Comparison

SBB Preview vs PubliCar

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

Head to head
About

SBB Preview

Test the latest travel planning and ticketing features before they are released to the public. This app offers early access to new functionalities for Swiss public transport, including journey planning, ticket purchasing, and real-time travel updates.

Highlights
  • Early access to new features
  • Journey planning with touch timetable
  • Two-click ticket purchasing
  • Supersaver tickets and Saver Day Passes
  • Real-time delay and disruption notifications
  • Digital travelcards with SwissPass Mobile
  • EasyRide for automatic fare calculation
Features
Read full description

SBB Preview — always be among the first to test the latest features. Important: SBB Preview is the preview version of the SBB Mobile app. We are using SBB Preview to test new and innovative functions and features which we want to include in the SBB Mobile app in future. The basic functions for timetable enquiries – and for ticket purchases – for journeys anywhere in Switzerland are the same in SBB Preview as in SBB Mobile. We’ve kept the Preview app in grey to make it easier to distinguish. The heart of the app is the new navigation bar with the following menu points and contents: Plan: • Plan your journey with a simple timetable request via the touch timetable or use your current position as the origin or destination, locating it on the map. • Buy your ticket for the whole of Switzerland in just two clicks. Your travelcards on your SwissPass are applied. • Travel particularly affordably with supersaver tickets or Saver Day Passes. Trips: • When purchasing tickets, your journey will be saved in the ‘Journeys’ tab. • Even if you don’t buy a ticket, you can save your journey manually in the timetable. • The app accompanies you from door to door as you travel and you will receive information about delays, disruption and interchange times via push notification. EasyRide: • Check in, get on and set off – across the entire GA Travelcard network. • EasyRide calculates the right ticket for your journey on the basis of the routes you travelled on and charges you the relevant amount subsequently. Tickets and travelcards: • Show your public transport travelcards digitally with SwissPass Mobile. • It also gives you an overview of your valid and expired tickets and travelcards on the SwissPass. Profile: • Straightforward access to your personal settings and our customer support. Contact us. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us: https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/mobile-apps/sbb-mobile/contact.html Data security and authorisations. Why does SBB Preview need permissions? Location: For connections starting from a current location, the GPS function has to be activated so that SBB Preview can find the nearest stop. This also applies if you want to have the nearest stop displayed in the timetable. Calendar and e-mail: You can save connections in your own calendar and send them by e-mail (to friends, an external calendar). SBB Preview requires read and write permissions to be able to import your desired connection into the calendar. Access to the camera: To take photos straight in SBB Preview for the personalised touch timetable, the app needs access to the camera. You will be asked for permission. Internet access: SBB Preview needs internet access for timetable informations and ticket purchase options. Memory: To support offline functions such as the list of stops, connections (history) and ticket purchase, SBB Preview needs access to your device’s memory (save app-specific settings).

About

PubliCar

Book individual journeys conveniently from your smartphone. Select your desired travel times, enter your start and destination, and pay flexibly. This service offers an easy way to arrange your transportation.

Highlights
  • Book individual journeys
  • Select departure/arrival times
  • Enter start and destination
  • Flexible payment options
  • Smartphone booking
Features
Read full description

With the PubliCar app, you can easily and conveniently book an individual journey on your smartphone. It is as simple as that: Book your journey: • Select the desired departure or arrival time • Enter your start and destination address • Pay flexibly You can find further information on our website: https://postauto.ch/node/30675/

Screenshots

SBB Preview4 screens
PubliCar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PubliCar at none against SBB Preview's shown. PubliCar also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and ratings volume (12 vs 2). SBB Preview's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.7.2). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for SBB Preview against 4.9 for PubliCar. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PubliCar has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SBB Preview ships an update weekly, PubliCar fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SBB Preview versus PubliCar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSBB PreviewPubliCar
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.9 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews52.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings212 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.7.2
Further details — not scored
Size381 MB81 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSBB AGioki GmbH

Customer experience

SBB Preview

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive52.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative36.0%

PubliCar

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SBB Preview

No in-app purchases

None

PubliCar

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SBB Preview free?
SBB Preview is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PubliCar free?
PubliCar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SBB Preview or PubliCar?
SBB Preview is rated higher. SBB Preview averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while PubliCar averages 4.9 from 12 ratings.
Do SBB Preview or PubliCar have ads?
SBB Preview shows ads; PubliCar does not.
Which is updated more often, SBB Preview or PubliCar?
SBB Preview ships an update weekly, and PubliCar fortnightly. Most recently, SBB Preview was updated on October 8, 2026 and PubliCar on October 13, 2026.

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