Comparison

TrackRat vs Headway

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

Head to head
About

TrackRat

Get real-time transit information for multiple rail and subway systems. Features live tracking, smart predictions for delays and platform assignments, and customizable alerts. Analyze route performance and view network conditions.

Highlights
  • Real-time departure and arrival times
  • Stop-by-stop journey view
  • Live Activities on Lock Screen/Dynamic Island
  • Smart predictions for track/platform assignments
  • Push notifications for delays and cancellations
  • Route analytics and historical performance
Features
Read full description

Real-time train tracking for NJ Transit, Amtrak, NYC Subway, PATH, LIRR, Metro-North, and PATCO — all in one app. LIVE TRACKING - Real-time departure and arrival times - Stop-by-stop journey view showing scheduled, actual, and predicted times - Live Activities on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island SMART PREDICTIONS - Track and platform assignment forecasts based on historical patterns - Delay and cancellation probability forecasts - Arrival time predictions using recent train performance ALERTS & NOTIFICATIONS - Push notifications for delays, cancellations, and service recovery - Customize alerts by day, time window, and delay threshold - MTA service alerts for Subway, LIRR, and Metro-North planned work - Digest mode to batch alerts to your preferred time ROUTE ANALYTICS - Congestion map showing real-time network conditions - On-time percentage, delay breakdown, and cancellation rates - View future schedules - Historical route performance stats - Natural-language route status summaries 7 TRANSIT SYSTEMS - NJ Transit - Amtrak - NYC Subway - PATH - LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) - Metro-North Railroad - PATCO Speedline Terms of Use: https://trackrat.net/terms.txt

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 18 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, Tri-Rail, RTD Denver, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Metro-North, NJ Transit, 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 PRIVACY Your location stays on your device — if you grant location permission, your position is rendered locally and never leaves your phone. Headway has no accounts, 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

TrackRat4 screens
Headway4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TrackRat at 5.0 against Headway's 4.5. TrackRat also leads on ratings volume (9 vs 2). Headway's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). 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. TrackRat sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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

TrackRat holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TrackRat ships an update fortnightly, Headway every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
TrackRat versus Headway: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrackRatHeadway
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew MartinNick Faughey

Customer experience

TrackRat

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Headway

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

TrackRat

Subscriptions2
  • TrackRat Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • TrackRat Pro Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 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 TrackRat free?
TrackRat 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, TrackRat or Headway?
TrackRat is rated higher. TrackRat averages 5.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Headway averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do TrackRat or Headway have ads?
Neither TrackRat nor Headway shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TrackRat or Headway?
TrackRat ships an update fortnightly, and Headway every 2 weeks. Most recently, TrackRat was updated on September 30, 2026 and Headway on October 15, 2026.

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