack ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chicago Train & Bus Tracker weekly. Most recently, ChiTrack was updated on October 7, 2026 and Chicago Train & Bus Tracker on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons