Blacksburg Transit vs Towly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Blacksburg Transit
Plan your Blacksburg Transit bus trips with real-time information. Avoid confusing schedules by using live bus locations, departure times, and personalized trip planning based on speed, transfers, or walking.
- Real-time bus, route, and stop information
- Live map with closest stops
- Trip planning by quickest route, fewest transfers, or least walking
- View active BT alerts for detours and changes
- Departure times by stop
- Step-by-step journey instructions and maps
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A BT bus app you can count on! Eliminate the confusion of planning a trip using an online bus schedule - let the BT app do it for you. The app allows you to plan a trip using real-time bus information on BT buses without using a bus schedule. * NEW: See stop(s) closest to your current location on a live map * NEW: Select a route by clicking on a bus on the live map * NEW: Select a stop to view all routes serving that specific stop, including departure information * NEW: Plan your trip by a preference of quickest route, fewest transfers or least amount of walking * NEW: View all active BT alerts regarding detours, route changes, and emergency information * NEW: View departure times for an entire day by stop * Find real-time bus, route, and stop information * Plan your trip for now or select a future departure/arrival date and time *Plan your trip from start to finish using BT buses * View route and schedule information for up to six trips on each route * Filter routes and schedules by stop * Receive detailed step-by-step instructions and maps for each leg of a journey * Select from a list of many pre-loaded local destinations and bus stops for simplified trip planning * Contact BT directly from the app * View visitor information
Towly
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Never get surprise-towed again. Towly is a community-powered map that helps drivers spot and avoid predatory towing before it costs them hundreds of dollars. Real drivers report tow traps and rate parking spots, so you know where it's safe to park — and where it isn't. See the danger on a live map Open the app to a map of nearby tow traps and community parking checks. Red means trouble, green means you're probably fine. Tap any pin for the details, photos, and what people were charged. Get warned the moment you arrive Save the places you park most — home, work, that block you always circle. Towly quietly watches them and alerts you the instant you arrive somewhere with tow reports, even with the app closed. Check any area before you go Heading somewhere new? Search an address, pick a radius, and Towly reports back exactly what's been reported there. Rate parking in seconds Just parked? Tap Safe, Risky, or Got towed, add a chip or two (free, paid, permit, time-limited), and you've helped every driver who comes after you. Report a tow trap Snap a photo of the sign or the lot, pick what happened, and put it on the map for your community. Private and simple Sign in with Apple — nothing else to set up. Your saved places and account details are never shown to other users. Towly gets better with every driver who joins. Report what you see, and let's make predatory towing a lot harder to get away with.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Blacksburg Transit at every 2 months against Towly's every 10 months. Blacksburg Transit also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Blacksburg Transit ships an update every 2 months, Towly every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Blacksburg Transit | Towly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.7 (198 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 8.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 198 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Town of Blacksburg | Neha Hussaini |
In-app purchases
Blacksburg Transit
No in-app purchases
Towly
No in-app purchases






