# Wave by OCTA vs Mobile Area Traffic

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wave by OCTA at none against Mobile Area Traffic's 2. Mobile Area Traffic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mobile Area Traffic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Wave by OCTA asks for nothing beyond the download.

Wave by OCTA ships an update monthly, Mobile Area Traffic every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wave by OCTA | Mobile Area Traffic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.7 (215 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-by-octa/id6747179377/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **215** | — |
| Positive reviews | 9.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Orange County Transportation Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1013090809) | [Mobile Traffic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1516043981) |

## What reviewers say

### Wave by OCTA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-by-octa/id6747179377)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Needs NFC support

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Free bus pass option
- Easier college pass transfer


### Mobile Area Traffic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobile-area-traffic/id6792864821)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wave by OCTA free?

Wave by OCTA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mobile Area Traffic free?

Mobile Area Traffic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Wave by OCTA or Mobile Area Traffic have ads?

Wave by OCTA shows ads; Mobile Area Traffic does not.

### Which is updated more often, Wave by OCTA or Mobile Area Traffic?

Wave by OCTA ships an update monthly, and Mobile Area Traffic every 4 weeks. Most recently, Wave by OCTA was updated on October 30, 2026 and Mobile Area Traffic on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*