Comparison

TreKing (CTA vs Transit Chi

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

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.

Highlights
  • Automated CTA tracking
  • Real-time vehicle location
  • Trip monitoring
  • Save trip data
  • Review past trips
Features
Read full description

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

TreKing (CTA4 screens
Transit Chi3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
TreKing (CTA versus Transit Chi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTreKing (CTATransit Chi
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (3 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 10 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominicoder LLCChristopher Mojekwu

Customer experience

TreKing (CTA

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

Transit Chi

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TreKing (CTA

Subscriptions1
  • TreKing Gold7 Days trial$1.001 Month
None

Transit Chi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TreKing (CTA free?
TreKing (CTA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Transit Chi free?
Transit Chi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TreKing (CTA or Transit Chi?
Transit Chi is rated higher. TreKing (CTA averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Transit Chi averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do TreKing (CTA or Transit Chi have ads?
TreKing (CTA shows ads; Transit Chi does not.
Which is updated more often, TreKing (CTA or Transit Chi?
TreKing (CTA ships an update every 3 months, and Transit Chi every 10 months. Most recently, TreKing (CTA was updated on November 6, 2026 and Transit Chi on November 5, 2026.

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