Comparison

Wave by OCTA vs Routebook

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

Head to head
About

Wave by OCTA

This app simplifies public transit by allowing users to pay for rides and manage their transit cards. It automatically caps fares to ensure the best price and offers real-time bus information for trip planning. Users can easily add value, manage multiple cards, and utilize features like autopay and virtual cards for seamless travel.

Highlights
  • Automatic fare capping
  • Pay as you ride
  • Real-time bus information
  • Virtual card creation
  • Add value with cash
  • Autopay for reloads
  • Manage multiple cards
Features
Read full description

The Wave by OCTA app makes riding OC Bus easier, faster, and smarter. With Wave, your payments are automatically capped, so you’ll never overpay, and you’ll always get the best fare. No more pre-paying for a daily or monthly pass, just load value and pay as you go. New features include card management, allowing you to add value to your Wave cards directly in the mobile app or at participating retailers using cash; real-time bus information so you can plan your trip; and apply your reduced fare status to your Wave card. Why the Wave app makes riding easier: 1. Pay as you ride. No need to pay upfront for passes. 2. Daily and monthly fares are automatically capped, so you always pay less. 3. Get a free virtual card; no need to purchase a separate Wave card. 4. Set up autopay to reload value when your balance is low. 5. Load value with cash at participating retailers. 6. Real-time reloads and account management. 7. Manages up to 8 reusable Wave cards in your account. 8. Virtual card displays a large QR code for quicker boarding. 9. Wave cards include a free two-hour transfer for paid rides. 10. Connects to the Transit App for trip planning. To get started, download Wave by OCTA to register your account. Create a virtual Wave card or link your physical card. Add funds and you’re ready to ride. It’s that simple.

About

Routebook

Connect with verified members to share rides and discover others traveling in the same direction. Make your existing journeys more social and cost-effective by finding fellow travelers.

Highlights
  • Verified member trust
  • Shared trip planning
  • Cost-sharing for drives
  • Discover fellow travelers
  • Social travel experience
Features
Read full description

Someone's always going your way. Every day, people make the same journey without ever knowing it. Routebook changes that. Built on trust with verified members, shared trips, and contributions priced to cover the drive, not profit from it. The drive you're already taking could become someone else's way home.

Screenshots

Wave by OCTA4 screens
Routebook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Routebook at 100% against Wave by OCTA's 9%. Routebook also leads on rating (4.0 vs 1.8) and ads (none vs shown). Wave by OCTA's advantage is ratings volume (178 vs 7). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Routebook holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wave by OCTA has 178 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of Wave by OCTA's written reviews are positive against 100% of Routebook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wave by OCTA ships an update every 4 weeks, Routebook every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Wave by OCTA versus Routebook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWave by OCTARoutebook
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.8 (178 ratings)4.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews9.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings178 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB107 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperOrange County Transportation AuthorityRajiv Kataria

Customer experience

Wave by OCTA

All ratings178 ratings
Positive16.3%
Neutral3.9%
Negative79.8%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive9.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative83.2%

Routebook

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Wave by OCTA

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Can't sign in
  • Not working
  • Totally unable to sign in
  • No free virtual on update
  • Where's the free 15th-31st rides?

Requested features

2 requests
  • Free bus pass option
  • Easier college pass transfer

Routebook

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Wave by OCTA

No in-app purchases

None

Routebook

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wave by OCTA free?
Wave by OCTA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Routebook free?
Routebook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Wave by OCTA or Routebook?
Routebook is rated higher. Wave by OCTA averages 1.8 out of 5 from 178 ratings, while Routebook averages 4.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Wave by OCTA or Routebook have ads?
Wave by OCTA shows ads; Routebook does not.
Which is updated more often, Wave by OCTA or Routebook?
Wave by OCTA ships an update every 4 weeks, and Routebook every 5 days. Most recently, Wave by OCTA was updated on October 19, 2026 and Routebook on October 10, 2026.

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