Comparison

Railcard vs Unibuses

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

Head to head
About

Railcard

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
Read full description

With a Railcard, you'll enjoy ⅓ off most fares when you go by train. Download the app now so you will never forget your Railcard again- have your Railcard on your mobile, ready for your next train journey. Suitable for storing newly-purchased 16-25 Railcard, Santander 16-25 Railcard, 26-30 Railcard, Devon & Cornwall Railcard, Family & Friends Railcard, Senior Railcard, Two Together Railcard, Veterans Railcard, Disabled Persons Railcard, Network Railcard, and 16-17 Saver. *Most Railcards are available instantly on your mobile. However, 16-25 Railcards for those applying as mature students, Veterans Railcards and Disabled Persons Railcards may take up to 5 working days for approval.

About

Unibuses

Plan your bus journeys in Bournemouth with mobile ticketing, live departure information, and route planning. Access timetables, view past contactless journeys, and save your favorites for quick access. Stay updated on service disruptions.

Highlights
  • Mobile ticket purchase
  • Live departure times
  • Route and journey planning
  • Digital timetables
  • Contactless journey history
  • Favorite stops and routes
  • Service disruption alerts
Features
Read full description

Our new app has everything you need to get around Bournemouth with Unibus. It’s packed full of everything you’ll need to get mobile on the bus. Mobile Tickets: Purchase mobile tickets securely with Apple Pay or a debit/credit card and show the driver when boarding - no more searching for cash! Live Departures: Browse and view bus stops on the map, explore upcoming departures, or check out the routes from a stop to see where you could travel next. Journey Planning: Plan your journey to uni, trip to the shops or night out with friends. It’s now even easier to plan ahead with Unibus. Timetables: We’ve squeezed all of our routes and timetables into the palm of your hand. Contactless Journeys: View the journeys you have made using your contactless cards and a breakdown of charges and savings. Favourites: You can quickly save your favourite Departure Boards, Timetables and Journeys, with quick access from one convenient menu. Disruptions: You’ll be able to keep up to date with service changes directly from our disruption feeds inside the app. As always, we welcome your feedback. You can send it to us via the app.

Screenshots

Railcard3 screens
Unibuses4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Railcard at 7.3K against Unibuses's 7. Unibuses's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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 — 4.8 for Railcard against 4.9 for Unibuses. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Railcard has 7.3K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Railcard's written reviews are positive against 50% of Unibuses's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Railcard ships an update monthly, Unibuses fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Railcard versus Unibuses: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRailcardUnibuses
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (7.3K ratings)4.9 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.8% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.3K — better7
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNational RailThe Go-Ahead Group plc

Customer experience

Railcard

All ratings7,243 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews1,321 reviews
Positive43.8%
Neutral8.3%
Negative47.9%

Unibuses

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Railcard

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Railcard disappearing from app
  • Download codes not working
  • Incorrect/missing card details

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add to Apple Wallet
  • Automatic renewal reminders
  • Offline mode for digital cards

Unibuses

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Railcard

No in-app purchases

None

Unibuses

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Railcard free?
Railcard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Unibuses free?
Unibuses is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Railcard or Unibuses?
Unibuses is rated higher. Railcard averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Unibuses averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.
Do Railcard or Unibuses have ads?
Neither Railcard nor Unibuses shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Railcard or Unibuses?
Railcard ships an update monthly, and Unibuses fortnightly. Most recently, Railcard was updated on October 26, 2026 and Unibuses on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons