# Newport Mansions vs RIPTA Wave

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Newport Mansions at 90% against RIPTA Wave's 5%. Newport Mansions also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.5) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). RIPTA Wave's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Newport Mansions holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Newport Mansions has 42K ratings behind it against 217, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Newport Mansions's written reviews are positive against 5% of RIPTA Wave's.

Newport Mansions ships an update every 4 months, RIPTA Wave every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Newport Mansions | RIPTA Wave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (42K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newport-mansions/id981994041/reviews)** | [1.5 (217 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripta-wave/id1490019520/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **42K** | 217 |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 5.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 37 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Preservation Society of Newport County](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477841422) | [Bytemark, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/925346607) |

## What reviewers say

### Newport Mansions

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newport-mansions/id981994041)

Explore Newport's historic mansions with audio-visual tours. Discover the architecture, interiors, landscapes, and social history of these national landmarks from the Colonial era through the Gilded Age. Self-guided tours are available in multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Audio-visual tours, Explore historic mansions, Gilded Age history, Self-guided tours, Multi-language support, Architectural heritage

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent audio tour
- 👍 User-friendly app design
- 💡 Informative and engaging content
- 🚀 Convenient self-paced experience
- 👍 Enhances the mansion tour experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with older devices
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance across tours
- 🔊 Distracting for others when not using headphones

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Navigation issues within the app

**Requested features**

- Offline mode for audio tours
- Improved language support
- Integration with guided tours


### RIPTA Wave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripta-wave/id1490019520)

Purchase and manage public transit fares directly from your smartphone. Load money onto your account and use your phone as your ticket to ride, with options for one-way, day, and monthly passes. Your fare balance is always accessible and transferable.

**Highlights:** Secure fare purchasing, Smartphone as ticket, Earn As You Go fare system, Transferable fare balance, One-way, Day, and Monthly passes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Convenient contactless payment option
- 🎯 Ride-to-earn feature allows flexible payment
- 📱 No need to carry physical cards
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing interface design
- ⚙️ Auto-purchase functionality available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 💸 Minimum $5-$6 charge requirement (fare is only $2)
- 🔐 Constant login and authentication issues
- 💰 Money disappears or fails to load on virtual cards
- ❌ QR code scanner doesn't work reliably

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup and during payment
- QR code scanner fails to read barcodes
- Random logout without user action
- Payment verification fails despite successful charge
- Virtual cards created unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Wallet and Apple Pay
- Support for Samsung devices
- One-way ticket option instead of only day/monthly passes
- Transfer pass availability in app (currently bus-only)
- Credit card payment option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Newport Mansions free?

Newport Mansions is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RIPTA Wave free?

RIPTA Wave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Newport Mansions or RIPTA Wave?

Newport Mansions is rated higher. Newport Mansions averages 4.9 out of 5 from 42K ratings, while RIPTA Wave averages 1.5 from 217 ratings.

### Do Newport Mansions or RIPTA Wave have ads?

Neither Newport Mansions nor RIPTA Wave shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Newport Mansions or RIPTA Wave?

Newport Mansions ships an update every 4 months, and RIPTA Wave every 2 months. Most recently, Newport Mansions was updated on September 25, 2026 and RIPTA Wave on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*