Comparison

Cruise Forth vs Bus & Tram

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

Head to head
About

Cruise Forth

Features
Read full description

Destination information for cruise ships arriving for Edinburgh and Dundee. Looking to plan your visit to Scotland? Select your cruise then browse our directory of attractions and businesses to plan your day. Add items to your itinerary, view points of interest on our map and get some information on the surrounding area.

About

Bus & Tram

Plan your bus and tram journeys in Edinburgh and the Lothians with real-time arrival information. Purchase mobile tickets directly within the app and receive live updates on delays and diversions.

Highlights
  • Journey planning with interactive map
  • Real-time bus and tram arrival times
  • Mobile ticket purchasing
  • Live travel and service updates
  • Customizable route suggestions
  • Service notifications
Features
Read full description

The new Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams app has everything you need to seamlessly travel on buses and trams in and around Edinburgh and the Lothians. Journey Planning Planning your journey around Edinburgh has never been easier. You can view your location on the interactive map and plan a route to your desired location. You can tailor the results to your travel preferences and we'll show you the most practical routes to get you where you need to be. Real-time Information Stay up to date with all the latest information regarding bus and tram arrival and departure times. The interactive map shows every bus and tram stop around you with subsequent real-time information about services at the selected location. Mobile Ticketing Passengers can now purchase a number of ticket types all on the one app. The app will learn ticket purchase behaviour and can present suggestions for frequently purchased tickets. Make use of our handy filters and find the tickets you need whether you're travelling across the region, in the city or to the Airport. Travel and Service Information The new and updated app can give you live updates about travel and service information, such as delays and diversions. If a stop is selected on the app, passengers will get the most up to date service information regarding the routes that serve the selected stop. Passengers have the opportunity to turn on notifications to get the latest service information straight to their smartphone.

Screenshots

Cruise Forth4 screens
Bus & Tram4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Cruise Forth at 9.0 against Bus & Tram's 16.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Cruise Forth versus Bus & Tram: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCruise ForthBus & Tram
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (235 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—15.1% of reviews
Number of ratings—235 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCruiseforth LtdLothian Buses plc

Bugs and requests

Cruise Forth

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Bus & Tram

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App refreshes when switching away
  • Address search returns irrelevant results

Requested features

4 requests
  • Bring back 'take me home' button
  • Allow saving of favorite stops without login
  • Integrate live departure times with route planning
  • Improve map view to show bus locations

In-app purchases

None

Cruise Forth

No in-app purchases

None

Bus & Tram

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cruise Forth free?
Cruise Forth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bus & Tram free?
Bus & Tram is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cruise Forth or Bus & Tram have ads?
Neither Cruise Forth nor Bus & Tram shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cruise Forth or Bus & Tram?
Cruise Forth ships an update monthly, and Bus & Tram monthly. Most recently, Cruise Forth was updated on November 3, 2026 and Bus & Tram on November 3, 2026.

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