# Busly vs Pantograph

The clearest difference is monetization model: Busly at free against Pantograph's freemium. Busly also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (555 vs 81). Pantograph's advantage is review sentiment (54% vs 43%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Busly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Pantograph sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Busly against 4.4 for Pantograph. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Busly has 555 ratings behind it against 81, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Busly's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pantograph's.

Busly ships an update fortnightly, Pantograph every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Busly | Pantograph |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (555 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busly/id1435737758/reviews)** | [4.4 (81 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pantograph/id1467024983/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **555** | 81 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **53.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 29 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alex Perez](https://appshunter.io/developer/362919234) | [Round Trip Productions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467024982) |

## What reviewers say

### Busly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busly/id1435737758)

This app provides real-time transit information for buses and trains in major U.S. cities. View live vehicle locations, arrival times, and detailed route information on an interactive map. Save favorite routes and stops for quick access.

**Highlights:** Live map with vehicle locations, Real-time arrival times, Detailed vehicle information, Favorite routes and stops, Nearby stops, Fare information, Light and dark themes

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Busly Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Busly Pro Annual | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate GPS
- 👍 Real-time arrival accuracy
- 👍 Efficient and simple GUI
- 👍 Valuable for MUNI supervisors
- 👍 Good for Atlanta transit

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate arrival times
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Routes not showing up
- 🐛 App cuts off unexpectedly
- 🐛 App is unstable

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Routes do not show up
- App cuts off
- App is unstable
- Long calibration times

**Requested features**

- Show bus numbers
- Show run numbers
- Color-code different bus lines on map
- Display bus number instead of line name when clicking a stop
- Improve refresh rate (currently 5 minutes)


### Pantograph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pantograph/id1467024983)

Visualize your entire transit network on a single map, seeing all active buses, trains, ferries, and streetcars. Get real-time departure estimates, vehicle statistics, and passenger load information for supported agencies. Track missed trips and customize your view to gain deep insights into system performance.

**Highlights:** Real-time transit vehicle map, Departure estimates, Vehicle statistics and load, Route and stop schedules, Missed trip reports, Customizable vehicle icons, Pro filtering system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pantograph Pro (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Pantograph Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Pantograph Pro (Yearly) | $14.99 | per year |
| Pantograph Pro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Busly free?

Busly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pantograph free?

Pantograph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Busly or Pantograph?

Busly is rated higher. Busly averages 4.5 out of 5 from 555 ratings, while Pantograph averages 4.4 from 81 ratings.

### Do Busly or Pantograph have ads?

Neither Busly nor Pantograph shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Busly or Pantograph?

Busly ships an update fortnightly, and Pantograph every 6 weeks. Most recently, Busly was updated on October 22, 2026 and Pantograph on October 23, 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.*