Comparison

DC Metro Board vs DC Metro Widget

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

Head to head
About

DC Metro Board

Get real-time train arrival predictions for all Washington DC Metro stations. Features a clean interface, Apple Watch integration, and automatic updates to ensure you never miss your train.

Highlights
  • Live train predictions
  • Authentic Metro board interface
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Bookmark favorite stations
  • Auto-refreshing data
  • Supports all Metro lines
Features
Read full description

Stay ahead of your commute with real-time Washington DC Metro train predictions right on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Enjoy seamless, reliable, and beautifully designed updates that ensure you never miss your train again. Key Features: • Live Train Predictions: Accurate, real-time arrival times for all 98 WMATA Metrorail stations. • Metro Board Interface: Authentic, easy-to-read layout mirroring actual Metro station displays, showing line colors, car counts, destinations, and exact arrival times. • Apple Watch Integration: Quick, glanceable train updates right from your wrist – perfect while you’re on the move. • Bookmark Stations: Save your frequently used stations for immediate access. • Auto-Refresh: Automatic updates every 10 seconds, ensuring information is always current. • All Metro Lines: Comprehensive support for Red, Blue, Orange, Green, Yellow, and Silver lines. Optimized for Your Devices: • iPhone: Clear, concise train arrival information at your fingertips. • iPad: Convenient split-screen view, always keeping your station list accessible alongside live predictions – perfect for multitasking. • Apple Watch: Immediate updates delivered directly to your wrist, so you never break stride. Privacy First: We respect your privacy. No ads, no tracking – just essential, reliable Metro information whenever you need it. Ideal For: • Daily commuters • Tourists exploring Washington DC • Students navigating campus life • Professionals on tight schedules • Anyone relying on DC Metro Transform your DC Metro journey today – always informed, always on time.

About

DC Metro Widget

Get real-time DC Metro and Metrobus arrival times directly on your home screen and lock screen. This app provides live predictions without needing to open the main application, making your commute smoother.

Highlights
  • Home screen and lock screen widgets
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island tracking
  • Smart Commute Mode
  • Real-time predictions for all Metro lines
  • Offline Metro system map
  • Favorite stations and bus stops
Read full description

Real-time DC Metro and Metrobus arrival times on your home screen, lock screen, and Dynamic Island. Never miss your train — or bus — again. DC Metro Widget puts live WMATA train and bus predictions right where you need them — no app opening required. Just glance at your phone and go. HOME SCREEN & LOCK SCREEN WIDGETS - NEW Commute Widget combines one Metro leg and one Bus leg side-by-side - See the next trains and buses arriving instantly - Widgets update based on your location — always showing what's relevant - Pin stations and bus stops for dedicated, always-ready widgets - Reorder Metro lines on the home page in whatever order you ride them - Tons of color themes including every DC team — Capitals, Wizards, Commanders, D.C. United, and more - Custom color picker — pick any background color to make it yours - Small, medium, rectangular, inline, and circular widgets SMART COMMUTE MODE — NOW FREE - Set your morning and evening stations — the widget switches directions automatically - Configure active days so it only runs on your work schedule - Smart Direction Picker knows which way you're heading based on FULL APP EXPERIENCE - Real-time predictions for all 6 Metro lines: Red, Orange, Blue, Silver, Green, and Yellow - Metrobus arrivals for nearby stops with route browsing - Search any station or bus stop across the entire WMATA system - View full train routes with station-by-station timeline - Service alerts and rail incidents displayed in real-time - Offline Metro system map — works underground with no signal FAVORITES & HEARTS - Heart your go-to stations and bus stops for priority display - Set a priority distance so your favorite station appears first LIVE ACTIVITY & DYNAMIC ISLAND - Track your train in real-time on the Dynamic Island and lock screen - NEW Bus Live Activity — pin a stop, route, and direction to your lock screen for live arrivals - See your line, station, and exact arrival minutes at a glance - Schedule auto-start so tracking begins when your commute does - Auto-stops after 1 hour to save battery PRO FEATURES Unlock more with DC Metro Pro: - Unlimited hearted stations and bus stops (free tier is limited) - Apple Watch widgets on your wrist - Free 3-day trial included PRIVACY FIRST No account required. No tracking. No ads. Your location is used on-device only to find your nearest station — it's never sent to our servers. Built by a DC commuter, for DC commuters. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DC Metro Board2 screens
DC Metro Widget4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: DC Metro Board at free against DC Metro Widget's freemium. DC Metro Board also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (32 vs 2). DC Metro Widget's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, rating, 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. DC Metro Board sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and DC Metro Widget sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for DC Metro Board against 5.0 for DC Metro Widget. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DC Metro Board has 32 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of DC Metro Board's written reviews are positive against 100% of DC Metro Widget's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DC Metro Board ships an update every 10 days, DC Metro Widget every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DC Metro Board versus DC Metro Widget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDC Metro BoardDC Metro Widget
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (32 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings32 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergii NesterenkoMauricio Orellana

Customer experience

DC Metro Board

All ratings18 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

DC Metro Widget

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

DC Metro Board

One-time4
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Extra Tip$9.99
3 purchases

DC Metro Widget

Subscriptions2
  • DC Metro Pro Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • DC Metro Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • DC Metro Pro Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is DC Metro Board free?
DC Metro Board is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DC Metro Widget free?
DC Metro Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DC Metro Board or DC Metro Widget?
DC Metro Widget is rated higher. DC Metro Board averages 4.9 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while DC Metro Widget averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do DC Metro Board or DC Metro Widget have ads?
Neither DC Metro Board nor DC Metro Widget shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DC Metro Board or DC Metro Widget?
DC Metro Board ships an update every 10 days, and DC Metro Widget every 6 weeks. Most recently, DC Metro Board was updated on November 5, 2026 and DC Metro Widget on October 31, 2026.

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