Comparison

MassDOT BusPlus vs Peter Pan Bus Lines

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

Head to head
About

MassDOT BusPlus

Purchase and use intercity and commuter bus tickets directly from your phone. Plan your trip, select tickets, create an account, and activate your ticket to show the driver. An internet connection is needed for purchase, but tickets can be used offline.

Highlights
  • Purchase bus tickets
  • Use tickets offline
  • Plan trips
  • Secure payments
  • Account creation
Features
Read full description

The official mobile ticketing app of BusPlus – a program of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The BusPlus app lets you purchase and use intercity and commuter bus tickets instantly on your phone. Here’s how it works: 1. Plan a trip by selecting an origin, destination, and schedule 2. Choose the type of ticket and quantity 3. Create an account and link your credit/debit card to complete checkout 4. Activate your ticket and show it to the bus driver An internet connection is required to purchase tickets, but you can use your ticket(s) offline. All personal information and payments are securely transmitted and stored. Please contact support@bytemark.co for customer service assistance. Any comments or suggestions you may have are welcome. We are aware of problems with the scanning feature while adding new credit cards, and are working to correct this issue.

About

Peter Pan Bus Lines

Book bus tickets directly for guaranteed lowest fares to over 100 destinations. Features include real-time bus tracking, mobile boarding, and same-day ticket changes. Earn rewards for free travel.

Highlights
  • Live bus tracking
  • Guaranteed lowest fares
  • No booking fees
  • Mobile boarding
  • Same-day ticket changes
  • PERKS Rewards Program
Features
Read full description

Better, Quicker, Safer Travel NEW: Reserved Seating has arrived, on select schedules. Select your seat in advance for a smoother, stress-free travel. Live Bus Tracking • No Booking Fees Find the lowest fares to 100+ destinations. Book direct and save. Travel smarter with Peter Pan Bus Lines — the easiest way to book bus tickets across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and more. Real-Time Bus Tracking - Track your bus live on the map - Get accurate arrival times - Travel with confidence Reserved Seating (Available on Select Schedules) - Pick your seat when you book - No rushing or waiting in line - More comfort, less stress Smart Booking Features - No Booking Fees — always book direct - Mobile Boarding — your phone is your ticket - Apple Pay & Apple Wallet — fast, secure checkout - Same-Day Changes — flexible travel plans PERKS Rewards Program - Earn free trips with every ride - Manage all trips in one place - Faster checkout with saved payments Popular Routes Boston ↔ New York Philadelphia ↔ Washington DC Baltimore ↔ New York City Providence ↔ New York City Cape Cod ↔ Boston Hartford ↔ Philadelphia Serving 100+ destinations including NYC, Boston, Newark, Providence, Baltimore, Silver Spring, and Washington D.C. Why Choose Peter Pan? - Cheap bus tickets with no hidden fees - Real-time tracking and updates - Reserved seating for added comfort - Flexible changes up to departure - Fast, secure mobile booking Download now and book your next trip today.

Screenshots

MassDOT BusPlus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MassDOT BusPlus at 59% against Peter Pan Bus Lines's 16%. MassDOT BusPlus also leads on rating (4.4 vs 1.8) and ratings volume (259 vs 10). Peter Pan Bus Lines's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). 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

MassDOT BusPlus holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MassDOT BusPlus has 259 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of MassDOT BusPlus's written reviews are positive against 16% of Peter Pan Bus Lines's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MassDOT BusPlus ships an update every 9 months, Peter Pan Bus Lines every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MassDOT BusPlus versus Peter Pan Bus Lines: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMassDOT BusPlusPeter Pan Bus Lines
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (259 ratings) — better1.8 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews59.3% of reviews — better16.2% of reviews
Number of ratings259 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size108 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBytemark, Inc.Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc

Customer experience

MassDOT BusPlus

All ratings259 ratings
Positive82.6%
Neutral5.0%
Negative12.4%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral8.5%
Negative32.2%

Peter Pan Bus Lines

Written reviews117 reviews
Positive16.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative80.3%

User reviews

MassDOT BusPlus

From 259 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Very convenient for bus passes
  • 👍 Easy to use for many
  • 👍 Saves time and hassle
  • 👍 Good for disabled users
  • 👍 Works as advertised

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Tickets disappear after first day
  • 🐛 App glitches and logs out
  • 🐛 Cannot log in or create account
  • 🐛 QR codes do not work
  • 🐛 Payment issues and lost money

Peter Pan Bus Lines

From 10 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📱 Mobile boarding feature convenient and contact-free
  • ✅ Easy ticket rescheduling when working properly
  • 🎫 Centralized trip management in one place
  • 🍎 Apple Wallet integration available
  • ⚡ Quick purchase process when functional

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes immediately upon opening
  • ❌ Payment processing fails repeatedly
  • 🔐 Requires re-login every session
  • 📵 Doesn't work on iPhone/iOS devices
  • ⚠️ Poor user interface design and layout

Bugs and requests

MassDOT BusPlus

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Purchased tickets disappear after first day
  • App glitches and logs out users
  • Login and account creation errors
  • QR codes for tickets not working
  • Lost money due to voided tickets
Show 5 more
  • Inability to display passes after first day
  • Autocomplete for location searching is broken
  • Time zone error preventing login
  • Purchased passes disappear from history
  • Weekly passes only display on activation day

Requested features

6 requests
  • Discount bus pass for days remaining before free bus
  • Post more information on the application
  • Allow adding TAP card for reduced fare
  • Add Apple Wallet support for passes
  • Improve trip planner functionality
Show 1 more
  • Make app more intuitive/easier to learn

Peter Pan Bus Lines

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • App crashes on launch (iOS 18 and iPhone 13 mini compatibility)
  • Payment processing page hangs indefinitely
  • White screen of death during checkout
  • Purchased trips don't appear in trips tab
  • Manage trips tab causes app crash
Show 12 more
  • JSON error 400 when adding to Apple Wallet
  • App freezes on date selection screen
  • Cannot add previously purchased trips to profile
  • Login credentials not saved between sessions
  • Text cut off at screen edges
  • City search dropdown non-functional
  • App hangs with unsupported route combinations
  • Duplicate charges for single purchase
  • Confirmation number lookup fails
  • Rescheduling payment fails but charges card
  • Website login incompatible with mobile browsers
  • Search function loops without date entry

Requested features

10 requests
  • Apple Pay support
  • Stay logged in option between sessions
  • Real-time trip information updates
  • Better password reset functionality
  • Improved date/time picker interface
Show 5 more
  • Clear fee disclosure before purchase
  • Better error messaging and user guidance
  • Responsive design for all screen sizes
  • Functional customer service portal
  • Ticket confirmation before final purchase

In-app purchases

None

MassDOT BusPlus

No in-app purchases

None

Peter Pan Bus Lines

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MassDOT BusPlus free?
MassDOT BusPlus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Peter Pan Bus Lines free?
Peter Pan Bus Lines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MassDOT BusPlus or Peter Pan Bus Lines?
MassDOT BusPlus is rated higher. MassDOT BusPlus averages 4.4 out of 5 from 259 ratings, while Peter Pan Bus Lines averages 1.8 from 10 ratings.
Do MassDOT BusPlus or Peter Pan Bus Lines have ads?
Neither MassDOT BusPlus nor Peter Pan Bus Lines shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MassDOT BusPlus or Peter Pan Bus Lines?
MassDOT BusPlus ships an update every 9 months, and Peter Pan Bus Lines every 3 months. Most recently, MassDOT BusPlus was updated on September 19, 2026 and Peter Pan Bus Lines on September 17, 2026.

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