Comparison

HSL vs Vilkku

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

Head to head
About

HSL

Plan your public transport journeys in the Helsinki region, buy tickets, and get real-time updates. Access buses, trains, metro, trams, and ferries all in one place.

Highlights
  • Public transport ticket purchase
  • Journey planner
  • Real-time timetables
  • Vehicle tracking
  • Service disruption alerts
  • Multiple payment options
Read full description

Buses, trains, the Metro, trams and ferry – all in one app. The HSL app allows you to buy public transport tickets for the Helsinki region, find the best routes using the Journey Planner, view all timetables, and receive personalized transport information. You can buy single, day and season tickets for both adults and children via the HSL app. Adult multi-journey tickets and discounted tickets for students and passengers aged 70 and over are also available via the app. You can pay using the most popular payment methods, including debit/credit cards, MobilePay, phone bill and commuter benefits. The HSL app's Journey Planner helps you find routes and informs you about the ticket needed for your journey. You can view real-time stop-specific departure and arrival times and track vehicles in real time. The app also displays any service changes and disruptions, and you can choose to receive notifications about these updates directly on your phone. More information about Helsinki region public transport: hsl.fi

About

Vilkku

Features
Read full description

Journey planner and tickets for Vilkku public transport. With the Vilkku app, you can easily purchase single, day, and season tickets for public transport in the Kuopio region directly on your phone. The tickets are valid on all Vilkku buses. You can pay for tickets in the app using the most common payment cards, mobile payment, MobilePay, and some commuter benefits. Tickets purchased through the app are valid from the moment of purchase. Show your ticket to the bus reader on each trip. The app also allows you to use the journey planner. The journey planner provides up-to-date routes and timetables, as well as real-time information on buses. In addition, you can see current public transport announcements in the app. The app is free of charge. For more information about Vilkku public transport in the Kuopio region, visit https://vilkku.kuopio.fi/en Accessibility statement: https://vilkku.kuopio.fi/vilkku-sovelluksen-saavutettavuusseloste

Screenshots

HSL4 screens
Vilkku4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Vilkku at none against HSL's shown. HSL's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HSL ships an update monthly, Vilkku every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
HSL versus Vilkku: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHSLVilkku
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (483 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews14.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings483 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.4 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHelsingin seudun liikenneWaltti Solutions Oy

Bugs and requests

HSL

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Version 4.2.0 does not work on iPhone6 (iOS 12.5.5)
  • Routes go blank, nothing to go back
  • Login problems, like a scam
  • Unable to create account, login, or purchase tickets

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow buying multiple tickets in a single purchase
  • Add maps showing all routes
  • Provide email verification option instead of just SMS

Vilkku

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

HSL

No in-app purchases

None

Vilkku

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HSL free?
HSL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vilkku free?
Vilkku is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HSL or Vilkku have ads?
HSL shows ads; Vilkku does not.
Which is updated more often, HSL or Vilkku?
HSL ships an update monthly, and Vilkku every 2 months. Most recently, HSL was updated on October 24, 2026 and Vilkku on October 3, 2026.

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