SEPTA vs The Official MTA App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SEPTA
Plan your entire journey with this transit app. Find nearby stops, get real-time updates, and manage your transit card. It offers a streamlined experience with trip planning and station details.
- End-to-end trip planning
- Real-time transit information
- SEPTA Key Card management
- Nearby stop and station finder
- Station-specific alerts and schedules
- Metro line integration
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SEPTA’s mobile app empowers riders to plan their trip end to end. Find stops and stations nearby, plan a trip, access real-time information, manage your SEPTA Key Card, and more! Improved performance and user experience - A more intuitive experience, now at faster speeds. Think ahead with the new Trip Planner - Plan your next ride without leaving the app. Get all of the Station Details - View station-specific alerts and schedules. Easily load up your SEPTA Key - Add funds and manage your SEPTA Key from the app. Get to know SEPTA Metro! - New letters and colors for our Metro lines fully integrated into the app. Stay in the know with Real-time Info - Get to-the-minute updates about upcoming routes. Find the closest stop with Nearby - Easily view (and favorite) nearby stations and routes. Get assistance from your pocket with Help - Report a concern or contact SEPTA straight rom the app. Improved features for riders with accessibility needs - Including full screen reader compatibility.
The Official MTA App
Get live transit updates directly from the source for subways and buses. Features real-time arrival information, service status updates, system maps, and a live customer service chat. Save frequently used routes for quick access.
- Real-time arrival information
- Service status updates
- System maps
- Live customer service chat
- Save favorite routes
- Elevator and escalator outage info
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Get live transit updates straight from the source. The official MTA app is the best way to get real-time arrival info for subways and buses, plus service status updates, maps, a live customer service chat, and more. • Know exactly when the next train or bus is coming with our up-to-the-minute arrival board for every station and stop in the system. • Reliable real-time information from the MTA, with a new Status tab to quickly see on any service issues. • Save a subway line or bus route for easy and quick access to arrival info and status updates for your frequently used stops and stations. • See real-time service updates, planned service changes, and information about elevator and escalator outages. • Our live customer service chat connects you with an MTA employee who can help you with your ride. The MTA app is built by MTA riders for MTA riders. We update the app regularly based on your feedback.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: The Official MTA App at weekly against SEPTA's every 3 weeks. The Official MTA App also leads on chart position (#45 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for SEPTA against 4.4 for The Official MTA App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29K and 13K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 13% of SEPTA's written reviews are positive against 18% of The Official MTA App's.
SEPTA ships an update every 3 weeks, The Official MTA App weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | SEPTA | The Official MTA App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (29K ratings) — better | 4.4 (13K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 13.1% of reviews | 18.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 29K — better | 13K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #45 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 91 MB | 135 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority | Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
Customer experience
SEPTA
The Official MTA App
User reviews
SEPTA
From 29K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate real-time tracking
- 👍 Convenient keycard management
- 🚀 Improved user interface design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate schedule information
- 🐛 Unreliable real-time updates
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and find information
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 👎 Removed useful features from previous version
The Official MTA App
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate train times
- 🚀 Helpful for commuters
- 🚀 Useful for tracking service changes
- 👍 Clean design
- 👍 Offline maps
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate bus arrival times
- 🐛 Unreliable train arrival times
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive interface
- 👎 Too many steps to access basic information
Bugs and requests
SEPTA
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login and password reset issues
- Inconsistent real-time data and schedule information
- Inability to add payment methods or reload transit cards
- Geolocation and mapping features not working properly
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to view full schedule instead of just point-to-point
- Notifications for service changes and delays
- Integration with mobile wallet for digital tickets
- More customization options for saved routes and favorites
The Official MTA App
Reported bugs
3 issues- Favorites disappearing after updates
- Inconsistent display of uptown/downtown directions
- Inability to view route options from current location
Requested features
4 requests- Add widget for favorite stations
- Improve bus tracking and real-time location
- Simplify navigation and reduce number of taps
- Restore previous app's functionality
In-app purchases
SEPTA
No in-app purchases
The Official MTA App
No in-app purchases
