Comparison

Linkbus vs OctoStudio

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

Head to head
About

Linkbus

Get real-time bus schedules for the College of St. Benedict and Saint John's University. This lightweight app automatically fetches the latest information to ensure accuracy. Developed with the community in mind, it provides a convenient way to track campus transportation.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus schedule
  • Automatic data fetching
  • Accurate and up-to-date information
  • Lightweight and fast
  • Community-focused development
Features
Read full description

Linkbus is a fast and lightweight app providing a realtime view of the Link bus schedule for the College of St. Benedict and Saint John's University campuses. Linkbus automatically fetches the latest bus schedule information from data from csbsju.edu/bus to provide the most accurate and up-to-date schedule. Linkbus was crafted by a fellow Johnnie, with the community in mind. Please forward any feedback to mcarroll001@csbsju.edu.

About

OctoStudio

Create animations and games using coding blocks on your mobile device. Bring your own photos and sounds to life, and share your interactive projects with others. Developed by the creators of Scratch at MIT, it's a free and fun way to learn coding.

Highlights
  • Create animations and games
  • Use coding blocks
  • Incorporate photos and sounds
  • Interactive project features
  • Share projects as video or GIF
  • Offline project creation
  • Learn coding through play
Read full description

With OctoStudio, you can create animations and games on your mobile phone or tablet. Made by the creators of Scratch at MIT. Code an animated story or game using your own artwork, sounds, and ideas. OctoStudio is completely free of charge - with no ads, no in-app purchases, and no data collected. Create projects without needing an internet connection. Available in more than 30 languages. OctoStudio is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group, the MIT Media Lab team that invented Scratch, the world’s most popular coding language for kids. Create • Create animations, games, and anything else you can imagine • Combine emojis, photos, drawings, sounds, and movement • Make your projects come alive with coding blocks Interact • Make interactive games you can play by tilting your phone • Shake your phone or use a magnet to start your project • Make your projects speak aloud • Code your phone to buzz or turn on and off the flashlight • Collaborate across phones using the beam block Share • Record your project as a video or animated GIF • Export your project file for others to play • Send to family and friends Learn • Get started with intro videos and ideas • Explore and remix sample projects • Develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills • Learn to code in a playful and meaningful way OctoStudio has been designed in collaboration with educators in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, United States, and other countries around the world. To learn more about OctoStudio or share your feedback, please visit us at www.octostudio.org

Screenshots

Linkbus4 screens
OctoStudio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OctoStudio at monthly against Linkbus's every 4 months. OctoStudio also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (64 vs 10). Linkbus's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 83%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OctoStudio holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OctoStudio has 64 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Linkbus's written reviews are positive against 83% of OctoStudio's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Linkbus ships an update every 4 months, OctoStudio monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Linkbus versus OctoStudio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLinkbusOctoStudio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (10 ratings)4.8 (64 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1064 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael CarrollMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Customer experience

Linkbus

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

OctoStudio

All ratings64 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral1.6%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative12.5%

In-app purchases

None

Linkbus

No in-app purchases

None

OctoStudio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Linkbus free?
Linkbus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OctoStudio free?
OctoStudio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Linkbus or OctoStudio?
OctoStudio is rated higher. Linkbus averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while OctoStudio averages 4.8 from 64 ratings.
Do Linkbus or OctoStudio have ads?
Neither Linkbus nor OctoStudio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Linkbus or OctoStudio?
Linkbus ships an update every 4 months, and OctoStudio monthly. Most recently, Linkbus was updated on June 4, 2026 and OctoStudio on September 20, 2026.

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