Comparison

RailARA vs Simple Transit

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

Head to head
About

RailARA

Features
Read full description

RailARA gives you real-time NYC subway arrival times — fast, clean, and reliable. REAL-TIME ARRIVALS See live train times for any NYC subway station, updated automatically. RailARA shows you exactly how many minutes until the next train, which direction it's heading, and whether it's running on time. SMART ROUTE PLANNING Save your frequent destinations and let RailARA alert you when it's time to leave. Set departure windows, preferred days, and polling frequency so the app works around your schedule. NEARBY STATIONS RailARA automatically detects your nearest subway station the moment you open the app — no searching required. OFFLINE SUPPORT Stuck underground with no signal? RailARA caches recent arrival data so you always have something to work with. PREMIUM FEATURES Upgrade to RailARA Premium for express route optimization, backtrack suggestions, extended departure windows, faster polling, and more saved routes and favorites. Move Smarter. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Simple Transit

Navigate NYC's public transit system with ease. Find nearby stations, plan multi-modal routes, and receive clear, step-by-step guidance for your journey. Stay informed about service changes and access offline timetables.

Highlights
  • Nearby station and stop finder
  • Multi-modal route planning (trains & buses)
  • Step-by-step trip guidance
  • MTA service notice summaries
  • Offline transit timetables
  • Step-free accessibility planning
  • Personalized trip saving
Features
Read full description

MTA Transit, made simple. Simple Transit NYC helps you find your next train or bus, see where it is right now, and know exactly what to do next. SEE THE CITY MOVE The Map tab shows live trains and buses across the city. Trains show their line and buses their route, each pointing the way it’s heading. Subway stations and bus stops are clear signs you can tap for arrivals. Bus routes are dashed lines so they never look like subway lines, and tapping a train or bus highlights its route. START WITH WHAT'S NEARBY See your closest subway station and bus stop together. Switch to Trains or Buses to see the three closest. Check the route, direction, and upcoming arrivals when live predictions are available. PLAN AROUND YOUR DAY Search for an address, place, or landmark. Leave now, pick a later time, or choose when you need to arrive. Choose trains, buses, or both, add a stop along the way, and reorder your places as plans change. KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE (BETA) Turn on a reminder and the app watches live times for your train or bus, then tells you when to head out. Reminders need a connection and can arrive late, so set an alarm too for a trip you can’t miss. KNOW YOUR NEXT MOVE Follow walking, boarding, transfer, and arrival guidance in plain language. Trip progress updates from your location when a reliable signal is available, and your Lock Screen shows a countdown and stops left. If you miss your stop, adjust your trip for recovery help. SEE CHANGES THAT MATTER The Service tab shows subway and bus changes together; search any line to narrow it down. Read MTA service notices in simpler language and open the original message for details. Save your usual trips to see relevant route changes on Home. Optional notifications can check those routes around your usual departure time. KEEP YOUR EVERYDAY PLACES CLOSE Add, edit, and delete saved places and usual trips. Your saved addresses and trip history stay on your device; optional online alerts use route and stop information to watch for changes. MADE FOR YOU English or Spanish, switchable right in Settings, plus light or dark mode and support for larger text. A LITTLE WEATHER HELP Get a small forecast powered by Apple Weather, with practical reminders such as bringing an umbrella or bundling up. PLAN WITH FEWER STAIRS Step-free planning uses MTA station accessibility information and reported elevator outages. Availability depends on the information supplied and conditions at the station. USEFUL WHEN THE SIGNAL ISN'T The bundled timetable and subway map work offline. New place searches, uncached walking routes, weather, live vehicles, and live arrivals need an internet connection. No account is required. Location access is optional for planning: you can enter your starting address instead. Simple Transit NYC is an independent app, not affiliated with or endorsed by the MTA. Arrival predictions, vehicle locations, accessible paths, reminders, and notifications may be delayed or unavailable. Always check posted signs and follow transit staff instructions.

Screenshots

RailARA4 screens
Simple Transit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Transit at none against RailARA's 3. Simple Transit also leads on ads (none vs shown). RailARA's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence 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. RailARA sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Simple Transit asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RailARA ships an update weekly, Simple Transit every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
RailARA versus Simple Transit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRailARASimple Transit
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael ZmudaJuan Duverglas

In-app purchases

3 purchases

RailARA

Subscriptions3
  • railara_premium_weekly$0.997 Days
  • railara_premium_monthly$2.991 Month
  • RailARA Premium$29.991 Year
None

Simple Transit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RailARA free?
RailARA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Transit free?
Simple Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RailARA or Simple Transit have ads?
RailARA shows ads; Simple Transit does not.
Which is updated more often, RailARA or Simple Transit?
RailARA ships an update weekly, and Simple Transit every 9 days. Most recently, RailARA was updated on October 6, 2026 and Simple Transit on October 26, 2026.

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