NYC Underground vs Rushline
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NYC Underground
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NYC Underground turns your iPhone into a fast, native New York City subway companion. The complete MTA subway map is bundled right into the app: pinch to zoom anywhere, tap any station, and see real-time train arrivals the instant you look. No account, no sign-up, no ads. Your location never leaves your device. FEATURES • The whole subway map: the full New York City subway map is built in and renders at high resolution. Smooth pinch-to-zoom and pan, even at street level. • Real-time arrivals: tap any station to see live train times, straight from the MTA's official real-time feeds, grouped by direction with colored line bullets. • Your location on the map: an optional GPS dot shows exactly where you are on the subway map, so you always know which station is closest. • Nearby stations: one tap shows the closest stations ranked by distance, each with live arrivals. • All 445 stations: every line, every borough, with proper station complexes and direction labels sourced from official MTA data. • Always current: arrivals refresh automatically every 30 seconds. No API key, no login, nothing to configure. PRIVATE BY DESIGN NYC Underground does not collect analytics, has no trackers, and requires no account. Your GPS location is used only on your device to place the dot on the map and find nearby stations; it is never transmitted anywhere. The app's only network requests are to the MTA's public real-time data feeds. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open the app, the subway map loads instantly. 2. (Optional) Allow location to see your position and nearest stations. 3. Tap any station to see real-time arrivals by direction. 4. Tap the location banner for a ranked list of nearby stations. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone running iOS 18 or later. • An internet connection for live arrival times (the map itself works offline). NYC Underground is an independent app and is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) or New York City Transit. "MTA", the subway map, and the route symbols are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to describe and display the transit system this app helps you navigate. Real-time and schedule data is provided by the MTA under its open-data program.
Rushline
Get live NYC subway and bus arrival times directly on your iPhone home screen without opening an app. It automatically detects your location and displays the next train or bus, even as you move. Includes service alerts and offline maps.
- Live home screen widgets
- Automatic location detection
- Trunk line grouping
- Smart Stack support
- Live Activities for Lock Screen
- Service disruption alerts
- Offline subway and bus maps
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Rushline shows every way across NYC, live, before you leave your door: subway, bus, bike, PATH and commuter rail. Widgets on your Home Screen, a Live Activity on your Lock Screen, one app behind it all. WIDGETS, ALL FREE - 9 line color widgets, one per trunk. Each follows you to the closest station on that trunk. - Nearest Stop, any line - 4 PATH widgets - Bikes Nearby: the two closest stations, classic and e-bike counts, walking distance - Tap refresh once and every widget you have placed reloads HOW LIVE IS LIVE iOS reloads widgets about every 15 minutes. Between reloads, the minutes count down on their own. Tap to refresh for fresh data at once. Screens inside the app refresh every 30 seconds. The Live Activity ticks by the second. LOCK SCREEN AND DYNAMIC ISLAND Pin a train and watch it count down by the second, with the Rush Streak moving along. A Control Center and Lock Screen control opens Rushline in one tap. ONE LIST FOR HOME Starred stops as live cards, Nearby stops, a grid of every line (with PATH and SIR), and service alerts in one place. Collapse Starred or Nearby to keep it short. BUS 386 routes and 13,477 stops, stored on your phone. Live arrivals at any stop. RAIL Metro-North and LIRR departures with track numbers. PATH Live boards for all 13 stations. OFFLINE MAPS Subway map and Manhattan bus map, bundled in the app. They work when the tunnel eats your signal. WALKING TIMES See if you can make the next one. THEMES, LOOKS ONLY All transit data is free, always. Themes change how widgets look and nothing else. System and Line Color are free. 11 more themes are $1.29 each: Sports Pack: Pinstripe, Outfield, Hardwood, Rink Arts & Culture Pack: Modernist, Marquee, In Bloom NYC Icons Pack: Digital, Mosaic Tile, Manhattan Skyline Bodega: sold alone or through the All Themes Pass. It is in no pack. Each pack is $2.99. The All Themes Pass is $9.99 and includes every theme now and later. One-time purchases, no subscriptions, Family Sharing supported. Restore Purchases is in Settings. No ads. No analytics. No accounts. Rushline uses real-time MTA data. Built by 25C LLC, an independent studio. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Port Authority, or any other transit agency. Requires iOS 18 or later.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NYC Underground at none against Rushline's 10. NYC Underground also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Rushline sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. NYC Underground asks for nothing beyond the download.
NYC Underground ships an update every 3 weeks, Rushline every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.
| Parameter | NYC Underground | Rushline |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | kitdesai, LLC | 25C LLC |
In-app purchases
NYC Underground
No in-app purchases
Rushline
- Mets Theme$1.29
- Playbill Theme$1.29
- MoMA Theme$1.29
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- Manhattan Skyline Theme$1.29
- High Line Theme$1.29
- Knicks Theme$1.29
- Sports Pack$2.99
- Arts & Culture Pack$2.99
- NYC Icons Pack$2.99
- All Themes Pass$9.99
Questions
Is NYC Underground free?
Is Rushline free?
Do NYC Underground or Rushline have ads?
Which is updated more often, NYC Underground or Rushline?
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