Comparison

TreKing (CTA vs Ventra

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

Head to head
About

TreKing (CTA

Get real-time and scheduled arrival information for Chicago public transit. Save favorite stops, view nearby options, and plan trips with step-by-step directions. An optional subscription unlocks advanced features and removes ads.

Highlights
  • Real-time CTA bus and train tracking
  • Real-time Metra and Pace bus tracking
  • Scheduled South Shore Line tracking
  • Service alerts for disruptions
  • Save favorite stops and trip searches
  • Nearby stop and route finder
  • Step-by-step transit directions
Features
Read full description

With this feature-packed app, you can get real-time and scheduled arrival information, save favorite stops, see nearby transit options, and much more. Some features (+) require TreKing Gold, an affordable monthly subscription that supports ongoing development, removes ads, and unlocks all advanced features for just $1 per month. ▼ Feature List ▼ ◆ Fast and accurate transit tracking ◆ - Real-time CTA bus tracker - Real-time CTA train tracker + Real-time Metra train tracker + Real-time Pace bus tracker + Scheduled South Shore Line train tracker + Set a destination stop and get estimated trip time ◆ Service alerts ◆ - Quickly see if any stop or route you’re tracking is experiencing a disruption so you can plan accordingly ◆ Save your favorite stops, trip searches, and directions ◆ - Easily organize saved stops with labels (like Gmail!) - Reorder, edit, and delete favorites easily + Save trip planning queries to quickly get transit directions to frequent places + Save transit directions for offline use ◆ Quickly find and track arrivals at nearby stops ◆ + View all CTA bus, CTA train, Pace, Metra, and South Shore Lines stops near you + See all routes at the nearby stops and their direction of travel + Quickly and easily get predictions for multiple stops to find the best option ◆ Plan trips with transit directions powered by Google ◆ + Step-by-step directions via public transit + Choose to get directions immediately or plan ahead for a specific time in the future + Save frequently used searches (like going home) for faster planning + Save generated directions for later or offline use ◆ Enjoy other features to enhance your experience as a user ◆ - Import and Export your data across devices with Google Drive or Dropbox - Fast loading and offline use of some features thanks to on-device caching - Built-in error- and bug-reporting so any issues are resolved ASAP ◆ Dedicated and responsive developer ◆ - Ongoing development since 2014! - Just email me with any suggestion or problem - no email goes unanswered! ▼ Learn More ▼ Visit https://sites.google.com/site/trekingios/ for: - Complete user guide / help pages - Transit system limitations - Detailed FAQs - Permissions explanations Notice: this app uses Google Analytics for gathering ANONYMOUS app-usage statistics. End User Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/site/trekingios/privacy-policy

About

Ventra

Manage your public transit fares and tickets for Chicago's CTA, Metra, and Pace services. Load value, buy Metra mobile tickets, and access real-time arrival information all in one place. Add your Ventra Card to your iPhone for seamless travel.

Highlights
  • Manage Ventra Card balance and passes
  • Load value and passes to Ventra Card
  • Buy Metra mobile tickets
  • Real-time CTA, Metra, Pace arrivals
  • Add Ventra Card to Apple Wallet
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Ride CTA, Metra & Pace with Ventra: Manage your fares, buy Metra mobile tickets, get arrivals and add your Ventra Card for riding CTA and Pace to iPhone and Apple Wallet. Use transit in and around all of Chicago: It's easy to manage and pay your fare on CTA, Metra and Pace buses and trains with the Ventra app. Find all the features you're used to on the Ventra website and more, including mobile ticketing for Metra trains! With the Ventra app, you can: • Check your balance and available passes in your Ventra Card's transit account. • Instantly load value or passes to your Ventra Card's transit account. • Switch autoload for transit value or passes on and off. • Buy and use Metra mobile tickets to ride any Metra train. • Use transit value you've loaded to buy a Metra ticket. • Get real-time account notifications so you know when it's time to load more fare or buy more tickets. • Get real-time arrival/departure information from CTA, Metra and Pace all in one app—by picking a stop, using favorites or looking at service near where you're standing.

Screenshots

TreKing (CTA4 screens
Ventra4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TreKing (CTA at 3.3 against Ventra's 1.9. TreKing (CTA also leads on review sentiment (25% vs 8%). Ventra's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TreKing (CTA sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.00 per month. Ventra asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TreKing (CTA holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ventra has 3.5K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of TreKing (CTA's written reviews are positive against 8% of Ventra's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
TreKing (CTA versus Ventra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTreKing (CTAVentra
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (3 ratings) — better1.9 (3.5K ratings)
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews — better8.1% of reviews
Number of ratings33.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#99 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominicoder LLCChicago Transit Authority

Customer experience

TreKing (CTA

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Ventra

All ratings3,399 ratings
Positive18.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative77.5%
Written reviews528 reviews
Positive8.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative87.1%

Bugs and requests

TreKing (CTA

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Ventra

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Purchase button not working on iPhones
  • Favorites list glitches and resets
  • Inconsistent and unreliable ticket display
  • Frequent app crashes and login issues
  • Payment processing failures and lost funds

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to manage Ventra cards and balances
  • Improve real-time transit tracking and notifications
  • Allow saving of favorite routes and stations
  • Integrate with Apple Wallet for easier access
  • Provide more transparent and user-friendly payment options

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TreKing (CTA

Subscriptions1
  • TreKing Gold7 Days trial$1.001 Month
None

Ventra

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TreKing (CTA free?
TreKing (CTA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ventra free?
Ventra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TreKing (CTA or Ventra?
TreKing (CTA is rated higher. TreKing (CTA averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Ventra averages 1.9 from 3.5K ratings.
Do TreKing (CTA or Ventra have ads?
TreKing (CTA shows ads; Ventra does not.
Which is updated more often, TreKing (CTA or Ventra?
TreKing (CTA ships an update every 3 months, and Ventra every 3 months. Most recently, TreKing (CTA was updated on October 24, 2026 and Ventra on October 29, 2026.

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