# Railcard vs Preston Bus

The clearest difference is rating: Railcard at 4.8 against Preston Bus's 4.3. Railcard also leads on ratings volume (7.3K vs 6) and review sentiment (44% vs 29%). On price, update cadence, 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.

Railcard holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Railcard has 7.3K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Railcard's written reviews are positive against 29% of Preston Bus's.

Railcard ships an update monthly, Preston Bus every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Railcard | Preston Bus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preston-bus/id1569149147/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **43.8% of reviews** | 29.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 43 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) | [Rise Digital Media Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/893223527) |

## 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


### Preston Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preston-bus/id1569149147)

Plan your bus journeys and access real-time information on your smartphone. Purchase mobile tickets, track your bus for on-time arrivals, and find nearby stops. Manage your account and get instant service updates.

**Highlights:** Mobile ticket purchasing, Real-time bus tracking, Journey planner, Next stop notifications, Service timetables, Service updates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Railcard free?

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

### Is Preston Bus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Railcard or Preston Bus?

Railcard is rated higher. Railcard averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Preston Bus averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Railcard or Preston Bus have ads?

Neither Railcard nor Preston Bus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Railcard or Preston Bus?

Railcard ships an update monthly, and Preston Bus every 2 months. Most recently, Railcard was updated on October 27, 2026 and Preston Bus on October 24, 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.*