Comparison

Live BART vs BlueHelm Boating

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

Head to head
About

Live BART

This app provides real-time BART train departure information, including estimated arrival times, destinations, and platform details. It can locate your nearest station or allow you to select any other BART station to view upcoming departures and train car counts. It also features a trip planner with a "get a seat" mode and an alerts screen for delays.

Highlights
  • Real-time BART departures
  • Nearest station locator
  • Train destination and route color
  • Estimated time until departure
  • Number of cars and platform
  • Trip planner with 'get a seat' mode
  • BART delay and emergency alerts
Features
Read full description

Have you ever tried to catch a train at a BART station, but didn't exactly know when the train was coming? How about guessing how long the train is, only to find out the train was shorter than you thought? If so, then Live BART is for you! Live BART will instantly locate the nearest BART station, and display all the upcoming real-time estimated departures for that station. Additionally, you can also choose to select any other BART station, and get its estimated departures. KEY FEATURES: - Locates your nearest BART station instantly. - Displays real-time estimated departures loaded directly from BART servers. - Shows useful information for upcoming trains: - Destination - Estimated time until departure - Route color - Number of cars - Train Platform - Allows you to select a station by distance or by name - Trip Planner with unique “Get a seat” mode, based on train congestion - Feedback tab to send messages directly to the development team - Alerts screen to view BART delays and emergencies SERVICE REQUIREMENTS: - Location Services - A working internet connection DISCLAIMERS and DATA DISTRIBUTION LIABILITY STATEMENT Jonajo Consulting LLC, the owner and producer of Live BART, shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived (http://api.bart.gov/docs/etd/etd.aspx). It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of real-time estimated departure data in general and these data in particular. Jonajo Consulting LLC gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. By using the Live BART application, you agree to these terms and conditions.

About

BlueHelm Boating

This app provides advanced navigation tools for boaters, including an anchor alarm, trip planning with smart routing, and marine weather forecasts. It also acts as a personalized AI guide for your vessel, offering offline access to your boat's systems and procedures.

Highlights
  • Anchor-drift alarm
  • Live float plans
  • Marine weather forecasts
  • AI-powered boat guide
  • Offline vessel procedures
  • Smart water routing
  • Find nearest marinas and fuel docks
Features
Read full description

Navigation, Anchor-drift alarm. Live float plans. Marine weather. And your boat's own guide — with you at the helm, even offline. BlueHelm is built around YOUR boat: its systems, procedures, and checklists become a guide you can actually use underway, with the safety tools running alongside. YOUR BOAT (AI) Ask questions and get answers drawn from your boat's guide plus current conditions. "Where's the A/C seacock?" "What do I shut off on the inverter?" Boating questions only — and it never replaces your own judgment or official sources. ANCHOR WATCH Drop anchor, set your rode, and BlueHelm watches your swing. If your boat drifts past your ring, the alarm sounds — even with the screen off. Adaptive monitoring is designed to be easy on your battery overnight. TRIPS & FLOAT PLANS Plan a trip with a suggested water route, or just tap Track Now and go. Share a live float plan so the people who worry can watch your track. Every trip is saved with distance and time. SMART WATER ROUTING Plan a trip and BlueHelm suggests a route over real water — out the harbor channel, around the headland, never a straight line across land. In US waters, routing is informed by NOAA chart data. A planning suggestion to refine, not navigation — always verify against official charts. FIND NEAREST The closest marinas, fuel docks, launch ramps, harbors, anchorages, and bays — sorted by distance from your position, with over 17,000 US coastal places built in. Works with zero signal, exactly when you need it. Tap any place to plan a route there, or just ask Your Boat. TRAVEL WINDOW A same-day read on wind and swell, scored hour by hour, so you can pick the calm window instead of guessing. Transparent about its sources and thresholds — a planning aid, not a go/no-go verdict. MARINE CONDITIONS Wind, tide, waves, and water temperature with hourly and 7-day forecasts, tide charts, and NOAA coastal alerts in US waters. VESSEL GUIDE Your boat's procedures — getting on, heading out, heading back, closing up — as living checklists that work fully offline. Multi-boat ready: every vessel keeps its own guide, log, and documents. MOB & EMERGENCY One-tap man-overboard marking and an emergency console with your position ready to read over the radio. MEMBERSHIP — STRAIGHT PRICES 14-day free trial, no card required. Crew: $9.99/month or $99/year. Captain (higher AI allowance): $17.99/month or $199/year. Add a boat: $49/year. No ads. We never sell your data, and your guide content is never used to train AI. BlueHelm is an aid to seamanship — not a substitute for it. Always maintain a proper lookout, monitor official forecasts and notices, and carry required safety equipment. AI answers can be wrong; verify anything safety-critical against your boat's documentation. Questions? services@getbluehelm.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://getbluehelm.com/legal

Screenshots

Live BART4 screens
BlueHelm Boating4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BlueHelm Boating at 100% against Live BART's 49%. BlueHelm Boating also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Live BART's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 1). On price and ads 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. BlueHelm Boating sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Live BART asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BlueHelm Boating holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Live BART has 2.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Live BART's written reviews are positive against 100% of BlueHelm Boating's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Live BART ships an update every 6 weeks, BlueHelm Boating every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Live BART versus BlueHelm Boating: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLive BARTBlueHelm Boating
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.1K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.1K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonajo Consulting LLCBlue Helm LLC

Customer experience

Live BART

All ratings2,059 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.3%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive48.8%
Neutral2.4%
Negative48.8%

BlueHelm Boating

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Live BART

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Departure times not updating correctly
  • App crashing or freezing
  • Incorrect station listings and locations

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for Antioch and Pittsburg/Bay Point eBART stations
  • Implement widgets for quick departure time access
  • Allow customization of favorite stations or commute routes
  • Improve Apple Watch app performance and features

BlueHelm Boating

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Live BART

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

BlueHelm Boating

Subscriptions7
  • Crew Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Captain Monthly$17.991 Month
  • Add a Boat$49.001 Year
Show 4 more
  • Add a Boat (2nd)$49.001 Year
  • Add a Boat (3rd)$49.001 Year
  • Crew Annual$99.001 Year
  • Captain Annual$199.001 Year

Questions

Is Live BART free?
Live BART is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BlueHelm Boating free?
BlueHelm Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Live BART or BlueHelm Boating?
BlueHelm Boating is rated higher. Live BART averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while BlueHelm Boating averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Live BART or BlueHelm Boating have ads?
Neither Live BART nor BlueHelm Boating shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Live BART or BlueHelm Boating?
Live BART ships an update every 6 weeks, and BlueHelm Boating every 4 days. Most recently, Live BART was updated on October 14, 2026 and BlueHelm Boating on October 10, 2026.

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