Comparison

Swindon Bus vs Forest

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

Head to head
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.

About

Forest

This app provides access to shared electric bikes across London for a faster, fun, and sustainable commute. Enjoy free ride minutes on every Pay As You Go trip after a small unlock fee.

Highlights
  • Shared electric bike service
  • Thousands of ebikes across London
  • Free ride minutes daily
  • Pay As You Go pricing
  • Ride bundles available
  • Subscription option
  • Watch ads for more free minutes
Features
Read full description

Get from A to B with Forest, London’s homegrown shared ebike. Switch your usual journey by train or bus for a faster, fun, and more sustainable way to get around. Plus, we’re the only shared ebike app that after a £1 unlock, gives you up to 30 free ride minutes on every Pay As You Go (PAYG) ride. HOW TO GET STARTED: 1. Download the app, create a free account and accept our Terms and Conditions. 2. Find your nearest Forest bike out of thousands across London using the map in the app. 3. Unlock a bike for £1 using the QR codes on the bike itself, or by tapping the selected bike on the app. 4. Enjoy an emissions free ride! WAYS TO RIDE: 1. PAYG: Simply unlock a bike for £1, get up to 30 free ride minutes, then pay 29p thereafter. 2. Buy a bundle: If you’re making longer trips, or planning multiple trips over a longer time. 3. Subscribe to Forest Plus: If you want the best value riding option. Always ride responsibly, respect other road users, and follow the safety guidance provided in the Forest app. WHY YOU SHOULD RIDE WITH FOREST: Choose from thousands of ebikes available across 18 boroughs of London with free ride minutes available every day. Gain additional free ride minutes by watching ads. We’re B Corp Certified and have run a zero-emissions operation since day one.

Screenshots

Swindon Bus4 screens
Forest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Swindon Bus at 57% against Forest's 11%. Swindon Bus also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Swindon Bus ships an update fortnightly, Forest weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Swindon Bus versus Forest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwindon BusForest
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (834 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews — better11.2% of reviews
Number of ratings—834 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB219 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Go-Ahead Group plcHuman Forest Limited

Customer experience

Swindon Bus

Written reviews14 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%

Forest

All ratings833 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral1.7%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews680 reviews
Positive11.2%
Neutral7.1%
Negative81.8%

Bugs and requests

Swindon Bus

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Forest

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes frequently
  • Inability to properly end rides and park bikes
  • Inconsistent GPS tracking and bike availability
  • Login and password reset issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve app stability and responsiveness
  • Provide clearer information on parking and no-ride zones
  • Maintain high service quality and bike condition
  • Offer transparent and fair pricing structure

In-app purchases

None

Swindon Bus

No in-app purchases

None

Forest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Swindon Bus free?
Swindon Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Forest free?
Forest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Swindon Bus or Forest have ads?
Neither Swindon Bus nor Forest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swindon Bus or Forest?
Swindon Bus ships an update fortnightly, and Forest weekly. Most recently, Swindon Bus was updated on October 24, 2026 and Forest on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons