Comparison

Southeastern vs Local Compass

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

Head to head
About

Southeastern

Purchase train tickets for any UK railway station with no booking fees. Get real-time updates, digital railcards, and automatic delay compensation claims. This app offers a user-friendly interface with accessibility features.

Highlights
  • Buy train tickets to any UK station
  • eTickets and Key Smartcard options
  • Personalized common journeys
  • One-click delay compensation claims
  • Real-time journey alerts
  • Digital Railcards
  • SeatFinder busy train information
Features
Read full description

Travel anywhere: buy train tickets to and from any UK railway station, getting you where you need to go. eTickets and Key Smartcard tickets: offer more sustainable alternatives to paper tickets. Common Journeys: personalise your home screen and receive real-time updates on journeys you regularly make. One Click Delay Repay: making delays easier! We’ll automatically generate a delay replay claim and tell you about the compensation you’re entitled to if your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more. Journey alerts: get real-time notifications for journeys you are about to make straight to your phone. Digital Railcards: save money with the convenience of a Digital Railcard on your phone. Check how busy your train will be with SeatFinder information. Powered by data from Southeastern, National Rail Enquiries and Transport for London. Built with accessibility in mind: the user-friendly interface helps those with accessibility needs, and makes booking travel assistance easy.

About

Local Compass

Navigate the Cotswolds with app-guided audio tours. Experience the region's charm, history, and hidden gems through automatic narration as you drive. Explore at your own pace with offline maps and insider tips.

Highlights
  • GPS-powered audio narration
  • Automatic audio playback
  • Offline maps
  • Curated tour itineraries
  • Insider travel tips
  • Local history and stories
  • Explore at your own pace
Read full description

Good day fellow explorers and welcome to Local Compass: Your Cotswolds GPS Audio Tour Guide! With a selection of tours covering this picturesque region of the UK, each of our GPS-powered tours has been curated to give you the quintessential Cotswolds experience. Say hello to your personal tour guide, who will communicate with you in the distinctive regional accent via audio narration delivered automatically at set points along the route. Let Local Compass take you on a journey beyond the ordinary, as your local guide helps you navigate through the charming villages, rolling hills and breath-taking landscapes that the Cotswolds is famous for. HOW A GPS AUDIO TOUR WORKS Simply let Local Compass do the work! Our innovative app uses GPS technology to seamlessly play audio narration as you drive. Our audio tours not only provide directions to must-see stops but also share captivating stories about the places you’re exploring, insider travel tips, and local history. It's like having a knowledgeable friend taking you on an adventure! TOUR ON YOUR TERMS Simplify your travel plans and maximise your road trip experience with a Local Compass GPS audio tour! With our innovative mobile app, you'll enjoy the expertise of a seasoned Cotswolds tour guide while retaining the freedom to explore the region at your own pace. We've planned the itinerary, handpicked the must-see stops, and curated plenty of engaging stories. However, with Local Compass, what you see and do is entirely up to you; simply stop and enjoy the places that interest you and skip the ones that don’t. AUDIO TOUR GUIDE + OFFLINE MAP So, what exactly is a GPS audio tour? Imagine combining an expert local tour guide, a directory of the best local vendors and powerful GPS technology tool into one intelligent, innovative and intuitive mobile app - that's Local Compass! Our app will provide directions to the best locations while sharing intriguing stories, local insights and essential travel tips along the way. Plus, with built-in offline mapping, Local Compass remains fully functional even when you're completely off the grid with no data connection. THE NEWEST AND BEST WAY TO TOUR THE COTSWOLDS Experience the all-new Cotswolds GPS audio Tour. Whether you're spending a day or more exploring the Cotswolds region, Local Compass GPS audio tours will have your itinerary covered. With starting points in various locations across the UK, simply purchase a tour and begin exploring. Our local guide will provide you with detailed history lessons as you journey through the Cotswolds. Don't embark on your Cotswolds adventure without Local Compass's Cotswolds GPS audio Tour! COTSWOLDS AUDIO TOUR GUIDE Local Compass offers the top-rated travel app for the Cotswolds region. Stay one step ahead of your Cotswolds adventure with tours covering iconic spots like Bath, Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water, Broadway, Lower Slaughter, Stow-on-the-Wold, and many more charming towns and villages. EXPLORE THE COTSWOLDS WITH LOCAL COMPASS Discover the beauty of the Cotswolds with confidence using Local Compass, the only audio tour app available in the region. Explore the timeless charm of the Cotswolds with our GPS audio Tours, covering everything from quaint villages to scenic countryside routes. KEY FEATURES - Commentary autoplays as you drive, based on your location and direction - Works offline with GPS, no data connection required whilst touring - Play your own music in the background - Listen to commentary before and after you travel Please note, This app makes use of GPS to show you places of interest close to your current location. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Southeastern4 screens
Local Compass4 screens

Verdict

The call

Southeastern and Local Compass both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Local Compass's written reviews are positive against 43% of Southeastern's. Southeastern's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ads 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. Local Compass sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Southeastern asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Southeastern against 4.6 for Local Compass. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Southeastern has 79 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Southeastern's written reviews are positive against 91% of Local Compass's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Southeastern ships an update every 3 weeks, Local Compass every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Southeastern versus Local Compass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoutheasternLocal Compass
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (79 ratings)4.6 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews90.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings79 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.114.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB149 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Go-Ahead Group plcLocal Compass Ltd

Customer experience

Southeastern

All ratings79 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews196 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral15.3%
Negative41.8%

Local Compass

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%

User reviews

Southeastern

From 79 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Convenient for booking tickets
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 💡 Useful features like delay repay
  • 👍 User-friendly interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent issues with loading tickets to key card
  • 🐛 Unreliable app performance, crashes and glitches
  • 🐛 Confusing and unintuitive user experience
  • 🐛 Inconsistent functionality across different device types
  • 🐛 Poor accessibility for disabled users

Local Compass

From 8 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Comprehensive self-guided tour
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Engaging for children
  • 🗺️ Detailed information on landmarks and towns
  • 🎥 Entertaining and informative narration

Bugs and requests

Southeastern

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to load tickets onto key card
  • Inconsistent behavior when purchasing tickets
  • Errors and crashes when trying to claim delay repay
  • Issues with recognizing and applying railcard discounts
  • Problems with syncing ticket purchases across devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to save and reuse common journeys
  • Offline support for accessing tickets
  • Integration with mobile wallets like Apple Pay
  • Improved accessibility features
  • Better tracking and management of purchased tickets
Show 1 more
  • More intuitive and streamlined user interface

Local Compass

No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.

In-app purchases

None

Southeastern

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Local Compass

One-time7
  • Bibury Walking Tour$7.99
  • Cotswold Photo Tour$9.99
  • The Cotswolds with Kids$14.99
Show 4 more
  • Date Day in the Cotswolds$14.99
  • Autumn Leaves$14.99
  • The Fairytale Christmas Tour$14.99
  • Quintessential Cotswolds$19.99

Questions

Is Southeastern free?
Southeastern is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Local Compass free?
Local Compass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Southeastern or Local Compass?
Southeastern and Local Compass are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 79 and 8 ratings respectively.
Do Southeastern or Local Compass have ads?
Neither Southeastern nor Local Compass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Southeastern or Local Compass?
Southeastern ships an update every 3 weeks, and Local Compass every 2 months. Most recently, Southeastern was updated on September 28, 2026 and Local Compass on September 24, 2026.

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