# Cruise Forth vs Bus & Tram

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.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Cruise Forth | Bus & Tram |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.8 (235 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bus-and-tram/id6468092588/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **235** |
| Positive reviews | — | 15.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 23 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cruiseforth Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1460651866) | [Lothian Buses plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/548308171) |

## What reviewers say

### Cruise Forth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-forth/id1460651867)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bus & Tram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bus-and-tram/id6468092588)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improved layout and UI
- 💡 Ability to purchase tickets in-app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙁 Worse than previous app
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive navigation
- 🔍 Harder to find bus schedules and routes
- 🕰️ Live departure times not accurate
- 🗺️ Poor map integration and functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App refreshes when switching away
- Address search returns irrelevant results

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*