Ventra is a free transit app from the Chicago Transit Authority that unifies CTA, Metra, and Pace fare management with mobile tickets and real-time arrivals. It holds a US Transportation rank of #34 and maintains an active user base with over 1,000,000+ total downloads and 29K in the last 30 days, supported by an average rating of 3.08 from 6,460 reviews, and has been in the market for over a decade.
Pros & Cons
Official CTA experience with direct fare management
Unified real-time arrivals for CTA, Metra, and Pace
Instant value and passes loading with autoload option
Metra mobile tickets enable convenient travel
Lacks built-in maps and live route planning features that some competitors offer
Limited offline access to schedules or maps (offline features may be weaker)
Fewer live tracker capabilities for buses/trains compared to some rivals
About Ventra
Ventra is a maps & navigation app developed by Chicago Transit Authority.
Download Statistics
Ventra has been downloaded 2.1 million times. In the last 30 days, the app was downloaded 29 thousand times. It is ranked in the top 100 maps & navigation apps.
User Ratings
Ventra is rated 3.13 out of 5 stars. The rating is based on 6.5 thousand ratings.
App Information
Ventra is FREE to download. The APK download size is 37.11 MB. The latest version available is 2.2.16. The last update was on July 7, 2026.
Technical Requirements
Ventra requires Android 7.0+ or higher. The app has a content rating of Everyone. The app has been available on Google Play November 2015.
Description
Use transit in and around all of Chicago: It's easy to manage and pay your fare on CTA, Metra and Pace buses and trains with the Ventra app. Find all the features you're used to on the Ventra website and more, including mobile ticketing for Metra trains!
With the Ventra app, you can:
• Check your balance and available passes in your Ventra Card's transit account. • Instantly load value or passes to your Ventra Card's transit account. • Switch autoload for transit value or passes on and off. • Buy and use Metra mobile tickets to ride any Metra train. • Use transit value you've loaded to buy a Metra ticket. • Get real-time account notifications so you know when it's time to load more fare or buy more tickets. • Get real-time arrival/departure information from CTA, Metra and Pace all in one app—by picking a stop, using favorites or looking at service near where you're standing.
Recent changes: This update improves the app's security and reliability, including, new rider class access for United Airlines employees, and several performance fixes.
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I have had this app since I was a preteen, this is the best app ever some of the features include you get your $5 back once you register the card, and they send you a card with your name on it, I think I never got it, 😮💨 I never got the card but yeah what else can I say about this card you can add your money on your bus card through debit card. Its safe you can track buses you can track trains, and met it give you other solutions also .
★★★★☆Theresa Diaz· Apr 24, 2026
Never had a problem this app works great but only reason I give it 4 stars is cuz you can't erase old cards you either don't have anymore or are expired. I have like 6 cards on there that I don't have and have no money on them and there's no way to delete them without calling customer service.
★☆☆☆☆Liam Bennicoff Plays· Jun 5, 2026
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY DON'T DOWNLOAD THIS APP. Want to buy a pass? Doesn't work. Want to use it in the app? Have to do it through an external wallet. Want to arrive at the airport on time? Good Luck. I was late by 45 minutes due to my Ventra pass suspended, and I had to add $10 extra over 3 credit cards for it to work FINALLY work. PLEASE FOR YOUR SANITY BUY PHYSICAL TICKETS. Bus drivers were so kind, and approachable. Such a shame they have to use this terrible app.
★☆☆☆☆Linda Rosner, CEC, CHE· Jun 18, 2026
I installed the app to put funds on my card. In setting up my account, I gave them all the info for which they asked. I created a username and password, filled in all the info they wanted about who I am and where I live, and hit Create Account. That took me back to the login page, where I entered my newly created info. It says Invalid Password, or Username. But, they are correct. Why am I being denied access????? PS I just tried again, created new everything, and it still won't let me in!
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Trust & Safety: Ventra requests permissions typical for transit apps, including location, network access, storage, and notifications. As an official CTA app, it benefits from authority and standard safety practices; users should review permissions and privacy settings to control data sharing.
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