Comparison

BART Watch vs AC Transit Mobile

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

Head to head
About

BART Watch

This app provides a discreet way for public transit riders to report suspicious activity directly to transit police. Users can send text messages, photos, and location data, with options for anonymity. It also features alerts for persons of interest.

Highlights
  • Report suspicious activity
  • Send text messages and photos
  • Discreet reporting with disabled flash
  • Location sharing
  • Anonymous reporting option
  • Direct call to transit police
  • Be On the Look Out (BOLO) alerts
Features
Read full description

BART Watch: Free Security App for Riders. The BART Watch App offers the public a quick and discreet method for reporting suspicious activity directly to BART Police. The app can send pictures, text messages, and locations of suspicious people or activities. From the home screen, users have two easy options for contacting BART Police: * The “Report a Problem” button allows users to send text or photos directly to BART Police. To ensure discretion, the camera flash is automatically disabled when photos are taken through the app. When reporting an issue, users can select locations and report categories to assist BART Police. Riders can also send reports anonymously if they chose. * The “Call BART Police” button will connect customers directly to BART Police. The application is designed for BART. If you send a report in an area without cellular connectivity, it will be stored and sent when connectivity returns. The system is also designed to send text messages before pictures so that BART Police can get app reports as quickly as possible. Additional Features BOLO (Be On the Look Out) Alerts. BOLO Alerts on the BART Watch App may display alerts from BART Police about specific persons of interest. For example, BART Watch may display information about a missing person or child, such as where they were last seen. If you see a person from a BOLO, immediately call 911 and send an app report to BART Police discreetly. Help keep BART safe, "See something, Say something."

About

AC Transit Mobile

Plan your journeys and travel conveniently with real-time bus predictions and mobile fare payment. Access customer service directly and manage your transit account seamlessly. This app simplifies your commute across the East Bay.

Highlights
  • Trip planning and schedules
  • Real-time bus arrival predictions
  • Mobile fare payment
  • Clipper account management
  • Customer service access
  • iOS accessibility integration
Features
Read full description

Plan your trip and ride with ease using the AC Transit mobile app. Stay connected across the East Bay with real-time predictions, mobile fare payments, and direct access to customer service. Key Features: • Trip planning and schedules, right in the app • Real-time bus arrival predictions • Mobile fare payment • Clipper account management • Seamless integration with iOS accessibility tools • Quick access to AC Transit customer service Download today and make your AC Transit trip simpler, smarter, and faster.

Screenshots

BART Watch3 screens
AC Transit Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BART Watch at 4.4 against AC Transit Mobile's 2.6. BART Watch also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 11) and review sentiment (34% vs 24%). AC Transit Mobile's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BART Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BART Watch has 2.8K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of BART Watch's written reviews are positive against 24% of AC Transit Mobile's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BART Watch ships an update every 3 months, AC Transit Mobile every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
BART Watch versus AC Transit Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBART WatchAC Transit Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (2.8K ratings) — better2.6 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews34.1% of reviews — better23.5% of reviews
Number of ratings2.8K — better11
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperELERTS CorpAlameda Contra Costa Transit District

Customer experience

BART Watch

All ratings2,797 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral4.4%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive34.1%
Neutral8.0%
Negative58.0%

AC Transit Mobile

All ratings11 ratings
Positive36.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative63.6%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive23.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative70.6%

Bugs and requests

BART Watch

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • had a good connection but unable to upload
  • Can't file a report and a kid is lighting things on fire in the BART car. Obvious the camera doesn't work. Good job!
  • Don't see an option for fare evader

Requested features

2 requests
  • Need a way to report non-police matters too
  • Upload a photo of disruptive behavior

AC Transit Mobile

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BART Watch

No in-app purchases

None

AC Transit Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BART Watch free?
BART Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AC Transit Mobile free?
AC Transit Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BART Watch or AC Transit Mobile?
BART Watch is rated higher. BART Watch averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while AC Transit Mobile averages 2.6 from 11 ratings.
Do BART Watch or AC Transit Mobile have ads?
Neither BART Watch nor AC Transit Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BART Watch or AC Transit Mobile?
BART Watch ships an update every 3 months, and AC Transit Mobile every 2 weeks. Most recently, BART Watch was updated on September 17, 2026 and AC Transit Mobile on September 21, 2026.

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