TreKing (CTA vs Transit Chi
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Transit Chi
This app automatically tracks your public transit rides in Chicago. View nearby vehicles, monitor your journeys in real-time, and access a history of your past trips.
- Automated CTA tracking
- Real-time vehicle location
- Trip monitoring
- Save trip data
- Review past trips
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Transit Chi is a fully automated CTA tracker for Chicago. After registering for an account, users can find vehicles in their vicinity, track their rides, save trip data, and review past trips.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Transit Chi at 5.0 against TreKing (CTA's 3.3. Transit Chi also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). TreKing (CTA's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 10 months). On price, ratings volume, 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. TreKing (CTA sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.00 per month. Transit Chi asks for nothing beyond the download.
Transit Chi holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.
TreKing (CTA ships an update every 3 months, Transit Chi every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TreKing (CTA | Transit Chi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 82 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dominicoder LLC | Christopher Mojekwu |
Customer experience
TreKing (CTA
Transit Chi
In-app purchases
TreKing (CTA
- TreKing Gold7 Days trial$1.001 Month
Transit Chi
No in-app purchases







