Oxford Tube vs Swindon Bus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Oxford Tube
Plan your journeys between Oxford and London with live coach tracking and real-time arrival information. Purchase and use mobile tickets directly from your phone, and save favorite routes for quick planning.
- Live coach tracking
- Real-time arrival/departure times
- Interactive route map
- Journey planner
- Mobile ticket purchase and use
- Save favorite journeys/stops
- Share tickets
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The Oxford Tube app is here – making travel between Oxford and London even easier. Time matters, so the Oxford Tube app puts everything you need right at your fingertips. With a live route map, real-time coach tracking, and expected arrival and departure times, you can plan your journey with confidence and stay in control every step of the way. The interactive map and journey planner help you make the most of your time in the city – whether you’re heading to work, meeting friends, or catching a connection. App features: Follow your coach in real time See your coach moving along the route and check exactly how far away it is, so you can time your journey perfectly. Explore the interactive route map View all stops and coaches in service. Just tap to see journey details and plan your next trip. Save your favourites Heading to the same stops often? Save your favourite journeys and stops to make planning even quicker. Buy and use mobile tickets Purchase tickets safely and securely on your phone. Your ticket appears instantly – simply activate it when you’re ready to board and show it to the driver. Share the journey Buy tickets for others or gift unused tickets to friends or family if your plans change. Everything you need for travel between Oxford and London – all in one place. It’s an Oxford Tube thing.
Swindon Bus
Plan your journeys, view live departures, and purchase mobile tickets for bus travel in Swindon. Access timetables, save favorites, and stay updated on service disruptions.
- Mobile ticket purchase
- Live departure times
- Route planning
- Timetable access
- Favorite routes and stops
- Service disruption alerts
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Our new app has everything you need to get around Swindon with Swindon's Bus Company. It’s packed full of everything you’ll need to get mobile on the bus. Mobile Tickets: Purchase mobile tickets securely with Apple Pay or a debit/credit card and show the driver when boarding - no more searching for cash! Live Departures: Browse and view bus stops on the map, explore upcoming departures, or check out the routes from a stop to see where you could travel next. Journey Planning: Plan your commute, trip to the shops or night out with friends. It’s now even easier to plan ahead with Swindon's Bus Company. Timetables: We’ve squeezed all of our routes and timetables into the palm of your hand. Favourites: You can quickly save your favourite Departure Boards, Timetables and Journeys, with quick access from one convenient menu. Disruptions: You’ll be able to keep up to date with service changes directly from our disruption feeds inside the app. As always, we welcome your feedback. You can send it to us via the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Swindon Bus at 62% against Oxford Tube's 10%. Swindon Bus also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). 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.
Oxford Tube ships an update monthly, Swindon Bus fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Oxford Tube | Swindon Bus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (211 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 10.1% of reviews | 61.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 211 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Stagecoach Group plc | The Go-Ahead Group plc |
Customer experience
Oxford Tube
Swindon Bus
Bugs and requests
Oxford Tube
Reported bugs
16 issues- Tickets disappearing upon activation
- Payment failures that still charge users
- App crashing during journey planning
- Login failures and account lockouts
- Live tracking showing incorrect bus locations
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- Return tickets not displaying in purchase history
- App unresponsive on Wi-Fi connections
- Search functionality spinning indefinitely
- Incorrect stop recommendations in journey planner
- Multiple charges for single failed transaction
- Tickets not loading after successful payment
- App freezing when selecting stops
- Route information missing for new routes
- Buses appearing to drive through incorrect locations
- Date picker resetting to wrong dates
- Credit card payments being declined incorrectly
Requested features
11 requests- Two-factor authentication for secure payments
- Extended ticket validity period beyond 15 minutes
- Improved live tracking accuracy with route indicators
- Clear route and stop labeling on map
- Mobile-optimized website for ticket booking
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- Better return ticket visibility and management
- Advance notifications for route changes
- Ticket area coverage map functionality
- Support for 24-hour time format clarity
- PDF/QR code alternative to app-only tickets
- Offline ticket access capability
Swindon Bus
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Oxford Tube
No in-app purchases
Swindon Bus
No in-app purchases









