Comparison

Busly vs SFTransitWatch

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

Head to head
About

Busly

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
Read full description

Now with support for iOS 27 & iPhone Duo! Busly lets you view live locations & arrival times for buses & trains across major U.S. cities. LIVE MAP • Get real-time bus & train position updates on a live updating map (which can also show route lines & stops!) ARRIVAL TIMES • View up-to-date arrival times for both stops & vehicles DETAILED BUS/TRAIN INFO • Get detailed vehicle information including: heading, speed, occupancy, wheelchair accessibility, bikes allowed FAVORITES • Add route lines & stops to your Favorites for quick access NEARBY STOPS • View stops nearby to your current location SEARCH • Optimized for near-instant search results to help you quickly find what you're looking for FARE INFORMATION • View detailed fare/ticketing options for the agencies in your region LIGHT & DARK THEMES • Choose between fully supported light & dark themes or automatically switch using the system setting ACCESSIBILITY • First-class accessibility support, including VoiceOver & Dynamic Type SUPPORTED REGIONS • Atlanta (MARTA) • Austin (CapMetro) • Boston (MBTA) • Chicago (Metra) • Cincinnati (Go Metro) • Cleveland (GCRTA) • Denver (RTD) • Edmonton (ETS) • Hartford (CTTransit) • Las Vegas (RTC) • Los Angeles (LA Metro) • Minneapolis (Metro Transit) • Nashville (WeGo) • Phoenix (Valley Metro) • Raleigh (GoRaleigh) • Sacramento (SacRT) • San Francisco (SF Muni, BART, Caltrain) • Seattle (King County Metro) • Washington, D.C. (WMATA) ...And many more coming soon! NO ADS, NO TRACKERS • Busly is 100% free of ads & trackers and always will be — For questions/comments/support, email support@busly.app or navigate in-app to Settings > Support > Contact App Support.

About

SFTransitWatch

Features
Read full description

SF Transit Watch Real-time San Francisco transit at a glance - on your watch or phone. SF Transit Watch brings live bus and train arrival times directly to your Apple Watch using official 511.org data. Whether you're commuting, exploring the city, or just need to catch the next Muni bus, get current arrival predictions. Find Stops, Any Time See nearby bus stops instantly sorted by distance. Your location powers fast discovery - just open the app and the closest transit options appear. No searching through lists. Real-Time Arrivals Watch live predictions update every 30 seconds. See which route gets you where fastest, and how many minutes until arrival. When you need current data, pull to refresh on the spot. Your Favorite Stops Mark frequently used stops as favorites and they'll rise to the top every time. Perfect for your home, work, or anywhere you catch transit regularly. Access your commute in seconds. Hands-Free Voice Commands Ask Siri "when is the next 38 bus" and get answers instantly. The app learns your most common routes and stops, making voice navigation smarter over time. Watch Complications Add transit widgets to your watch face for instant access to your favorite stops and nearby arrivals—no app launch needed. All You Need is an API Key Sign up for a free API key directly from 511.org — the Bay Area's official transit data authority — at 511.org/developers (about 2 minutes, no cost, no account with us required). Enter it in the app and every feature is unlocked immediately: real-time updates, location-based discovery, favorites, Siri commands, and watch complications. Prefer not to manage your own key? An optional subscription routes your requests through our proxy server instead, using our own 511.org key on your behalf — so you can skip the signup step. The subscription doesn't unlock anything extra. It's the exact same app and features either way; it's purely a convenience for people who'd rather not create a 511.org account themselves. Features: • Real-time arrival predictions from 511.org • Location-based nearby stop discovery • Favorite stops with persistent storage • Auto-refresh every 30 seconds • Pull-to-refresh for instant updates • Siri voice command integration • Route-specific voice shortcuts • Apple Watch complications • Distance and route information • Watch-optimized interface with large touch targets • Commute stop configuration for morning and afternoon times Requirements: • Free 511.org API key • Location permissions SF Transit Watch is built for the Bay Area transit system and optimized for quick access on the go. No tracking, no ads—just real-time transit data when you need it. Subscription Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Busly4 screens
SFTransitWatch3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SFTransitWatch at none against Busly's 2. Busly's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. Busly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. SFTransitWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Busly versus SFTransitWatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuslySFTransitWatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (561 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings561 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlex PerezRussell Larner

Bugs and requests

Busly

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes
  • Routes do not show up
  • App cuts off
  • App is unstable
  • Long calibration times
Show 4 more
  • Buses appear ahead of reported location
  • Missing key spots on routes
  • Stops are out of order
  • Atlanta map missing stations

Requested features

9 requests
  • 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)
Show 4 more
  • Add tutorial or explanation of symbols
  • Allow selection of favorite stops
  • Add vehicle ID and Block ID
  • Revert to previous app's functionality for route lists and stop order

SFTransitWatch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Busly

Subscriptions2
  • Busly Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Busly Pro Annual$9.991 Year
None

SFTransitWatch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Busly free?
Busly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SFTransitWatch free?
SFTransitWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Busly or SFTransitWatch have ads?
Neither Busly nor SFTransitWatch shows ads.

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