Comparison

MetroBoard vs DC Metro ETA

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

Head to head
About

MetroBoard

Access real-time DC Metro train and bus arrival information, service alerts, and station details for multiple local transit agencies. Stay informed about your commute with up-to-the-minute updates.

Highlights
  • Real-time train and bus arrivals
  • Service alerts
  • Station and stop information
  • Supports WMATA, DASH, ART, Fairfax Connector
  • iPhone and Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

MetroBoard puts DC Metro train and bus arrival boards at your fingertips. Use it to monitor real-time arrivals, service alerts, and station and stop information across local transit agencies (WMATA, DASH, ART, and Fairfax Connector). Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

DC Metro ETA

Get real-time train arrival times for the Washington DC Metro system. The app displays arrival boards that mimic platform displays and includes an interactive system map for easy navigation and transfer planning.

Highlights
  • Live train arrival times
  • Official WMATA API integration
  • Nearest station auto-selection
  • Interactive system map
  • Service alerts and operating hours
  • Home and lock screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Metro ETA pays homage to the Washington DC Metro and Bus system. Arrivals look like the LED boards on the platform, buses look like the real ones, and the map shows station entrances and bus stop signs. Buses move along their routes across the city. Tap a stop for upcoming arrivals, service alerts, operating hours and more. Explore See which bus routes stop near you, where they can take you and when they run, one route at a time instead of one giant system map. Favorites and smart widgets Save stations and stops, hide the lines you don't use and filter by direction. Smart widgets follow your commute and show your nearest favorite, or pin any widget to a single stop or station. Show only your Metro stations or only your bus stops. Metro - Live train arrivals for every station - Service alerts - Elevator and escalator status - Station entrances with walking time down to the platform - First and last train for every day of the week More - Say "Hey Siri, ask Metro ETA for the next bus", or for the next train - Search for stations, stops and places like airports - Walking directions in your favorite navigation app - Dark mode that can follow sunrise and sunset - Support for larger text sizes - English or Spanish - No ads. Metro ETA is an independent app and is not affiliated with any transit agency.

Screenshots

MetroBoard4 screens
DC Metro ETA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DC Metro ETA at none against MetroBoard's 1. DC Metro ETA also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (66 vs 12). MetroBoard's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%). On price, rating, ads 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

Both are free to download. MetroBoard sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per year. DC Metro ETA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MetroBoard against 4.9 for DC Metro ETA. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DC Metro ETA has 66 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of MetroBoard's written reviews are positive against 88% of DC Metro ETA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MetroBoard ships an update every 2 weeks, DC Metro ETA every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MetroBoard versus DC Metro ETA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetroBoardDC Metro ETA
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (12 ratings) — better4.9 (66 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better88.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1266 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHolloway Computing LLCHordur Ragnarsson

Customer experience

MetroBoard

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DC Metro ETA

All ratings61 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive88.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.5%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MetroBoard

Subscriptions1
  • MetroBoard Pro$0.991 Year
None

DC Metro ETA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MetroBoard free?
MetroBoard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DC Metro ETA free?
DC Metro ETA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MetroBoard or DC Metro ETA?
MetroBoard is rated higher. MetroBoard averages 5.0 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while DC Metro ETA averages 4.9 from 66 ratings.
Do MetroBoard or DC Metro ETA have ads?
Neither MetroBoard nor DC Metro ETA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MetroBoard or DC Metro ETA?
MetroBoard ships an update every 2 weeks, and DC Metro ETA every 4 days. Most recently, MetroBoard was updated on October 30, 2026 and DC Metro ETA on November 1, 2026.

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