# Railcard vs Reading Buses

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Railcard at 7.1K against Reading Buses's 83. Reading Buses's advantage is review sentiment (61% vs 43%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Railcard against 4.8 for Reading Buses. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Railcard has 7.1K ratings behind it against 83, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Railcard's written reviews are positive against 61% of Reading Buses's.

Railcard ships an update monthly, Reading Buses fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Railcard | Reading Buses |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048/reviews) | [4.8 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-buses/id1384118827/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.1K** | 83 |
| Positive reviews | 43.5% of reviews | **61.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 43 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) | [Reading Buses](https://appshunter.io/developer/1384118826) |

## What reviewers say

### Railcard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048)

Access and display your train ticket discounts directly on your mobile device. Never forget your discount card again and save on most train fares. Supports a wide variety of railcards for different traveler needs.

**Highlights:** Store railcards on mobile, Save 1/3 on train fares, Instant digital access, Supports multiple railcard types, Ready for next train journey

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Great value
- 📱 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Fast digital delivery
- 🙌 Helpful customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app/website
- 🤯 Confusing renewal process
- 📵 Unusable without internet
- 🤖 Lack of accessibility features

**Reported bugs**

- Railcard disappearing from app
- Download codes not working
- Incorrect/missing card details

**Requested features**

- Add to Apple Wallet
- Automatic renewal reminders
- Offline mode for digital cards


### Reading Buses

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-buses/id1384118827)

Plan your bus journeys, purchase mobile tickets, and track live departures. This app provides real-time bus information, fare discovery, and contactless journey history. Save your favorite routes and stay updated on service disruptions.

**Highlights:** Mobile ticket purchase, Live departure tracking, Journey planning, Fare discovery, Timetable access, Contactless journey history, Service update notifications

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Railcard free?

Railcard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Reading Buses free?

Reading Buses is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Railcard or Reading Buses?

Railcard and Reading Buses are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7.1K and 83 ratings respectively.

### Do Railcard or Reading Buses have ads?

Neither Railcard nor Reading Buses shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Railcard or Reading Buses?

Railcard ships an update monthly, and Reading Buses fortnightly. Most recently, Railcard was updated on September 24, 2026 and Reading Buses on September 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*