Comparison

Oxford Tube vs Swindon Bus

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Live coach tracking
  • Real-time arrival/departure times
  • Interactive route map
  • Journey planner
  • Mobile ticket purchase and use
  • Save favorite journeys/stops
  • Share tickets
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Mobile ticket purchase
  • Live departure times
  • Route planning
  • Timetable access
  • Favorite routes and stops
  • Service disruption alerts
Features
Read full description

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

Oxford Tube4 screens
Swindon Bus4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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

Oxford Tube ships an update monthly, Swindon Bus fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Oxford Tube versus Swindon Bus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOxford TubeSwindon Bus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (211 ratings) — better
Positive reviews10.1% of reviews61.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings211 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStagecoach Group plcThe Go-Ahead Group plc

Customer experience

Oxford Tube

All ratings211 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative16.6%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive10.1%
Neutral8.7%
Negative81.2%

Swindon Bus

Written reviews13 reviews
Positive61.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative38.5%

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
Show 11 more
  • 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
Show 6 more
  • 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

None

Oxford Tube

No in-app purchases

None

Swindon Bus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Oxford Tube free?
Oxford Tube is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Swindon Bus free?
Swindon Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Oxford Tube or Swindon Bus have ads?
Neither Oxford Tube nor Swindon Bus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Oxford Tube or Swindon Bus?
Oxford Tube ships an update monthly, and Swindon Bus fortnightly. Most recently, Oxford Tube was updated on September 23, 2026 and Swindon Bus on September 19, 2026.

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