PTBusBeacon vs WWU Starlight Shuttle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PTBusBeacon
Track Pullman's public transit in real-time with a live bus map and accurate arrival predictions. Plan your journeys, set custom reminders, and receive push notifications for upcoming arrivals without needing to open the app.
- Live bus map
- Arrival predictions
- Trip planning
- Custom reminders
- Push notifications
- General transit information
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PT Bus Beacon provides a live bus map and arrival predictions for the Pullman Washington public transit system. Use the app to set reminders, trigger push notifications that will give arrival predictions without even opening the app, plan your trip and access general information for Pullman Transit.
WWU Starlight Shuttle
Schedule a late-night, door-to-door shuttle service within a designated area. The service is free for active students and operates nightly with specific hours. Wheelchair lifts and bike racks can be requested when booking.
- Door-to-door shuttle scheduling
- Late-night service hours
- Free for active students
- Wheelchair lift and bike rack requests
- Service area restrictions
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Western Washington University's Starlight Shuttle app allows you to schedule a door-to-door late-night ride within the service area. Shuttle service runs nightly: Monday - Saturday 10:30 PM to 2:30 AM Sunday 9:00 PM to 2 AM *No shuttle service Thanksgiving day, during winter and spring breaks, or Summer Quarter. Rides are free for active students. When requesting your ride, please note if a wheelchair lift or bike rack is needed. A Western ID Card with your picture on it is required for boarding. One guest is allowed per Western student showing their Western Card and the student is responsible for their guest's behavior.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: WWU Starlight Shuttle at 4.4 against PTBusBeacon's 1.2. WWU Starlight Shuttle also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). PTBusBeacon's advantage is ratings volume (91 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WWU Starlight Shuttle holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PTBusBeacon has 91 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.
PTBusBeacon ships an update every 5 months, WWU Starlight Shuttle every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | PTBusBeacon | WWU Starlight Shuttle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.2 (91 ratings) | 4.4 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 91 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Syncromatics | Spare Labs Inc. |
Customer experience
PTBusBeacon
WWU Starlight Shuttle
Bugs and requests
PTBusBeacon
Reported bugs
27 issues- Failing to load favorited stops
- Alerts can't be dismissed
- App crashes every time
- App is just a white screen
- App doesn't work on iOS 18
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- App won't open
- Saved stops erased
- Unable to favorite stops
- App closes out immediately
- Doesn't get past loading screen
- Hangs on initial screen
- App takes too long to load
- Bus GPS not linked to app
- Buses camped out at transfer station
- Freezing opening screen
- Hangs on title screen
- New UI is trash
- 10 minute loading times
- New app doesn't show correct time predictions
- App rarely loads
- New update broke app
- Loading screen is slower
- No predicted arrivals
- Buses not tracked
- Bus drivers swap without notice
- Blank screen when selecting inbound bus
- Buses on different route times
Requested features
8 requests- Search for stops by area
- See buses servicing a stop
- See stops serviced by a bus
- Update route hours page
- Fix app crashing on iOS 18
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Ability to favorite stops
- Real-time bus location on map
- Display more than next bus time
WWU Starlight Shuttle
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PTBusBeacon
No in-app purchases
WWU Starlight Shuttle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PTBusBeacon free?
Is WWU Starlight Shuttle free?
Which has better reviews, PTBusBeacon or WWU Starlight Shuttle?
Do PTBusBeacon or WWU Starlight Shuttle have ads?
Which is updated more often, PTBusBeacon or WWU Starlight Shuttle?
Other comparisons
