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Maps · head to head

Transit vs What3words

Transit logo

Transit

Maps

Public transit trip planning and real-time arrivals for buses, trains and shared bikes and scooters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
What3words logo

What3words

Maps

What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Transit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Transit coverage depends entirely on whether the local transit agency publishes a real-time feed, so quality swings sharply between well-funded metro systems and smaller regional operators.; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Transit covers Real-time arrivals, What3words covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Transit and What3words actually diverge.

Attributes where Transit and What3words differ
AttributeTransitWhat3words
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree to riders; revenue from agency data and fare-payment transaction feesfreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Transit

  • Real-time arrivals
  • Multi-modal trip planning
  • Service alerts
  • In-app fare payment
  • Offline schedules
  • GO transit and micromobility layers

Only in What3words

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Transit

  • A commuter in a city with a well-maintained GTFS-realtime feed wanting live bus and train arrivalsnot What3words
  • A rider comparing a transit trip against a bike share or scooter leg for the last milenot What3words
  • A visitor needing offline-capable static schedules in a city with patchy data coveragenot What3words
  • Someone wanting to buy a transit fare inside the same app used to plan the trip, in supported citiesnot What3words

What3words

  • Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot Transit
  • Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot Transit
  • Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot Transit

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Transit

  • Coverage depends entirely on whether the local transit agency publishes a real-time feed, so quality swings sharply between well-funded metro systems and smaller regional operators.
  • The company earns its revenue by selling agencies a paid analytics product built from rider trip data, which means the free app functions partly as a data-collection layer for a business customer, not only as a public service.
  • In-app fare payment is only available in a limited set of cities, so the headline feature is not something most riders can actually use.
  • Static schedule fallback in low-data cities is only as accurate as the agency last published, and service changes can go unreflected for weeks.
  • The app has no offline routing without a cached area, so it is not reliable for navigation in areas with poor mobile signal.

What3words

  • The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
  • Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
  • 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
  • Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
  • Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
  • The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data

Pricing, plan by plan

Transit

Free
  • Rider appFree
    • Real-time arrivals and trip planning
    • No ads shown to riders
    • In-app fare purchase where supported

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Transit if

  • You need real-time arrivals.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want multi-modal trip planning.
Transit review

Choose What3words if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
What3words review

Questions people ask

Is Transit or What3words better?
Neither clearly leads. Transit starts at Free and What3words at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Transit or What3words?
Transit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Transit and On request for What3words.
Does Transit or What3words run on more platforms?
Transit runs on iOS, Android, Web. What3words runs on Web.
Can I use Transit for free?
Yes. Transit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. What3words starts at On request.
What is Transit best used for?
Transit is most often used for a commuter in a city with a well-maintained gtfs-realtime feed wanting live bus and train arrivals, a rider comparing a transit trip against a bike share or scooter leg for the last mile, a visitor needing offline-capable static schedules in a city with patchy data coverage, someone wanting to buy a transit fare inside the same app used to plan the trip, in supported cities. Of those, a commuter in a city with a well-maintained gtfs-realtime feed wanting live bus and train arrivals and a rider comparing a transit trip against a bike share or scooter leg for the last mile are not what What3words is typically brought in for.
What can Transit do that What3words cannot?
Transit covers Real-time arrivals, Multi-modal trip planning, Service alerts, In-app fare payment. What3words covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Transit: Does Transit cost anything to use?

No. The rider app is free with no subscription and no ads; the company earns money separately by selling agencies a paid data and communication platform.

Transit: Does it work in every city?

No. Coverage depends on whether the local transit agency publishes a GTFS or GTFS-realtime feed; some smaller markets have static schedules only.

Transit: Can I buy a bus or train ticket in the app?

Only in cities where the local agency has integrated fare payment; elsewhere you still need the agency app or a physical ticket.

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