# SEPTA vs BART (Official)

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BART (Official) at 30% against SEPTA's 13%. BART (Official) also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.4). SEPTA's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BART (Official) holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29K and 26K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of SEPTA's written reviews are positive against 30% of BART (Official)'s.

SEPTA ships an update every 3 weeks, BART (Official) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SEPTA | BART (Official) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/septa/id724915219/reviews) | **[4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bart-official/id1439601871/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29K** | 26K |
| Positive reviews | 13.1% of reviews | **29.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 91 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/724915222) | [San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1421336221) |

## What reviewers say

### SEPTA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/septa/id724915219)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate real-time tracking
- 👍 Convenient keycard management
- 🚀 Improved user interface design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate schedule information
- 🐛 Unreliable real-time updates
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and find information
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 👎 Removed useful features from previous version

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### BART (Official)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bart-official/id1439601871)

Plan your Bay Area transit journeys with real-time train departures and official service alerts. This app offers end-to-end trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and customized notifications for a hassle-free commute.

**Highlights:** Real-time train departures, End-to-end trip planner, Step-by-step navigation, Customized service alerts, Contactless parking payment, Service disruption information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient in-app parking payment
- 👍 Accurate real-time train information
- 🚀 Easy to use app
- 👍 Helpful for planning trips

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable real-time information
- 🔍 Confusing parking payment process
- 🔍 Lack of key features like checking Clipper card balance
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Not intuitive for first-time users

**Reported bugs**

- Real-time departure times not updating accurately
- Trip planning providing incorrect/nonsensical routes
- Login and password issues causing frequent logouts
- Parking payment not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to check Clipper card balance
- Automatic license plate recognition for parking
- Offline mode for schedules and trip planning
- Better notifications for service advisories and delays
- More customization options for favorite stations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SEPTA free?

SEPTA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BART (Official) free?

BART (Official) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SEPTA or BART (Official)?

BART (Official) is rated higher. SEPTA averages 4.4 out of 5 from 29K ratings, while BART (Official) averages 4.6 from 26K ratings.

### Do SEPTA or BART (Official) have ads?

Neither SEPTA nor BART (Official) shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SEPTA or BART (Official)?

SEPTA ships an update every 3 weeks, and BART (Official) every 2 months. Most recently, SEPTA was updated on September 24, 2026 and BART (Official) on September 25, 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.*