Comparison

xtBus 3 vs SF Muni Buses

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

Head to head
About

xtBus 3

Track real-time bus arrivals across numerous transit agencies in the USA and Canada. Simply open the app and allow location access to find available routes and services in your area.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus tracking
  • Supports thousands of routes
  • Covers USA and Canada transit agencies
  • Location-based service availability
  • Ad-free option via subscription
Features
Read full description

xtBus 3 - a reborn of the popular real-time nextbus tracker for urban commuters. xtBus 3 now supports thousands of bus routes from various transit agencies across USA and Canada, including TTC, STL, SF Muni, EZRide and many more. Just open the app and grant it location permission to see if services are available in your area. The "VIP Monthly Service" is provided as an in-app purchase to customers who don't want to have advertisements displayed. The service is provided on a monthly basis. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. For details of terms of use - http://idemfactor.com/xtbus3/ And privacy policy - http://idemfactor.com/idemfactor-privacy-policy-english.html

About

SF Muni Buses

Track the real-time location and arrival predictions for buses. Get instant notifications for delays and closures, save favorite stops, and set reminders to never miss your ride. Optimized for various Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Live bus tracking on map
  • Real-time arrival predictions
  • Push notifications for delays
  • Favorite stops management
  • Nearby stops identification
  • Bus arrival reminders
  • Notification Center widgets
Features
Read full description

*** IMPORTANT: The SF Muni Buses app is being discontinued. Download the all-new Busly app to ensure continued updates & support: https://busly.app *** View up-to-date locations and time predictions for the SF Muni buses. LIVE MAP Get up-to-date bus positions showing exactly where each bus is along its route. PUSH NOTIFICATIONS Get real-time updates regarding delays, closures, and other important messages. FAVORITE STOPS Add stops you use often to your Favorites for quick, easy access. NEARBY STOPS See stops nearest to your current location, as well as how far they are. SET REMINDERS Easily set reminder notifications so you don't forget to catch your bus when it arrives. NOTIFICATION CENTER WIDGETS 2 Notification Center widgets for easy access to time predictions for nearby stops as well as your favorites. APPLE WATCH + IPAD Optimized for iOS 17, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. If you run into any issues or have any feedback, use the in-app Support button or email support@iminichrispy.com. You can also tweet me @iMinichrispy.

Screenshots

xtBus 33 screens
SF Muni Buses4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: xtBus 3 at fortnightly against SF Muni Buses's every 4 months. SF Muni Buses's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.1). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. xtBus 3 sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month and SF Muni Buses sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

xtBus 3 ships an update fortnightly, SF Muni Buses every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
xtBus 3 versus SF Muni Buses: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterxtBus 3SF Muni Buses
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.2 (1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews27.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—1K — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS14.112.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIdemfactor SolutionsAlex Perez

Customer experience

xtBus 3

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

SF Muni Buses

All ratings808 ratings
Positive77.0%
Neutral6.6%
Negative16.5%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive27.1%
Neutral7.3%
Negative65.6%

Bugs and requests

xtBus 3

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

SF Muni Buses

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Disappearing bus predictions
  • Outdated route information
  • Inability to purchase tickets

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add bus route numbers
  • Improve trip planning and pricing
  • Allow customization of favorite routes
  • Provide a map of Muni train routes and stations

In-app purchases

1 purchases

xtBus 3

Subscriptions1
  • VIP Service$0.991 Month
1 purchases

SF Muni Buses

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99

Questions

Is xtBus 3 free?
xtBus 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SF Muni Buses free?
SF Muni Buses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do xtBus 3 or SF Muni Buses have ads?
Both xtBus 3 and SF Muni Buses show ads.
Which is updated more often, xtBus 3 or SF Muni Buses?
xtBus 3 ships an update fortnightly, and SF Muni Buses every 4 months. Most recently, xtBus 3 was updated on September 24, 2026 and SF Muni Buses on October 24, 2026.

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